"Mamma, I never could bear it—never, never. Why, I suppose you would not teach us any longer then; and besides, mamma, strange girls go to school, do they not?"
"Girls who are strangers to you, you mean, dear?"
"Yes'm."
"Well, yes," said Mrs. Bradford slowly, for this was even a greater trial to her than it was to Maggie. "I suppose there would be some girls whom you did not know, but not a great many; for it would be but a small class to which I should send you. Do you remember that pleasant Miss Ashton whom you saw here one day, just after we came home from Chalecoo?"
"Yes'm; and we liked her looks so much."
"Well, she is going to have a class of little girls for two or three hours each day. Lily Norris, Gracie Howard, and one or two others whom you know, are to join it; and she came here to know if I would like you to do so. But I wished still to teach you myself this winter, and said 'no.' But now that I have been so ill, I feel that I must give up this pleasure, for it will not do for you to lose so much time. So, as Miss Ashton has still one or two places to be filled, I think I shall send you to her. You will not find it hard after the first day or two. Miss Ashton is a very kind, gentle young lady; you already know several of your classmates, and with the rest you will soon become acquainted. Miss Ashton's mother is to have a class of older girls, but they will be in another room, and need not interfere with you. With all this to make it easy and agreeable for you, do you not think you will be able to bear it?"
"I could not; indeed, mamma, I could not," said Maggie, making a great effort to speak steadily.
"Not if it would be a great help to your sick mother, dear?"
Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat, winked her eyes very hard to keep back the tears, and answered, "Yes, if it would be that, I could, mamma. I think I would do anything that would be a help to you, even if it did hurt my own feelings dreadfully."
"My own dear little girl!" said Mrs. Bradford, tenderly kissing the flushed face which looked up into hers so wistfully. "But I do not believe you will find this as hard a trial as you imagine, Maggie. After the first day or two, I hope you will not only be quite willing to go to school, but that you will really take pleasure in it."