[A] William Blake.
[V.]
THE COLONEL'S STORY
ON Sunday morning Maggie and Bessie were made ready, and taken over to Mrs. Rush's rooms at nine o'clock, as had been arranged. As Maggie had told Mr. Hall, Mrs. Rush could not leave the colonel to go to the church school; but she was very anxious to do something for the lambs of the Good Shepherd, who had so lately brought her dear husband into the fold, and so she had begged that these little ones might come to her. Mrs. Bradford was very glad to have her children go. Bessie had never been to Sunday-school, and her mother thought the walk too much for her on a cold day; but Mrs. Rush's rooms were so near their own home that she could go there in almost any weather. As for Maggie, she was rather glad not to go back to the church school. Her teacher, Miss Winslow, was going away, as you know, and she did not at all like the idea of having a new one.
"I should be so very homesick after Miss Winslow, mamma," she had said, "but now I shall not mind that so much; and then Bessie will be with me, so we will be very happy."
Truly it was a pleasant class. Four little girls who dearly loved each other, and the sweet young lady who was to be their teacher. Then the room was so bright and sunny, and the colonel, to please his wife and her little scholars, perhaps also to please himself, had taken a great deal of pains to have all nicely prepared for them. Four small cane-seated chairs stood side by side, and on each of them lay a Testament and a hymn-book, while on the table were a number of picture-cards and a neat case containing a dozen books, which were to be their library.