"I do not understand; I supposed you were hired to teach five days in the week, only," replied May.
"True, Mr. Pratt engaged me for the school week, but I have another Master, May. And he seems to be saying to me 'do this thing.' The children need me, I think, and that is why I said they have a right to a part of my Sundays."
"O, you are too good to be comfortable! Now if you would give up the scheme and sit in the hammock this afternoon and read, how we would enjoy ourselves!"
"I must not disappoint the children!" and Alice went down the dusty road wishing that May was interested in the matter enough to go with her.
After the lesson of that afternoon they lingered a little in familiar talk. Fred Pratt had been the most unruly of all her pupils, but of late he had changed greatly, and his example was having a marked effect upon the good order of the school. That afternoon Alice said:
"I wonder how many of us hope we are Christians? or how many are trying to be Christians?"
There was a little hesitation, a looking shyly at each other, then three hands went up. And Alice's heart gave a great bound of thanksgiving.
"What makes you think so?" she asked, and Fred spoke first:
"For one thing I think I am not as saucy to you as I used to be, and I know I could not help it, if Jesus did not hold me back from getting mad. O, Miss Merwyn! I have learned a great deal from you. I never knew anything about the Bible before you came! I've read it some, but it never seemed a bit interesting, but now I love it, and I just want to tell people how nice it is. I don't believe everybody knows about it!"
