Four Little Blossoms at Oak Hill School

DEAD

to a look from Miss Mason, Meg followed her. Down the corridor, up three steps and into a round, light room they marched, the piano tinklin

ther children rapidly filled up the rows back of them. "You do? Well, when you get in the third grade you'll have to pl

6 to sit at a piano away up on a high platform and play for the whole school. She wondered if, by

ing to Miss Mason, opened the large Bible that lay on the desk, and, facing the children, read a few verses. Then the little piano girl played for the hymn they sang, finding the books in racks on the backs o

hat," whispered th

w?" asked Meg,

l proudly. "You first grade? Do you have Miss Mason or Miss Watts? Mis

ose and turned toward the aisles. The small girl at the piano rattled another lively march, and i

found their seats. "I believe in trusting my pupils to a great extent; I can not watch you every minute. Besides, you know as we

tempted her to whisper. But if Meg was only six years old she was an 38 honest little girl and she knew

here were half a dozen

y each stay after school this afternoon for twenty minutes. You, too, Alice Cray. I'm surprised at you. And Margaret Blossom

hesi

tainly was rather severe in her manner. "Did you

ng and holding on to her desk with both small hands. "But

She 39 was laughing! When she laughed

is question every morning, so don't whisper again unless you are prepa

rs that would look exactly like those already drawn on the top line that she never looked up when the se

air," directed Miss Mason, busily putting up all the win

game of jack-stones with Nina Mills and a little girl from her own clas

ack were bending over s

y just back of them s

sn't that they found their lessons difficult, but rather that they didn't try, and sometimes it almost seemed that they preferred to be bad. They played hooky, and broke all the rules they could, and when they were in

d Tim rudely, as Bobby trie

e kicked away a stone. A small green snake glided rapidly off in

ted Tim Roon. "I got that snake, and if y

it'll serve you right, too," chimed in Charlie Black, who

ll face was as red as the old tur

kill things. Water snakes are harmless––Sam Layton says so. You cut up that other snake 'fore you killed

l building ignoring Bobby, and the other boys followed, looking a little ashamed. They had 42 watched Tim torture the snake w

s seat wishing that he could get even with Tim Roon. That is not a sensible feeling for any one to have, a

said Miss Mason, suddenly looking up from the list of spelling words she was dictating to the second grade th

answered Ja

rattling an empty bag," snapped Miss

he aisle and handed the te

n suspiciously. "You may stay after school an

he had seen Charlie Black lean over––he sat directly behind James––and

'll have to wait till after school.

at Charlie and scowled, for he guessed Charlie had stolen it,

f an hour later. "We have just time to go over to-morrow'

iently at Charlie. He r

n she continued to stare at h

this instant," retorted Miss M

go," wailed Charlie B

n Miss Mason lo

over to the do

fice," she said coldly. "No boy can re

, and he refused to me

can't go," he