The Chronicles of Rhoda

orner in our parlor th

lutarch's Lives" in brown and gold, a green "Ivanhoe," a red "Alice in Wonderland," and a fat blue book, "The Child's Own Book of Fairy Tales," with rubbed corners, and loose leaves, and a crooked signature on the front page that read, p

aid, enviously. "I was just

e no eyes," my gran

them by heart,"

Les Miserables," stood just above my head, and there were stories of children in all of these,-the most entrancing stories that opened a window into a glorious golden world of ideality a

other said. "She excites herself over them. She

ther liked me to read, and that she liked me to be a little different from ot

ladies. "When I was a little girl I liked to read 'The

Miserables" that day, I remember, and their talk played on

o to school

mother

looked at

ho teaches her?" they dem

s," my mother answere

s said, decisively, "and send that child to scho

ll regret it," the one wi

kept her at home on that account; but I suppose,

ied fashion, and then brightened, a

rmation," she confided, whisperingly. "She

ies shook t

n knowing too much," the on

other breathed,

y hand, and read a page or two of it in a frightened

e this book, Rh

t a little girl, m

little clo

ful doll, and one night, just think, he put a gold coin in her shoe! She wa

t all,

odd

a good mother to you

gainst her arm, an

you won't like; but you may understand some day, dear. I am going to put this book back into

, is it, mother?"

I want to keep my little girl just the sam

the door; but she did not take away the brass key

o suit myself, and I made stories likewise for the books which I did not know. There was one remarkable thing about my stories, and that was that nobody ever died; but they all

Daniel!" I would cry. "Oh, mother,

es ago, dear," my mother

I protested. "I ca

hings going wrong, and

reat many lessons together, and she would offer me

d my father, "but I do think, Robert, that

oke, and she turned over a very rag

as I did. Don't you think, Robert, if I were to do without a new winter coat, and we made the

ightening as sh

at dad has given her on her birthdays and on Christmas. I don't sup

father

e fell, and the

e declared, fondly. "Well, at any rate

on past our house of thirty little girls walking two and two. They all looked happy

fortune in a teacup out in the kitchen that

oman, a widdy by the looks of her, and water to cross, and much money. Sure

around her t

rget you, Nora

n?" she cried,

n! All that I learn I

day coming for both

by the hand. She was just as much excited as I was, and when we came to the door of a large white house, with a brass plate saying, "Mrs. Garfi

seven times!" she w

st of tears, unexpected tears, for somehow or other I suddenly seemed to

coral on the floor in front of the pierglass. It had exactly thirty-seven points. And there was a motto neatly framed on the wall. "The Good Child Makes the Careful Mother." By and by there was a rustle of silk in the doorway, and Mrs. Garfield was shaking ha

my mother said, falteringly. "Sh

e to learn," Mrs. Garfiel

t know anything. It seemed to me that she liked to

lung to her, wildly, then the door had shut and I was alone in the world. It was a dreadful feeling to be alone! And it was still more dreadful when

s Lucy," Mrs. Garfield said, in t

turned an

little curly-haired girl standing in a far corner, with her face hidden against the wall, who was sobbing bitterly. Somebody had been dr

orner, Miss Armitage," Mis

ccusing finger a

ke-performance of yours on the blackboard I sh

ls all looked

iss Lucy?" a small person in

er, let me rub it o

red hair and

at this drawing together. We will consider its disloyalty, its bad perspective, one foo

moment, and seeme

Miss Armitage," she added, in haste. "Young la

. And she looked back at me with drowned eyes. She was rather pretty. Suddenly, so

red, in compassion. "

er of the desk, and k

" she whispe

you," I wh

riends," sh

in, solemnly,

ot pay them much attention for we were too much occupied with each other. Oh, the glory of having a friend, the secrets that we confided that morning behind the de

e little procession down the sunny street. It was so odd to look at my home from the outside, to see Norah hanging out the wash, the twins playing in the garden, and even grandmother sewing comp

afternoon I came running home, with a budget of news to tell my mother. There were many things to puzzle me in the new world. For instance, I could nev

sping her hands together, "tell us

e a perfect chorus f

tell us about when yo

your mother made out of a shawl,

would add

s party dress, and how s

d tell us about her pink coral beads, an

and tell us the tales of a bygone age. I liked Miss Lucy. I liked to sit up close to her and to Grace, and hear about the par

s time for recess! Why, where has the morning gone! Well, girls

cy was, and she understood the situ

ery sum in the arithmetic; but when the day came for composi

she would say, despai

wn at the blackboard. Miss Lucy always wrote the subjects for the compositions

y of a N

ts on

mph of C

r's Flow

dow D

auty o

jects! I would sit and look

position day, I remember Gr

going to take?" she

I answered, wi

lieve Rhoda could write the

ber that they all came around me, and look

er lap, "if you'll write my composition for me I'll gi

hair ribbon; but

ite it,"

ace asked, jealously, with her face agai

yours, too

one f

for

at them,

erybody," I declared,

ll anyone," J

g a secret of it. It seemed so strange. But I p

, and I had such a grand time that I never noticed the wasps at all; but went on and on finding something new to say every minute, and loving to say it. Only it was hard when the sentences happened to come ou

, when it was put in her hand. "

n odd smile of pleasure, and then she

a minister," I heard her tell my father, e

y arm, and when I reached Mrs. Garfield's I divided the compositions among the girls, so that

ut of the room. It was very quiet in the room. Every little girl sat at her desk and studied very busily. All except Janet McLarin. She opened the side window and climbed out. The last we

Garfield!" Grace whis

e was nothing to be frightened about; but fear is c

n front of us with a rol

ives me great pain to say. Your compositions have come in this morning, and your teacher has

e room was ver

been written by a member of this class. They have been written by somebody else

her, with a bewildered expression. I looked at rows of pale little girls at their desks. I looked at Grace. Oh, it was cruel, cruel! They had never told me that I w

," I confessed, brokenly

y heart breakin

rustle at th

but we asked her to. We are all bad, just as bad as she is. And Ja

ll told Mrs. Garfield how it had been done, and they showed her the wrapping paper. One little girl offered me

Garfield sai

t with an air

e sanctum, the place where people went to be

of sublimity is large. So is that of humor. I predict a f

" I answere

wrapping paper compositions. I mean that with hard work, hard w

as though with an equal. The next moment she called me

d. "I will develop it. I will watch ov

nging up in the hall. Suppose the fortune which Norah had read in the teacup should come true! Suppose that I should be the one to buy the new things, to make soft

riber'

s were corrected. Varied

tles were removed t