indeed, this "Third Primer" was
hardly orthodox food for Sunday at all, according to her ideas; and yet
Geordie was laboriously travelling over the page with a dogged
earnestness which she did not know how to divert into any other channel
without doing harm in some shape or other. But presently help came to
her from a quarter where she had least expected it.

Jean, who had been seated on the form unnoticed for several minutes,
listening to Geordie's earnest but uninteresting sing-song, as he stood
at the table leaning over his lesson-book, got tired of her neglected
situation, and descending from her high seat, she planted her sturdy
little legs on the floor, saying, in a decided tone, as she stumped away
towards the door, "Geordie, I'm tired sittin' here. I'm away home."
Jean's words fell like a thunderbolt both on Geordie and Grace. The
blood mounted to the boy's face, and his earnest blue eyes turned
anxiously towards the young teacher, to see what she was thinking of
such an utter breach of good manners on Jean's part.

[Illustration: THE FIRST LESSON.]

Poor Grace felt bitterly conscious of sudden and terrible failure in
this work which she had so longed to undertake. She had not been able to
interest one scholar for a quarter of an hour, and the other seemed only
to have his heart set on learning to spell. "But it is not quite time to
go home yet, Jean," she faltered, as she watched the little girl's
efforts to open the door, since Geordie did not seem inclined to come
to her assistance. "Indeed, we haven't really begun yet," continued
Grace. "Come, Jean, would you not like to stay a little longer and hear
a story from the Bible before you go? Geordie used to like them at
school, he says;" and then, turning to the boy, who stood looking in
grave reproving silence at Jean, she said, "Besides, Geordie, I think,
perhaps, I did not quite explain to you the other day what I thought we
should try to learn on Sunday afternoons when you come here. I shall be
very glad to help you with spelling, too, you know, but I thought I
should like to tell you something about the Lord Jesus Christ our
Saviour, and to read some of his wonderful words which we find in the
New Testament. You have heard of him, have you not, Geordie?"

"Oh, ay, I'm thinkin' I have. But it was in the Auld Testament they were
readin' when I was at the school. I mind there was a right fine story
about a herd-laddie killin' a big giant, that one o' the l