t!" exclaimed the impulsive
girl, and jumping out of her seat, she ran around the groups to the
stone chair. "I do, Miss Salisbury, for I did so want to hear all about
when you were a schoolgirl."

"Well, go back to your place, Fanny, and you shall hear a little of my
school life," said Miss Salisbury gently.

"No--no; the whole of it," begged Fanny earnestly, going slowly back.

"My dear child, I could not possibly tell you the whole," said Miss
Salisbury, smiling; "it must be one little picture of my school days."

"Do sit down, Fanny," cried one of the other girls impatiently; "you are
hindering it all."

So Fanny flew back to her place, and Miss Salisbury without any more
interruptions, began:

"You see, girls, you must know to begin with, that our father--sister's
and mine--was a clergyman in a small country parish; and as there were a
great many mouths to feed, and young, growing minds to feed as well,
besides ours, why there was a great deal of considering as to ways and
means constantly going on at the parsonage. Well, as I was the eldest,
of course the question came first, what to do with Amelia."

"Were you Amelia?" asked Fanny.

"Yes. Well, after talking it over a great deal,--and I suspect many
sleepless nights spent by my good father and mother,--it was at last
decided that I should be sent to boarding school; for I forgot to tell
you, I had finished at the academy."

"Yes; sister was very smart," broke in Miss Anstice proudly--"she won't
tell you that; so I must."

"Oh sister, sister," protested Miss Salisbury.

"Yes, she excelled all the boys and girls."

"Did they have boys at that school?" interrupted Philena, in amazement.
"Oh, how very nice, Miss Salisbury!"

"I should just love to go to school with boys," declared ever so many of
the girls ecstatically.

"Why don't you take boys at our school, Miss Salisbury?" asked Silvia
longingly.

Miss Anstice looked quite horrified at the very idea; but Miss Salisbury
laughed. "It is not the custom now, my dear, in private schools. In my
day--you must remember that was a long time ago--there were academies
where girls and boys attended what would be called a high school now."

"Oh!"

"And I went to one in the next town until it was thought best for me to
be sent to boarding school."

"And she was very smart; she took all the prizes at the academy, and the
principal said--" Miss Anstice was herself brought up quickly by her
sister.

"If