to find herself in the
heaven of sitting on Miss Margaret's lap, her head against her breast
and Miss Margaret's soft hand smoothing her cheek and hair. And it was
in that blissful moment that Tillie had discovered, for the first time
in her young existence, that life could be worth while. Not within her
memory had any one ever caressed her before, or spoken to her tenderly,
and in that fascinating tone of anxious concern.

Afterward, Tillie often tried to faint again in school; but, such is
Nature's perversity, she never could succeed.

School had just been called after the noon recess, and Miss Margaret
was standing before her desk with a watchful eye on the troops of
children crowding in from the playground to their seats, when the
little girl stepped to her side on the platform.

This country school-house was a dingy little building in the heart of
Lancaster County, the home of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Miss Margaret had
been the teacher only a few months, and having come from Kentucky and
not being "a Millersville Normal," she differed quite radically from
any teacher they had ever had in New Canaan. Indeed, she was so wholly
different from any one Tillie had ever seen in her life, that to the
child's adoring heart she was nothing less than a miracle. Surely no
one but Cinderella had ever been so beautiful! And how different, too,
were her clothes from those of the other young ladies of New Canaan,
and, oh, so much prettier--though not nearly so fancy; and she didn't
"speak her words" as other people of Tillie's acquaintance spoke. To
Tillie it was celestial music to hear Miss Margaret say, for instance,
"buttah" when she meant butter-r-r, and "windo" for windah. "It gives
her such a nice sound when she talks," thought Tillie.

Sometimes Miss Margaret's ignorance of the dialect of the neighborhood
led to complications, as in her conversation just now with Tillie.

"Well?" she inquired, lifting the little girl's chin with her
forefinger as Tillie stood at her side and thereby causing that small
worshiper to blush with radiant pleasure. "What is it, honey?"

Miss Margaret always made Tillie feel that she LIKED her. Tillie
wondered how Miss Margaret could like HER! What was there to like? No
one had ever liked her before.

"It wonders me!" Tillie often whispered to herself with throbbing heart.

"Please, Miss Margaret," said the child, "pop says to ast you will you
give me the darst to go home till half-past thr