said her mother, "I want you to sit by the window with
this nice sheet of paper and a pencil, and write something about what you
can see." "But my composition, mother," said Susie; "when shall I begin
that?" "Never mind your composition, my dear; do this to please me, and we
will talk about that by and by."

10. Susie thought her mother's request was a strange one; but she knew
that she always had a good reason for everything she did: so she took the
paper and pencil, and sat by the window.

11. "Do not talk to me at all," said her mother. "Look out of the window,
and then write down your thoughts about everything you see."

12. Susie could not help laughing, it seemed such a funny thing to be
doing. As she looked out, she first saw the western sky and some bright,
sunset clouds. "O mother!" she exclaimed, "what a splendid sunset!" "Don't
talk," said her mother, "but write."

13. "I'll write about the sunset, then," said she, and the pencil began to
move rapidly across the paper. In a few moments she said, "Mother, shall I
read you what I have written?" "No, not now," answered her mother; "I am
going into the dining room. You may sit and write until I return."

14. As Susie went on writing, she became very much interested in her
occupation, and for a time forgot all about the dreaded composition. She
wrote about the sunset clouds, the appearance of the distant hills, the
trees, the river, the garden with its gay flowers, and the birds flying
past the window.

15. Just as she had reached the bottom of the page, her mother came in.
"Well, Susie," said she, with a smile, "how does that composition come
on?" "Composition!" exclaimed Susie; "you told me not to think about my
composition, and I have not thought of it once; I have had such a nice
time writing about what I could see from the window."

16. Mrs. Smith took the paper and read aloud what Susie had written: "I am
sitting on a low seat at the bay window, one half of which is open, so
that I can smell the sweet flowers in the garden. The sky is all bright
with sunset; I can see purple, and pink, and golden. I do not believe that
anyone on earth has a paint box with such lovely colors in it."

17. "I can see one cloud, far above the rest, that looks like a ship
sailing in the blue sea. I should like to sail on a cloud, if it would not
make me dizzy. Now, while I have been writing, the clouds have changed in
color and form, but they are just as beautiful as they