e Russian
government, Catholic religion, Stanley as a hero, Kane's Arctic
adventures.

Miss Ashton had made a list of these subjects as she looked over the
essays, and when she read them aloud, the school burst into a peal of
laughter.

She said, "I cannot, in our limited time, read all of these to you. I
will give you your choice, but first, let me tell you what remains.
There are six poems of four and five pages length. The subjects
are:--

"The Lost Naiad; Bertram's Lament; Cowper at the Grave of His Mother;
A New Thanatopsis; Ode to Silence; Love's Farewell.

"I promise you," she said, "you shall have these, if nothing more."

A slight approbatory clapping, and she went on:--

"If I am to read you the titles of the stories I have on my desk, it
will go far into the alloted time for these exercises; but, as some of
you may think they would be the most interesting part, I will give you
your choice. Those in favor, please hold up their hands."

Almost every girl's hand in school was raised, so Miss Ashton went
on:--

"Bob Allen's Resolve; The Old Moss Gatherer; Lady Jane Grey's
Adventure; The Brave Engineer; How We didn't Ascend Mt. Blanc; Nancy
Todd's Revenge; Little Lady Gabrielle; Sam the Boot-black; Christmas
Eve; Thanksgiving at Dunmoore; New Year at Whitty Lodge; Poor Loo
Grant; Jenkins, the Mill Owner; Studyhard School; Storied West Rock;
Phil, the Hero; How Phebe Won Her Place; Norman McGreggor on his
Native Heath; Our Parsonage; How Ben Fought a Prairie Fire; The
Sorrows of Mrs. McCarthy.

"These are all," and Miss Ashton laughed a merry laugh as she turned
over the pile. "I am much obliged to you for your ready and full
answer to my proposal. If I am a little disappointed at the literary
character of some of the work, I am, as I have said, pleased by your
ready response. If I should attempt to read them all, we should be
here at a late hour, and lose our spread, so I will give you the
poems, as I promised, and as many of the essays and stories as I can
crowd into the time previous to nine o'clock."

Miss Bent, who was the teacher of elocution, now stepped forward, and
out of a pile separated from the larger one of manuscripts took up and
read the six poems; then followed, in rapid succession, essays and
stories, until at ten minutes before nine, the school having evidently
heard all they wished with the spread in prospect, Miss Ashton
said,--

"I have reserved the best--by far the best--of all