thing. She could not help the thought that if her mother had
been in her place, had been surrounded as she was by the new
life,--the teachers, the scholars, the routine of everyday,--if she
had seen the anxious, pale faces of many of the girls when they came
into the recitation room, and the tears that were often furtively
wiped away after a failure, she would not have thought it so easy to
fix your attention on your lesson, undisturbed by any external thing,
or to bend your efforts to the development of your mind, above every
other purpose: but, after all, the letter was not without its salutary
effect; and coming as it did at the beginning of Marion's school
career, will prove of great benefit to her.

CHAPTER VI.

SCHOOL CLIQUES.

The trustees of Montrose Academy had not only chosen a fine site upon
which to erect the building, but they had also very wisely bought
twenty acres of adjacent land, and laid it out in pretty landscape
gardening. There was a grove of fine old trees, that they trimmed and
made winding paths where the shade was the deepest and the boughs
interlaced their arms most gracefully. They cut a narrow driveway,
which proved so inviting that, after a short time, there had to appear
the inevitable placard, "Trespassing forbidden." A small brook made
its way surging down to the broad river that flowed through the town;
this they caused to be dammed, and in a short time they had a pond,
over which they built fanciful bridges. The pond was large enough for
boats; and these, decked with the school color,--a dainty blue,--were
always filled with pretty girls, who handled the light oars, if not
with skill, at least with grace, and, as Miss Ashton knew, with
perfect safety.

During the fine days of the matchless September weather, this grove
was the favorite resort of the girls through the hours allotted to
exercise; and here Marion, having found a quiet, shaded nook where she
could be sure of being alone, brought her book and did some of her
best studying.

"It's easy enough," she thought with much self-gratulation, "to fix
your mind on what you are doing, with nothing to disturb you; but it's
a different thing when there are three other minds that won't fix at
the same time. I just wish mother would try it."

One day, however, when her satisfaction was the most complete over an
easily mastered Latin lesson, a laughing face peeped down upon her
through her canopy of green leaves, and a voice