he temple!

"My whole letter seems to be nothing but my pupils' absurdities. But
really I have very little else to write about that would interest any
one. I'm busy all day, and too tired at night to read or write. I take
more pleasure getting acquainted with my darling little brother Jack
again, than in anything else I do. He has been Ariel now for a week, and
it's very convenient, for there are many errands to be done. He sleeps
at night in a cow-slip bell, very romantically, but I have no hope the
spell will last. He will be a robber chief or a street-car conductor
next week. The poetry in his system is in streaks, not continuous. O!
that reminds me--and it's the last 'bright saying' I shall quote in this
letter, I promise you! He asked me rather shyly the other day what
poetry was, and after I had attempted to explain, he said: 'It's queer,
Allie. I thought it was chickens!'

"Here comes my pupil, looking very sad. I wish he didn't regard me as an
old, old woman. I suppose I seem so to him, but I do hate to feel for
two hours a day that I have lost all my youth.

"When does Hannah come? And Frieda? I am all eagerness to see her. Did
you carry my embroidered waist home with you by any chance? I can't find
it, and I really need it.

"My love to your mother, always.

"Faithfully yours,

"Alice Barbara."

CHAPTER SIX

THE OPENING

The opening of the library had been vigorously advertised. Bert and Dot
had wheeled the country roads over within a radius of three miles from
town, posting bills of announcement. The ministers urged it upon their
congregations as a civic duty to attend. At social gatherings the week
before nothing else was talked of. And everybody was going to bring
books.

"Such a lot of trash as we'll get!" groaned Dorcas.

"I know it," assented Polly, "but they will all take an interest, and
that is what we are after now. Once properly established, we can buy
good books, and these old ones will just stand idle or wear out or get
lost or something."

"I don't think it's very appropriate to serve refreshments," objected
Dorcas once more. "And Algernon doesn't think it is a dignified way to
do."

"O, well," put in Catherine, appeasingly. "Mrs. Graham says, you know,
that we'll 'have to get people pretty well educated readin' our
encyclopedias and dictionaries before they'll think anything's wor