account; while, as to
position, where was there ever an American girl of any age who
acknowledged to social inferiority? Katie alone felt, though she could
hardly explain it, the want of something in her new teacher which had
been peculiarly characteristic of the old one, who was a plain, elderly
woman, without much education,--namely, personal love and devotion to
the Lord Jesus, showing itself in an earnest desire that her scholars
might also learn to love and serve him. This good teacher's prayers had
been answered, and her efforts blessed, in Katie Robertson's case, and
hence the girl knew how to appreciate the difference.

In some ways, however, Etta agreeably disappointed all their
expectations. She set herself to study and prepare her lessons with an
energy that carried all before it; consulted commentaries, studied
dates, compared contemporary history, committed to memory schedules, and
looked out illustrations, all of which she imparted to her class till
its members far surpassed all the others in the school in their
knowledge of scripture geography and history and biography. They could
give complete lists of the patriarchs, the judges, the kings of Israel
and Judah, and the major and minor prophets; and they never failed with
the dates of the deluge, the "call of Abraham," the Exodus, the
Captivity, and all the periodic points by which the Bible is marked and
mapped off in the voluminous Sunday-school literature of the day. As to
distinctively religious teachings, every scholar had the catechism
verbatim, ready to recite at a moment's notice, and a failure in the
"golden text" was unknown. To be sure, other teachers in her vicinity,
whose classes failed to win the unqualified praise accorded to hers, did
say that Miss Etta never failed to prompt her scholars if there seemed
to be any hesitation; but perhaps that was due to a tinge of jealousy in
consequence of all the prizes given at a quarterly examination,
including one for the teacher, having been won by this "banner class."

All this was very well in its way. There is certainly no harm in knowing
all we can about the Bible; it helps us to understand and appreciate it,
and to answer the objections which foolish infidels are constantly
bringing against it; but the girls, especially Katie, missed the pointed
application; the showing how every wrong thing is sin; how sin must be
punished; how Jesus has borne the punishment, and so is ready and
willing to forg