gs at home--and other things."

"Things and things," said Miss Pinshon. "That is not a very elegant
way of speaking. Let me hear how much you have learned."

I began. About all of the "threes" was on my tongue; the rest had got
mixed up hopelessly with Molly Skelton and teaching Bible reading.
Miss Pinshon was not pleased.

"You must learn attention," she said. "I can do nothing with you until
you have succeeded in that. You _must_ attend. Now I shall give you a
motive for minding what you are about. Go and sit down again and study
this table till you know the threes and the fours and the fives and
the sixes, perfectly. Go and sit down."

I sat down, and the life was all out of me. Tears in the first place had
a great mind to come, and would put themselves between me and the figures
in the multiplication table. I governed them back after a while. But I
could not study to purpose. I was tired and down-spirited; I had not
energy left to spring to my task and accomplish it. Over and over again I
tried to put the changes of the numbers in my head; it seemed like
writing them in sand. My memory would not take hold of them; could not
keep them; with all my trying I grew only more and more stupefied and
fagged, and less capable of doing what I had to do. So dinner came, and
Miss Pinshon said I might get myself ready for dinner and after dinner
come back again to my lesson. The lesson must be finished before anything
else was done.

I had no appetite. Preston was in a fume of vexation, partly aroused
by my looks, partly by hearing that I was not yet free. He was enraged
beyond prudent speaking, but Miss Pinshon never troubled herself about
his words; and when the first and second courses were removed, told me
I might go to my work. Preston called me to stay and have some fruit;
but I went on to the study, not caring for fruit or for anything else.
I felt very dull and miserable. Then I remembered that my governess
probably did care for some fruit and would be delayed a little while;
and then I tried what is the best preparation for study or anything
else. I got down on my knees, to ask that help which is as willingly
given to a child in her troubles as to the general of an army. I
prayed that I might be patient and obedient and take disagreeable
things pleasantly and do my duty in the multiplication table. And a
breath of rest came over my heart, and a sort of perfume of remembered
things which I had forgotten; and it quit