ot in the school up yonder? Say! I
couldn't git my team to move past that there door!"

"What's matter, Mr. Young?"

"Why, dang it all! I'll report to the Reeve. Fust thing yeh know
there'll be a string-a-teams from here to the next concession blockin'
that there road in front of the school!"

"Why, what's the matter with the school, Mr. Young?" inquired old
Hector, in anxious surprise.

"Why, ain't ye heard her? Say! down in Maine I paid a dollar one 'time
to hear a big singer, forgit her name, but she was 'lowed to be the
dangdest singer in all them parts. But, Gol dang my cats to cinders! she
ain't any more like that there teacher of yours than my old Tom cat's
like the angel that leads the choir in Abram's bosom!"

"That is very interesting, Mr. Young. And I suppose you won't mind
paying a little extra school rate now," said Hector, with a shrewd
twinkle in his eye.

"Extra school rate! I tell yeh what, I'll charge up my lost time to the
trustees! But danged if I wouldn't give a day's pay to hear that song
again!"

In application of this principle of reward for merit, the teacher
introduced a subordinate principle which proved effective when all else
failed. The school was made corporately and jointly responsible for the
individual. The offence of one was the offence of all, the merit of
one the merit of all. Thus every pupil was associated with her in the
business of securing good lessons and exemplary conduct. As the day went
on each misdemeanour was gravely, and in full view of the school, marked
down upon the blackboard. The merits obtained by any pupil were in like
manner recorded. The day closing with an adverse balance knew no hour
of song. Woe to the boy who, dead to all other motives of good conduct,
persisted in robbing the school of its hour of delight. In the case of
Ab Maddock, big, impudent, and pachydermous, it took Dugald Robertson,
the minister's son, just half an hour's hard fighting to extract
a promise of good behaviour. Dugald was in the main a thoughtful,
peaceable boy, the most advanced pupil in the entrance class, and a
great mathematician. At first he was inclined to despise the teacher,
setting little store by her beautiful face and fascinating smile, for
on the very first day he discovered her woful mathematical inadequacy.
Arithmetic was her despair. With algebraic formulae and Euclid's
propositions her fine memory saved her. But with quick intuition she
threw herself frankly upo