indifferent a manner as possible.

"Why should not the primary room be classified as well as the main
department?" he asked, at last.

To Marion there was so much that was absurd involved in the question
that it put her indifference to flight at once.

"Why should there be a separate room at all if they are to be so
classified? Why not keep them in the regular department, under the
superintendent's eye, and where they can have the benefit of the
pastor's remarks?"

"Because while they are so young they need more freedom than can be
given them in the main room. They need to be allowed to talk aloud, and
to sing frequently, and to repeat in concert."

"Precisely; and they do not need to be set down in corners, to be
whispered at for a few minutes. Besides, Dr. Dennis, don't you think
that if in the school proper, the scholars were all of nearly the same
age and the same mental abilities--I mean if they averaged in that
way--it would be wiser to have very large classes and very few
teachers?"

"There are reasons in favor of that, and reasons against it," he said,
thoughtfully. "I am inclined, however, to think that the arguments in
favor overbalance the objections; still, the serious objection is, that
a faithful teacher wants little personal talks with her pupils, and will
contrive to be personal in a way that she cannot do so well in a large
class."

"That is true," Marion said, as one yields a point that is new to her,
and that strikes her as being sensible. "But the same objection cannot
be made in the primary classes, because little children are innocent and
full of faith and frankness. There is no need of special privacy when
you talk with them on religious topics; they would just as soon have all
the world know that they want to love and serve Jesus as not; they are
not a bit ashamed of it; it is not until they grow older, and the
influences of silent tongues on that subject all around them have had
their effect, that they need to be approached with such caution."

"How is it that you are so much at home in these matters, Miss Wilbur?
For one who has been a Christian but a few weeks you amaze me."

Marion laughed and flushed, and felt the first tinge of embarrassment
that had troubled her since the talk began.

"Why," she said, hesitatingly, "I suppose, perhaps, I have common sense,
and see no reason why it should be smothered when one is talking about
such matters. People's brains are not made over whe