ng-room, in
nearly the same places, with their needle-work, until it was finally
suggested, that, after the manner of the older people, we should form
a regularly organized society. Each member should every night take her
accustomed place, and one should read while the others were busy with
their needle-work. To add a tinge of romance to the whole, we gave to
each of our members the name of some flower as a soubriquet by which
we might be known, and Lizzie Lincoln (our secretary) kept a humorous
diary of the "Sayings and Doings of Flora's Sisterhood." Anna Lincoln
was the presidentess of our society, and we gave her the name of Rose,
because the queen of flowers seemed a fitting type of her majestic
beauty. But the favorite of all was Clara Adams, to whom the name of
Violet seemed equally appropriate. Her modesty, gentleness, and
affectionate disposition had won the love of all, from Annie Lincoln,
the oldest pupil, down to little Ella Selby, who lisped her praises of
dear Clara Adams, and seemed to love her far better than she did her
own mad-cap sister.

When we celebrated May-day Clara was chosen queen of May, though
Lizzie Lincoln was more beautiful, and Anna seemed more queenly. It
was the instinctive homage that young hearts will pay to goodness and
purity, which made us feel as if she deserved the brightest crown we
could bestow. If one of us were ill, Clara could arrange the pillows
or bathe the throbbing temples more tenderly than any other, and
bitter medicines seemed less disgusting when administered by her. Was
there a hard lesson to learn, a difficult problem to solve, a
rebellious drawing that would take any form or shadowing but the right
one, Clara was the kind assistant, and either task seemed equally easy
to her. While we sat around the table that evening, little Ella Selby
was leaning on the back of Clara's chair, and telling, in her own
childish way, of the manifold perfections of one Philip Sidney, a
classmate of her brother in college, who had spent a vacation with him
at her home. Ella was quite sure that no other gentleman was half so
handsome, so good, or kind as Mr. Sidney, and she added,

"I know he loves Clara, for I have told him a great deal about her,
and he says that he does."

The girls all laughed at her simple earnestness, and bright blushes
rose in Clara's face. Many prophecies for the future were based on
this slight foundation, and Clara was raised to the rank of a heroine.
It n