themes at public examinations: for the voice I am
certain will tremble when hundreds are listening."

"We will not talk of public examinations, my dear, until we have tried
our own abilities at teaching. But I must caution you never to criticize
letters from parents or friends; nor look upon a teacher as a solitary
being, without friends and without feelings."

"I hope you do not think I would exact too much, or be unreasonable in
any command to a teacher," said Elizabeth.

"I do not say that you will do so; I only wish to remind you, that we
should have due consideration for those persons who are dependent upon
us. And now I have only to observe, that we must not think entirely of
the time our pupils are to be with us, but extend our thoughts to the
period when they will be enabled to judge by what spirit we were
actuated. In teaching, punishing, or rewarding, let us always consider
whether the means we then pursue will be useful to the young lady in
future life."

CHAPTER III.

Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room
window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was
opened. At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned
to her seat.

With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of
her mother's earliest friends. Colonel Vincent advanced into the room
with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear
Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to
surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will
prove."

"I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should
have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

"She was obliged to go down into the country to visit her father,"
returned the Colonel, "and deputed me to act for her. I have to beg that
you will treat our children as the children of strangers: reward them
with favour when they are good, and punish them when they are otherwise.
We have confidence in our friends, therefore shall never listen to any
idle tales; but my little girl," he continued, as he fondly stroked the
hair from the forehead of his youngest daughter, "will I know be
tractable and very good."

"That I will, Papa; only I wish I had my doll, and the cradle. My cousin
Eliza has a barrel-organ, a garden-chair, and I don't know how many
things, at her school."

"Your cousin has a large fortune, and is a simpleton," cr