well as the children, had an idea that
the world was theirs -- they all were
Monte Cristos in that respect.

As for me, I had decided to be an
orator.

At the time of making this decision,
I was nine years of age, decidedly thin
and long drawn out, with two brown
braids down my back, and a terrific
shyness which I occasionally overcame
with such a magnificent splurge that
those who were not acquainted with my
peculiarities probably thought me a
shamefully assertive child.

I based my oratorical aspirations
upon my having taken the prize a num-
ber of times in Sunday-school for learn-
ing the most New Testament verses,
and upon the fact that I always could
make myself heard to the farthest cor-
ner of the room. I also felt that I had
a great message to deliver to the world
when I got around it, though in this, I
was in no way different from several
of my friends. I had noticed a number
of things in the world that were not
quite right, and which I thought needed