river. She caught the name, and later when asked to name the largest
river in Africa, she sprang to her feet, and glibly shouted:

"The Amazon!"

"Well, why do you laugh?" she asked, turning angrily to stare at the
laughing class.

She was offended, when told to sit down, and decided to tell her mother
that she had not received enough attention.

"I guess I'll say 'snubbed,' because that will make mamma _sure_ to
take my part," she softly whispered.

She changed her mind, she often did that, and thought that she would
not tell at home that she had been displeased.

She chose to attend school a week longer, or perhaps a number of weeks
longer, because Miss Kenyon, just before closing for the afternoon,
stated that on Friday of each week an hour would be reserved for
recitations, and for the reading of compositions.

Gwen thought she saw a chance to shine, and she meant to do it.

She had heard a conversation, not intended for her ears, when a lady
calling at her home had inquired for the little daughter of the house.

"Oh, Gwen is really a wonderful child," Mrs. Harcourt had said, "and
while she has a positive talent for reciting fine poetry, her
compositions are _so_ original that they are really _startling_!"