induced to climb, he was willing to offer his pride on the altar. No
matter by what petty trials they were caught so that they were really
caught.

Then followed Gracie Dennis, and her own father, acceptable preacher
though he was, might with credit to himself have taken lessons of her.
She was certainly, for one so young and so unprofessional, a magnificent
reader. So indeed was Marion Wilbur, and she had enjoyed teaching
Gracie.

The poem blossomed in her hand. The crunching of nuts and apples
entirely ceased. The boys sat erect and listened and laughed and flushed
and swallowed suspiciously over some of the homely pathos. They had
never heard anything like that before, and they evidently appreciated
it. She read through to the end.

Then were unloosed the tongues! They exclaimed in delight:--

"What an accomplishment it is!" said Mr. Roberts; "and how few possess
it. Doctor, how many really fine readers have you heard in your life?"

"About three," said the doctor, laconically.

"Well," said Mrs. Roberts, "let us all be exceptions. Gracie, teach us
how. I will try again."

And she did, on the first verse of the poem; with better success than
before; but how sharp the contrast between her reading and Gracie's, she
knew! It was not easy for her to read.