which she had recently seen! What idea of the sacredness of the office
of teacher, and the solemnity of the truths to be taught, had she?

The boys were listening, their heads bent forward all around her. What
of that? They would have listened equally well to a graphically-told
story of a Fourth Avenue riot, and been equally benefited, you think?
They did not know just when the speaker slipped from the events of last
week to the events of more than three thousand years ago. Indeed, so
ignorant were they of all past history, that they were not even aware
that she went back into the past; for aught they knew, she might have
gone, on Wednesday of last week to see the man who could untie knots
by magic, and on Thursday to see the men who could drop canes on the
ground that would appear to turn into wriggling serpents. But there was
one statement that proved too much for their credulity.

"You could not imagine what occurred next," said the bright-faced
teacher. "The cane or rod that the first man had dropped, actually
opened its mouth and swallowed the other rods that seemed to be
serpents, and was left there alone in its triumph!"

"Oh, bosh!" said Nimble Dick, contempt expressed in the very curve of
his nose, "that's too steep; I don't believe a word of it! These fellows
can do lots of queer things; I've seen 'em perform, myself; but they
never made a live thing yet; I've heard folks that know, say so."

"Precisely what I wanted to reach," said Mrs. Roberts, with animation.
"You are right, they never did; and you have discovered just the
difference between them and the one man of whom I have been telling
you. _He_ worked by the power of God; he distinctly stated that he
did; and that God really turned his rod into a serpent, and allowed it