Mary’s scholars came closer to her, for they liked to hear what she told them, because they could understand it all. Then Mary said, “I will tell you what the leaves and branches are for. The branches are between the stem and the leaves to carry the moisture from the stem into the leaves. The leaves of a plant have a number of small veins, which you can see if you examine them; and these veins have little mouths at their ends, wide open; and though they are so small you cannot see them without a microscope, yet the air passes into the plant through the mouths of these little veins. The plant could not live without air and water, any more than one of us could live without air and water; and our heavenly Father, who is as wise as He is kind and good, has furnished plants with these organs, through which they receive the sustenance which is necessary to preserve their life and health and beauty.” Mary questioned her scholars until she perceived by their answers that they thoroughly understood what she had taught them: and then she dismissed them for the morning. [Illustration: ~Third Day.~ Happy children! Away they skipped p. 43. ] Happy little children! Away they skipped through the woods to their respective homes, and Mary followed them with her eyes till they were quite out of sight. * * * * * In the afternoon, Harry Linn came running to school out of breath, to remind Mary of a promise she had made him at home, that if he was a good boy, on the next sewing afternoon she would read aloud some stories about the sagacity and faithfulness of dogs. She told him she had not forgotten it, but the lessons must be said first. The larger scholars had definitions to say, and Harry’s class had a spelling and reading lesson. When the work-basket was brought out, Harry and Lily came up to Mary with pleasant smiling faces, to know if they might pass the work round to-day. Mary told them they might, as they had been good little children. Mary was very busy this afternoon. She had work to oversee, and crewels to sort out, and copies to set for the boys, who did not sew, and figures to make on Harry Linn’s slate. He was the only little boy in school who did not cipher. After all this was done, Mary read to them. When the large boys had finished their copies, they took their slates to do sums, and Mary instructed them and assisted them when they needed help. Mary never wearied the little ones with any one study or occupation; and when she observed that Harry Linn had made three rows of figures on his slate, and that Ellen Raby and Lily Forester had finished their little tasks of sewing, she called them to her to say the Multiplication Table in concert. Then she asked them some questions. Thus—