About a week after my time of teaching had expired I had a new experience; the teacher falling ill I was called upon to take her place. Elated with my past success and burning with a desire to teach a whole day by myself, I armed myself with a schedule of classes, the bunch of keys and proceeded to the school house. Most of the pupils seemed glad to have me there, but I could see well enough that their teacher came first in their estimation. Devotional exercises over, I announced that their teacher was ill and that I hoped they would be good for _her_ sake; then the lessons commenced. I found it quite different from having to do with only one particular class, to hear one class in the back part of the room and keep an eye on three dozen curly haired witches in the other part of the room. Oh! how slowly the time went, how my temper waxed warmer as I noticed the various tricks and pranks. But something kept whispering, “How often have _you_ made faces at your teachers, thrown paper and made noises?” so I kept down the sharp words that continually came up, and tried to smile as I gently admonished the giggling offender. As it was a rainy day I took ten minutes from the recess and let the children write a letter to their sick teacher. When the teacher read them over with me, you would have laughed could you have seen some of them. In some I was spoken of quite highly but in others I was reported as doing not so well as their own dear teacher. Some letters were composed of straight lines, as the very little folks also deemed it necessary to write to her. After all there is an indefinable charm for me in teaching, and I mean to go on. Every night and morn I asked God’s help, and through him I accomplished what I have. I can say that my practice teaching was a source of pleasure and help to me. * * * * * FOR THE CHILDREN. * * * * * MRS. TUCKERS’ CONVERSION. It was Saturday afternoon, and Mrs. Tucker was very tired. Life was hard at best, only a tedious routine of wearisome duties; but on this particular afternoon, the closing of the week’s work pressed very heavily upon her. “Oh, Mrs. Tucker, can Sallie go with us to the mission band?” Mrs. Tucker raised her eyes, and saw, standing in the doorway, two little girls. “Mission band! I’d like to know what’s a mission band?” she demanded sharply. “Why,” spoke out the bolder of the two; “it’s lot of us children all together, working and sewing for poor folks. We bring our pennies to Miss May for them, and she says it’s giving to Jesus. We have just the nicest time; do let her go.” “Oh, mother,” and Sallie’s brown eyes looked appealingly into her mother’s face; “please say I may--do let me.” Mrs. Tucker slowly folded the garment she had ironed, and hung it in its place before she answered.