"
The little company in the still-room had somewhat increased, four others
haying been added to the two first scholars. One of them was Elsie Gray,
the forester's daughter, a pretty little girl with a sweet voice, and
able to sing a great many hymns, so that Grace had no longer to perform
solos to the still-room audience, but was accompanied by more than one
voice timidly following Elsie's example, and joining in the singing.
There were three other scholars from the borders of the next parish, and
a very happy party they all made together. But it must be confessed that
the warmest place in Grace's heart was reserved for the first scholar
whom she had found that chilly spring day among the pasture lands which
sloped down to the little stream. Judged by an educational standard,
Geordie was certainly, with the exception of the little Jean, the most
deficient of the company, in spite of his having manfully conquered the
last pages of the "Third Primer," and got at last "intil the Bible."
The other boys and girls still attended the parish school on week days,
and seemed more or less very fairly in possession of the rudiments of
education. Some things, however, which they read and heard in the little
quiet room at Kirklands sank into their hearts as they had never done
when they read them as the stereotyped portion of the Bible-reading
lesson amid the mingled jangle of slates and pencils and pattering feet,
with the hum of rough northern tongues, which prevailed in the parish
school-room.
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