Year: 1864

Attention, young ladies'


Forty young girls, varying in age from
twelve TO seventeen, simultane, uSly look
ed up trom their books, aud, with glances
OF curiosity, regarded Madame De L..ncy,
OF whose boarding school they were all
members. Having secured their attention,
the teacher proceeded


You are aware, young ladies', that our
semi annual exhibition is appointed for the
twenty fourth Of this month, OF three weeks
from to day. 1t is scarcely necessary Tor
me to say that l desire it to appear as well
as possible. A part Of the exercises will
COZ slst of essays, the best six that have
been written during the term being select.
ed. In order to excite your emuIations,
and induce you to exert yourselves more
than you otherwise would, | offer this gold
pencil as prize, to be given to the writer
OF the best essay, by member of this
school. They are to e handed in a fort
night from to day, and the decision will he
announced the day beto exhibition |
Will add that the manuscript must he per-
tectly neat and that blot will be consider
ed sufficient to exclude from competition


The gold pencil which Madame De Ian
cy held up was elegant and without doubt
costly.


1t was natural that more than one of
the girls should have felt strong desire
to possess it. Yet most hoped against tx
pectation, feeling that there was only one
present who would probably bear off the
coveted prize, much they might exert
themselves.


This fortunate one was Miriam Hamil
ton, brilliant, dashing girl, with consid
cradle beauty, and not little talent She
was generally considered genius being
able to make a snowy recitation after IA
slender preparation In truth, she was
little disposed to exert herself, cuntiling ~
her readiness, and making it her boast


1t could hardly be said that she was
tavorite. She Was too imperious, and too
exacting of admiration for that. Yet, by
sort of tacit consent, the chief place in
the school Was as, igned to her


At recess, she remarked to companion
who expressed her admiration of the priz,.


Yes, it is very pretty. 1t will he just
the thing for Inc TO wear at my birth day
party


When will your birth day come p


On the twenty seventh, thee days after
the exhibition


Then Of course you will exert yourself
to get it


L shall write for it. said Miriam, proud
ly, but | conceive that it will he hardly
necessary for me to exert myself particu
larly, Marian Trevor


u no: certainly not,' said her complai.
sant friend Every body knows you a,e
the best writer in school


Standing at the distance IF few feet,
sufficiently near to hear every word that
was said, was a plain girl, dressed in a
cheap calico, whose appearance contrasted
strongly with the rich attire of the bril-
liant Miriam


An expression of pain swept over the
face of Jane Ashton, as she heard these
words, and she said to herself, despondent-
ly, OF course Miriam will get the prize
Why shOnld | be foolish enough to hope
for it And yet would like to get it
1t would please DR.. Herman so much


She fell into a reycrie We will i'm.
prove the time of self communication by
mentioning briefly the outlines OF her
history.


In the first place, she was poor. 1t
needed only glance 1t her plain dress to
assure one of that. How then did she
happen to be in attendance at Madame De
Laucy's fashionable boarding school? She
was not there as boarding scholar. A
few day scholars were admitted, and she
was one of these. Even the high rate of
tuition would have been too much for her
al. h..A IL. L 4 L