CHAPTER II.

GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

Winnie was having a confused dream of a little dwarf, armed with a long column of figures, which he waved threateningly in the air; but as she advanced to seize them, thinking to use them for her lessons during the day, the dwarf commenced to grow, and, as she stood amazed and horror-struck, he attained the height of ten feet or so, and was still growing when she heard the tinkling of a bell, and a voice said: "Wizard, avaunt!" At this the giant disappeared, and the whole column of figures fell on the floor in a confused heap. She stooped to pick them up, when the bell rang again, this time louder, and she grasped--her brother Ralph, who was ringing the breakfast bell violently in her ears.

A little vexed, she was going to send him away and turn over for another nap, when suddenly she remembered her good resolutions of the evening before, and, to Ralph's surprise, sprang up at once.

Having dressed herself, she turned the bedclothes back to air, and, with the exception of making her bed, which was done by Norah later in the day, put everything in her dainty pink room in nice order. Then she sat down to select her verse, it being the custom of the family for each to recite some passage from the Bible, about which they afterward had a little talk. She chose part of the second verse of the sixth chapter of 2d Corinthians: "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."

When the bell rang for the family to gather, Winnie was ready to go down at once, without hurry or confusion, or being haunted by the thought that she was but half dressed. If she received no other reward, her mother's approving smile as her daughter entered, made her feel quite happy.

Mr. Burton and Jack were not yet down, but came in almost directly. Her father read for that morning a part of the 107th Psalm, that most beautiful psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Then they all recited their verses. The mother had chosen hers from the chapter just read: "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Jack had chosen: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Ralph said, "Suffer little children," which was his great standby. Mr. Burton had a few words to say about all of them, but about Winnie's in particular; he spoke about its spiritual and religions meaning, and went on to say that it could be applied to all the affairs of life. He spoke of the folly as well as the sin of procrastination, that great destroyer of so many good deeds, which become utterly useless if done too late. He said that duties are like bricks used in building a house; if the foundation stones were left out, it would be impossible to make any use of those remaining. After the talk was finished, the family gathered around the piano, and sang a morning hymn.

Winnie was in very good spirits that morning; an approving conscience is a great help to cheerfulness and good temper. She cut Ralph's steak for him, and pleased him very much by begging for one of his dollars, as she called the tiny cakes which Norah fried for her pet. She amused the others, also, by giving, in the phraseology of a school-girl of to-day, a graphic account of the way she imagined the redoubtable Captain Molly acted at the Battle of Monmouth.

Everything seemed to go well with her, and at half past eight she had her books in her arms, ready to take a leisurely stroll to school, although the unfinished problems still troubled her.

When she entered her room, three or four of the girls rushed up to her with: "Come on into the dressing-room, Win; we're going to have a meeting of the B. S. S."

"Oh, I can't, girls!" said Winnie, it must be confessed very faintly, "I've two more problems to work, and I'll just have time to do them before the bell rings, and during the first study bell."

"Oh, bother the problems!" said Miriam Douglass, striking an attitude. "Let them go! What are problems, compared with the important business of the B. S. S.?"

But Winnie, collecting all her mental strength, and remembering her "I'm bound to" of the night before, resolutely drew back, saying, "I can't, girls; for I've a giant to kill."

The girls looked at her in amaze.

"A giant to kill! You look as if you'd kill a dozen, single-handed, you midge!" laughed tall Miriam, for Winnie was the youngest and smallest girl in the class. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I can't stop to tell you now," said Winnie, "for if I do, I'll lose the first blow; but I'll tell you about it at recess."

"All right, since you're determined," said Fannie Allen; "and I say, girls, let's postpone our meeting till then."

"Agreed!" said the others; and each one, as they separated, went to her own seat and busied herself at some study, so quickly does a little leaven leaven the whole.

When recess came, Winnie explained to the three girls, and Miriam Douglass laughed at her and teased her not a little; but somehow no one minded Miriam's teasing, she was so bright and good-natured with it all.

"I suppose," said Miriam, munching her last piece of butterscotch--for be it known that the mysterious initials, about which the other girls of the class were "dancing crazy with curiosity," as Miriam said, signified "Butter Scotch Society"--"you'll be wanting us to give up the B. S. S. with all its sweet delights, and go about the world with drawn swords, and 'front like Jove, to threaten or command,' neither giving nor receiving quarter. I can see myself now, as I exclaim, 'Base spirit, beware, lest with this trusty sword I hew thee in pieces!'" And she flourished her ruler with such spirit that the girls all applauded. Just then, however, the bell rang for the close of recess, and they were obliged to go to their recitations.

Thanks to Winnie's determination, and her vigorous use of the study bells, she received a perfect mark in all her lessons for the day, but she went home in the afternoon tired and jaded from the hard work.

She found her mother in the sitting-room, sewing, and said, as she threw down her books, "Now, mamma, I want to make my confession, and also to thank you for allowing me to work last night. I know you have often spoken to me about my bad habit of putting everything off till the last minute, and it is almost always because I get hold of a story book and cannot lay it down. Yesterday it was 'The Giant Killer,' and I was so interested in Fides' battle with Giant Hate, that I forgot I was neglecting my own faults to watch him conquer his. But now I'm going to begin killing my own giants, and I'll commence with my worst, procrastination; for indeed, as Miss Brownlow is always telling us, it is the thief of time. And I want you to watch me and help me. As to-morrow will be Saturday, I want to get every one of my lessons for Monday, so that I can use the Monday study bells for Tuesday's lessons; then I can always get through in the afternoon."

"I think that will be a very good plan, Winnie; you will then feel at ease each day about the work for the succeeding one, and an absence of worry will keep your mental faculties in good condition, so that you can do much more work with less strain of mind or body. And it will leave your evenings for reading or such other recreation as may occur from time to time, for you know I do not believe in all work and no play. I want to run down to Shillito's now to do a little shopping, and I hope you will be able, while I am gone, to resist your favorite temptation, for I really believe that many of our temptations are favorites."

As soon as Mrs. Burton, taking Ralph with her, had gone, Winnie settled herself resolutely to work at her problems. She had just become quite interested in finding out the "population of a certain village," which increased a certain per cent, the first year, etc., when the bell rang, and answering the call, she found Miriam Douglass. Here was a dilemma. But she said:

"Miriam, I'm just at work on my problems for Monday. Come right in, and we'll work them together."

"Oh, Winnie, we'll have all day to-morrow to get our lessons. Do let's have a good time to-day."

"I promised mamma that I would do all my lessons before Monday, but, of course, Miriam, if you don't wish to, I'll stop. I do think, though, that we'll enjoy ourselves just as well if we do this work."

"All right, Winnie, go ahead," said Miriam laughing. "I guess my brain can stand it if yours can."

The two girls applied themselves so well, Miriam being particularly bright in arithmetic, that by the time Mrs. Burton returned, they not only had the whole set of problems solved, but neatly copied and ready to "hand in."

Mrs. Burton herself helped them with their analysis in grammar, and that being Miriam's great stumbling block, she was delighted with the assistance. She accepted Mrs. Burton's invitation to stay to supper, after which, Mr. Burton and Jack both being out, Winnie's mother proposed that the girls should take turns reading aloud to her from the book Winnie had been telling them about.

Both girls had been well taught, and it was a pleasure to listen to their fresh, well modulated voices. Miriam, though far less imaginative than Winnifred, enjoyed the book very much, and said, half in fun:

"Why can't we turn our B. S. S. into a club to fight our giants? We might then be a help instead of a drawback to each other, as I know we are now, for we're always upsetting each other's attempts to do right."

"I think that is a very good idea," said Mrs. Burton. "Union and organization are such powers in this world, that I do not see why they should not help four little girls to do right. You might have social meetings occasionally to report progress, and you could have a good time beside. Talk it over on Monday with Gretta and Fannie, and if you want help, come to me."

"Oh, Mrs. Burton, you always do think of the nicest things! That's just what we will do, and we'll report a week from to-night. But now it is time for me to go."

As Miriam lived only a square away, Mrs. Burton and Winnie walked over with her, and on their return Winnie went to bed happy and contented.