I.
A SPELLING LESSON.
The boys and girls of Public School No. 10 were glad to have a new girl, whose name was Bertha Dent, enter their spelling class. The little girl’s mother told the teacher that the child could probably keep up with the First Grade in spelling, because she could spell such words as “dog” and “hog” and “cat” and “rat” and “bat.”
It was not a great while before the teacher called the spelling class. She asked Bertha, the new girl, to stand with the class.
“You may spell ‘dog,’ Mary,” said the teacher to one of the girls, “and tell us what kind of noise little dogs make.”
“D-o-g, dog,” said Mary, “and our little dog says ‘bow-wow-wow!’”
“That was very well done,” said the teacher. “Now, Annie, you may spell ‘cat,’ and tell us what kind of noise little kittens make.”
“C-a-t, cat,” replied Annie, “and the little kitties sometimes say ‘mew-mew,’ and when the little doggies come ’round they bristle up and hiss at the doggies.”
“That’s very well,” responded the teacher. “Sadie, you may spell ‘bird,’ and tell us what the little birds do.”
“B-i-r-d, bird,” said Sadie. “We have a pretty mocking bird that sings for us all the time; most birds sing, but mama says there are some birds which are good to keep bugs and worms off the vegetables and flowers.”
A Spelling Class.
“That is correct,” the teacher made answer. “Now, Bertha Dent, you may spell ‘love’ for us, and tell us what love does.”
“Oh,” said the new pupil, “I know very well how to spell ‘love.’” And then Bertha ran to the teacher, threw her arms around the teacher’s neck, and gave her a sweet little kiss. “That is the way mama told me to spell ‘love,’” said Bertha quietly, while the teacher and all the members of the spelling class smiled.
That’s a Very Pretty Way to Spell “Love.”
“That is a very pretty way to spell ‘love,’” said the teacher. “But don’t you know any other way to spell ‘love’?”
“Why, yes,” answered Bertha looking around. “I spell ‘love’ this way, too.” Then she brushed a fleck of dust from the teacher’s sleeve, picked up some papers that were scattered around on the platform and arranged them on the desk. She, also, pulled a tiny bit of thread off the teacher’s skirt. “I spell ‘love’” said Bertha, “by working for mama and papa and little brother, and trying to make everybody happy.”
The teacher drew the little girl close to her side, threw one arm around the child’s neck and said,——
“That is the very best way to spell ‘love’; but can’t you spell ‘love’ the way the book spells it?”
“Oh, yes,” said Bertha. “L-o-v-e, love.”
The teacher hugged Bertha, called her a dear little girl, and then dismissed the class.