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I was
puzzling to make out the subject of a picture on the wall, when the
door opened, and an individual carrying a light entered; another
followed close behind.

The first was a tall lady with dark hair, dark eyes, and a pale
and large forehead; her figure was partly enveloped in a shawl,
her countenance was grave, her bearing erect.

"The child is very young to be sent alone," said she, putting
her candle down on the table. She considered me attentively
for a minute or two, then further added -

"She had better be put to bed soon; she looks tired: are you
tired?" she asked, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"A little, ma'am."

"And hungry too, no doubt: let her have some supper before she
goes to bed, Miss Miller. Is this the first time you have left
your parents to come to school, my little girl?"

I explained to her that I had no parents. She inquired how long
they had been dead: then how old I was, what was my name, whether
I could read, write, and sew a little: then she touched my cheek
gently with her forefinger, and saying, "She hoped I should be a
good child," dismissed me along with Miss Miller.

The lady I had left might be about twenty-nine; the one who went
with me appeared some years younger: the first impressed me by
her voice, look, and air. Miss Miller was more ordinary; ruddy in
complexion, though of a careworn countenance; hurried in gait and
action, like one who had always a multiplicity of tasks on hand:
she looked, indeed, what I afterwards found she really was, an
under-teacher. Led by her, I passed from compartment to compartment,
from passage to passage, of a large and irregular building; till,
emerging from the total and somewhat dreary silence pervading that
portion of the house we had traversed, we came upon the hum of many
voices, and presently entered a wide, long room, with great deal
tables, two at each end, on each of which burnt a pair of candles,
and seated all round on benches, a congregation of girls of every
age, from nine or ten to twenty. Seen by the dim light of the
dips, their number to me appeared countless, though not in reality
exceeding eighty; they were uniformly dressed in brown stuff frocks
of quaint fashion, and long holland pinafores. It was the hour of
study; they were engaged in conning over their to- morrow's task,
and the hum I had heard was the combined result of their whispered
repetitions.

Miss Miller signed to me to sit on a bench near the door,
then walking up to the top of the long room she cried out -

"Monitors, collect the lesson-books and put them away! Four tall
girls arose from different tables, and going round, gathered the
books and removed them. Miss Miller again gave the word of command -

"Monitors, fetch the supper-trays!"

The tall girls went out and returned presently, each bearing a tray,
with portions of something, I knew not what, arranged thereon, and

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