"There's a lovely old park here. Everything is old. There are the oldest women you ever saw. One of them shook hands with Lafayette."
"And I've shaken hands with ever so many people and not a Lafayette or a Washington among them," declared Roxy most lugubriously.
"Now look, girls, would you hang this picture here?"
"I think it's rather dark. Bring it over here."
"Yes, that's better. No one asks Miss Grant to sit down."
"'No stars were shining in the sky-- There were no stars to shine.' No chairs were idly standing round, In schools they never do abound,"
laughed Daisy Bell. "Miss Grant, sit on the bed. It won't break down."
"What I am to do with all these things!" moaned Daisy, glancing helplessly about.
"Miss Grant has begun sensibly. She did not cart a lot of truck away from home."
Helen had a mind to say humorously "There was no truck to cart," but two others began to talk at once, and she wondered how they could say such bright merry things. It seemed as if she had never seen real girls before.
Then Daisy finished up and they went down on the big back porch where chairs were plenty and hammocks were swung. Helen was introduced to another bevy of girls, some quite young ladies it seemed. They all went in to supper presently, and Helen found herself next to Daisy Bell. The six girls at this table were all young. Afterwards they went out of doors again and Miss Aldred joined them, welcoming several of the new arrivals personally. She had a very sweet face without being really pretty. She came over to Helen after a few moments and said in a low tone. "You are Mrs. Van Dorn's _protégée_. I hope you will be very happy among us."
At nine there was a hymn sung and a brief prayer. Then the girls dispersed, and at ten everybody was in bed.
Helen went to her room, saying good-night to a group of girls. She crossed over to her window and stood there many minutes. Oh, a picture like this could never be painted. The moon had come up and the tree-tops were clusters of frosted jewels. Such little nooks of almost black shade, such translucent green where the branches were thin. And the meadows, and the far-off fields, the houses within range! Was she far away in some unknown region? Was this a book she had been reading and would she shut it up and find herself in Hope again?