Day after day the teacher called the names of those who were to perform the task.  Day after day Dorothy listened with a fast-beating heart and was disappointed.

One day Lena swept almost the entire floor alone.  She was younger than Dorothy, too, but she did her work so poorly that the teacher had to do it over after Lena had gone.  Dorothy knew, for she watched, hoping the teacher would tell her to do it.

At last one rainy day there were but a few at school, and those who were there had recently swept the floor.  As the teacher glanced around before making the usual appointment, she looked at Dorothy, and Dorothy turned red in the face with excitement.  Perhaps the teacher thought the shy little girl was afraid to be called on; anyway, she passed her by and called on Lena Webb—­Lena Webb and Amy Brown.

Oh, oh!  Dorothy could hardly keep from crying with disappointment, and Lena came near crying because she was asked again so soon.

Dorothy stayed, waiting for Amy to walk home with her, and of course she watched the work.

She looked with disapproval at the streaks of dust that Lena was leaving, and finally she pointed them out to Lena.  She was astonished when Lena threw down her broom, and cried out, “You just sweep it yourself, Dorothy Wenning!”

Before the teacher could interfere Dorothy snatched the broom, exclaiming—­“All right—­I just love to sweep!”

The teacher said nothing, but she noticed how evenly and clean Dorothy was doing her work, and when the task was done she said to Dorothy, “My dear, you have done so very well to-day that I am going to appoint you and Amy to sweep again to-morrow.”

How happily and eagerly Dorothy skipped home to tell her mother that at last she had been allowed to sweep the schoolroom floor.

—­Written for Dew Drops by Mary A. Spaulding Hatch.

LITTLE WHITE RIDING-HOOD.

In the New Year’s box from Aunt Jo there was an unusually lovely present for Leslie.  It was really two presents:  a beautiful warm white coat and a black velvet hood, both trimmed with soft, white fur around the edges.

Leslie was very happy, and hurried to put them on.

“Oh, mother,” she cried, looking at herself in the mirror, “I’m a Little White Riding-Hood instead of a red one!”

“So you are!” said mother laughing.  “I hope Granny Wolf will not eat you up.”

Leslie laughed, too, and clapped her hands.  “Oh, I’ll go and see Granny Graham and play she is the wolf, only she is ever so much too kind to eat anybody.  I ought to have something nice to take her, mother, you know Red Riding-Hood did.”

[Illustration:  "Oh, I’ll go and see Granny Graham and play she is the wolf."]

Mother gladly packed a basket with doughnuts and red apples, but Leslie was not satisfied.  “I can take doughnuts any time, I’d like to take some of the oranges from Aunt Jo’s box.”