TE PREMIUM. 163

CHAPTER XIil.
THE PREMIUM.

Ox, Cousin Lucy!” exclaimed Mary, as she
entered the parlour one day a little after three
o'clock, without stopping to take off her bonnet,
or lay aside her bag of books, “how sorry I
am that you are not going to school now: Iam
sure you would get the first premium in every-
thing. Mrs. Butler is going to have an exami-
nation the week before Christmas, and she has
such beautiful premiums—a work-box—a beau-
tiful work-box, with thimble, and scissors, and
everything in it, for the young lady that does
the handsomest piece of fancy-work ; and a gold
pencil-case for the one that writes the best copy ;
and a—”

“Oh, Cousin Mary, you make my head ache

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