SCHOOL DAYS AT ST. MARY'8.

 grievance could really disturb the inward peace which
 God always gives to those who strive, however imper-
 fectly, to serve Him; and, with all her efforts, Lydia
 was conscious of many failures.
 She would not so much have minded if some of
 the girls had stood by her; but Julia had great in-
 fluence over her companions-as, alas! a clever girl,
 who is also badly disposed, always has; for it is a
 well-known fact that the favourite in a school is usually
 the one who can most correctly imitate the peculiari-
 ties of her teachers, and most boldly set their precepts
 at defiance.
 It was Saturday afternoon. Miss Wilmot was
 writing, and the girls were occupied after their own
 devices in various ways, for this was their free time.
 Lydia was writing at a table apart from the others,
 when Susan, on her way to the bookcase to replace a
 book, half turned as she passed her, and said--
 What makes you look so glum, Lydia ?"
 It was the first expression of interest in her which
 had greeted her ears for some days; and the tears
 would come to her eyes, though she tried to answer,
 lightly--
 "Oh, it isn't very pleasant to be sent to Coventry;
 that's all!"
 "It is your own fault," said Susan. "It began
by your being so disobliging. You know Constance,
and Julia, and all of us, were scolded by Dr. Mellor
only because you hadn't helped with our thorough
bass. Come, be like your dear old self, Lydia! and
we shall soon be all right again."
 "IWhat's up ?" said Julia, who, with some of the
others, now approached Lydia.
 "I'm trying to persuade her to be like her old
self," explained Susan.
 js