Ida was really an excellent scholar, and was prepared to enter the Senior class, while Mary aspired to nothing higher, than admission into the Junior.

She was therefore greatly surprised, when Aunt Martha, after questioning her as to what she had studied, proposed that she should be examined for the Middle class.
"Oh, no," said Mary quickly, "I should fail, and I wouldn't do that for the world." "Have you ever studied Latin ?" asked Aunt Martha.
Before Mary could reply, Rose exclaimed, "_She_ study Latin! How absurd! Why, she was never away to school in her life." Aunt Martha silenced her with a peculiar look, while Mary answered, that for more than two years, she had been reading Latin under Mrs.
Mason's instruction.
"And you could not have a better teacher," said Aunt Martha.

"So try it by all means." "Yes, do try," said Ida and Jenny, in the same breath; and after a time, Mary rather reluctantly consented.
"I'll warrant she intends to sit by us, so we can tell her every other word," muttered Rose to Jenny, but when the trial came she thought differently.
It would be wearisome to give the examination in detail, so we will only say, that at its close, Rose Lincoln heard with shame and confusion, that she could only be admitted into the Junior Class, her examination having proved a very unsatisfactory one.

Poor Jenny, too, who had stumbled over almost every thing, shared the same fate, while Mary, expecting nothing, and hoping nothing, burst into tears when told that she had acquitted herself creditably, in all the branches requisite for an admission into the Middle class.
"Mrs.Mason will be so glad, and Billy, too," was her first thought; and then, as she saw how disappointed Jenny looked, she seized the first opportunity to throw her arms around her neck, and whisper to her how sorry she was that she had failed.
Jenny, however, was of too happy a temperament to remain sad for a long time, and before night her loud, merry laugh had more than once rang out in the upper hall, causing even Miss Lyon to listen, it was so clear and joyous.

That afternoon, Aunt Martha, who was going to call upon Mrs.Mason, started for home, leaving the girls alone among strangers.