When she came quite unprepared to school, and
could not answer the questions put to the class, she was overwhelmed
with mortification, especially when the teacher would say, before all
the other children, "I did not expect to see you so behindhand,
Wiseli,--you of all others, who used to be so clever at your books."
Then she used to feel fit to sink through the floor for shame, and would
cry all the way as she walked home. But she did not dare to answer
Cheppi back when he taunted her, because then he would begin to cry and
scold, and make a noise, until his mother came in, when she, too, would
reproach her with being behind her classes, because Cheppi said she was.
So Wiseli often kept back her tears, and only gave way when she was
alone; and sometimes it did seem to her as if she were quite forgotten
by her heavenly Father and her mother, and as if nobody in the whole
world cared for her; and she was too sad at heart even to say her
comforting hymn for a long time; but she could not rest nor sleep until
she had done so, even though there was little satisfaction for her in
the words.
One beautiful evening in July Wiseli slept, after a sad time of weeping,
and could not obtain an answer, the next morning, to her question of
whether she might go to school with the boys.
Off scampered the boys. She looked sadly after them through the open
window as they sprang away gayly through the flower-besprinkled grass,
and chased a cloud of white butterflies along in front of them as they
ran through the brilliant sunshine.
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