The waves beside them danced, but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee. A poet could not but be gay In such a jocund company. I gazed and gazed, but little thought What wealth to me the show had brought.
For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude. And then my heart with rapture fills And dances with the daffodils.
"If only Wordsworth had lived in California," she thought as she continued on her way, "he would have written just such a poem about these fields of golden poppies."
Ten minutes later, the girl, feeling an inward glow from so close a communion with Nature, the greatest of artist-poets, skipped between the two graceful pepper trees that were the gate posts of Miss Dearborn's attractive hillside home.
"Well, dearie, how bright you are this morning," was the greeting the woman, digging about in her garden, sang out. Then, standing her hoe against a rustic bench, she began taking off her gloves, as together they walked toward the house. "I am indeed glad," she concluded, "for you are to have a hard testing today."
Instantly the morning glow faded from the girl's face and a troubled expression clouded her eyes. "Miss Dearborn, what now?"
The older woman laughed. "No need of high tragedy," she said. "It's only that I have paid a visit to the principal of the high school, and have obtained from him the questions used on examinations for several years past, and today I am going to give you your first written test. We have nearly a month for review, and each week I shall ask you one complete set of questions of previous years and then, at least, you will be familiar with written examinations."
"Oh, Miss Dearborn, how kind, how wonderfully kind you are to me. It would be most ungrateful of me to fail."
"Fail? There is no such word for the earnest student who has worked faithfully day by day all through the term as my pupil has. There will be no need of that nerve-racking system called cramming for you." Then, as they ascended the steps to the wide veranda, Miss Dearborn exclaimed, "See, I've put a table in the glassed-in corner. I'm going to shut you in there until noon with the questions, and I shall expect your average to be 90 at least."