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department, but not brought to our table, as we suppose, 

 therefore, was entirely overlooked. We plead guilty to a share 

 of the neglect in this case, as the entry was rightly made ; but, 

 on the other hand, if the contributors would always leave 

 articles in the departments to which they belong, after being 

 rightly entered, it would save Committees much trouble and 

 confusion in looking up lost articles, and all such mistakes 

 would be avoided. AVe are certainly very sorry for this little 

 girl, who, no doubt, had worked long and steadily on so large a 

 piece of Avork ; but we hope she will be persuaded to " try 

 again," and she has, at least, the thought that her quilt added 

 one more article to the exhibition, and that she did her part 

 toward making the* Fair successful. 



We hope such instances of neglect are rare, and if in any 

 other case a child was overlooked, as possibly there may have 

 been, be assured it Avas wholly unintentional on the part 

 of the Committee. 



While we find it extremely difficult to please the majority, 

 and simply impossible to please all, an effort is made to deal 

 justly ; and when, after the three days' work, which often 

 extends far into the night, endeavoring to satisfy all, and yet 

 not go beyond our means, we overhear the criticisms from 

 the passers-by, we mentally exclaim, "Put yourself in his 

 place," and it is to be presumed that you will " forever after 

 hold 3^our peace." 



And now, a little talk with the children in closing. You 

 see by our report that you are improving — in numbers and 

 in quantity and quality of work ; but there is room for a good 

 deal of improvement still. I was reading, not long ago, an 

 account of a county fair in the western part of Illinois, at 

 which the children did much more than we have ever thought 

 of doing. Nearly all their school work was brought into the 



