80 STRAY' AW AYS 



Egyptian city, not to be confounded with the Thebes 

 in Greece ; " " Osiris, Orus, Apis, Isis, divinities 

 worshipped by the heathen Egyptians," but notices 

 also a httle capriciousness in selection, Cheops, 

 Cambyses, and many others being passed over without 

 any explanation. 



The recitation is brought to a most creditable 

 ending. Martin Griffy answers, in the language of 

 the glossary, some questions upon it, and other pupils 

 are brought forward — a fiery-haired girl with un- 

 pleasant green eyes, and a boy of ten, dressed in a 

 long white flannel petticoat, according to the humiliat- 

 ing custom of the country with small boys. Searching 

 problems in arithmetic and geography are disposed 

 of by these with admirable speed, and finally the 

 dreaded moment comes — ^the stranger is invited to 

 put a few questions to the pupils. In desperation 

 he asks the date of the Norman invasion. Dead 

 silence and a communing of glances is the result, 

 and the teacher looks extremely blank. On explain- 

 ing the question to her, she says that no history is 

 taught in the school; no history is taught in any 

 Irish National School so far as she is aware. She 

 seems to think the subject insignificant, and on 

 reflection it appears better not to inquire further into 

 it at this time. But a little later, when turning to 

 go, a mixture of feeling about it makes the final 

 glance down the long room a somewhat melancholy 

 one. 



The horse is roused from a laborious luncheon of 

 dwarfish roadside gi-ass; the teacher stands in the 

 doorway and says farewell with a graciousness ex- 

 panded to enthusiasm by the latest encomium in 

 the visitors' book, all unaware of the sentiment 

 with which the writer of it is regarding her as the 

 car moves away; complacently unconscious of the 



