Emeline Carlisle was a little girl who talked about the maid, the cook
and the nurse at their house, of the company they had, the vacations
they spent and the clerks in “father’s store.”
Jessie Dodge was a child of a poor but refined widow who, with extreme
difficulty, was able to provide sufficient clothing and food for her.
[Sidenote: Jealous of “Rich Girl”]
Miss Dunlap, the teacher in the fourth grade, saw that Jessie was
destined to become jealous of Emeline. So she pointed out to Emeline
from time to time the superior gifts and traits of Jessie. She would
say:
“Jessie Dodge is such a refined girl. She knows how to reply whenever
she is spoken to. I think the girls who are her special friends are
fortunate.”
She appointed these two girls to do tasks together, saying, “Jessie and
Emeline may work together on the fifth problem, Emeline writes well and
Jesse thinks well. They will make good companions for this work.”
By such handling of the situation, Emeline and Jessie became good
friends.