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THE week between the time Mary Jane heard of the trip South and the time for starting seemed unusually short. So short that Mary Jane thought it surely must have had only three days in it-that is, she thought that till she counted up and found to her surprise that this very, very short week had had Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and now a Tuesday just exactly as all other weeks have. "But the days haven't been the same, Alice, I just know they haven't," insisted the little girl. "Yes they have," laughed Alice, "only you've had so much to do and so much fun that you haven't noticed how many hours have gone by-that's the difference." "I should say we have done lots," said Mary Jane, "if that's the matter. I never saw such lots to do-never!"

The letters of the alphabet, presented here with illustrations of children with different names.

"Then are we really going?" asked Mary Jane eagerly. "To Boston and Harvard and Uncle Hal's Class Day and everything?" added Alice. Mr. and Mrs. Merrill looked at each other and then at the long letter in Mrs. Merrill's hand. "I do believe we are," said Mrs. Merrill thoughtfully. "That's right!" approved Mr. Merrill heartily. "You'll never regret it. I am sure the girls are old enough to remember the interesting sights they will see and they may never have another chance to go to Harvard Class Day and all the 'doings' Hal writes about." "And then," added Mrs. Merrill, "I always promised brother Hal I'd come when he graduated. One doesn't have a 'baby brother' graduate from Harvard every summer. Though I would like it better if you could go too." "Sure you can't, Dad"? asked Alice, wistfully.

Read along as renowned author, Quineka Ragsdale of the Demarcus Jones series, tells of the 1st African American woman to receive a four-year Bachelor's Degree: Mary Jane Patterson. The life of Mary Patterson inspires and encourages children to excel in their education, set goals, and work towards achieving them.

It seemed to Mary Jane that some magic must have been at work to change the world during the night she slept on the train. All the country she knew had hills and valleys and many creeks and woods of pine trees. But when she waked up in the morning and peeped out of the window of her berth, she saw great wide fields and woods that seemed always far away. And the occasional creek that the train rumbled over was small and could be seen a long way off, coming across the fields toward the railroad. And the roads! How funny they were! They came straight and white toward the train, each just exactly as smooth and as regular as the one before. To be sure the country was pretty; yellow buttercups and bright blue flowers bloomed along the track and the fields looked fresh and green in the morning sun.