"I'm going to be very magnanimous, and every time you'll bring your books home I'll knit for you--I beg Mrs.Grundy, that you'll not throw the fire all over the floor," she added, as that lady gave the forestick a violent kick.
"The Lord save us!" was Miss Grundy's exclamation when after supper the next evening she saw the three-legged stand loaded down with Billy's and Mary's school books.
But as no one made her any reply, she quietly resumed her work, appropriating to her own use the only tallow candle there was burning, and leaving Billy and Mary to see as best they could by the firelight.
For some time Mary pored over her lesson in Colburn, but coming to the question, "24 is 3/5 of how many times 10 ?" she stopped, unable to proceed farther.

Again and again she read it over, without gathering a single idea, and was on the point of asking Billy to assist her, when Sal, who had been watching her, said, "Let me take your book, child." Mary did so, and then, as if conscious for the first time of Miss Grundy's monopoly of the candle, Sal seized a large newspaper lying near, and twisting it up, said, "Let there be light;" then thrusting one end of it into the flames and drawing it out again, added, "and there is light." After tumbling over the leaves awhile, she continued, "No, they didn't study this when I was young; but tell me what 'tis that troubles you." Mary pointed to the problem, and after looking at it attentively a moment, Sal said, "The answer to it is 4; and if you will give me some little inkling of the manner in which you are taught to explain them at school, perhaps I can tell you about that." "It begins in this way," said Mary.

"If 24 is 3/5 of some number, 1/5 of that number must be something or other, I don't know what." "One third of 24 of course," said Sal.
"Oh, yes, that's it," exclaimed Mary, who began to understand it herself.

"Now, I guess I know.

You find what one third of 24 is, and if that is _one_ fifth, _five_ fifths would be five times that, and then see how many times 10 will go in it." "Exactly so," said Sal.