COMPOSITION DAY `` Hurry up , boys , it 's three o'clock , and Uncle Fritz likes us to be punctual , you know , '' said Franz one Wednesday afternoon as a bell rang , and a stream of literary-looking young gentlemen with books and paper in their hands were seen going toward the museum . Tommy was in the school-room , bending over his desk , much bedaubed with ink , flushed with the ardor of inspiration , and in a great hurry as usual , for easy-going Bangs never was ready till the very last minute . As Franz passed the door looking up laggards , Tommy gave one last blot and flourish , and departed out the window , waving his paper to dry as he went . Nan followed , looking very important , with a large roll in her hand , and Demi escorted Daisy , both evidently brimful of some delightful secret . The museum was all in order , and the sunshine among the hop-vines made pretty shadows on the floor as it peeped through the great window . On one side sat Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer , on the other was a little table on which the compositions were laid as soon as read , and in a large semicircle sat the children on camp-stools which occasionally shut up and let the sitter down , thus preventing any stiffness in the assembly . As it took too much time to have all read , they took turns , and on this Wednesday the younger pupils were the chief performers , while the elder ones listened with condescension and criticised freely . `` Ladies first ; so Nan may begin , '' said Mr. Bhaer , when the settling of stools and rustling of papers had subsided . Nan took her place beside the little table , and , with a preliminary giggle , read the following interesting essay on , `` THE SPONGE `` The sponge , my friends , is a most useful and interesting plant . It grows on rocks under the water , and is a kind of sea-weed , I believe . People go and pick it and dry it and wash it , because little fish and insects live in the holes of the sponge ; I found shells in my new one , and sand . Some are very fine and soft ; babies are washed with them . The sponge has many uses . I will relate some of them , and I hope my friends will remember what I say . One use is to wash the face ; I do n't like it myself , but I do it because I wish to be clean . Some people do n't , and they are dirty . '' Here the eye of the reader rested sternly upon Dick and Dolly , who quailed under it , and instantly resolved to scrub themselves virtuously on all occasions . `` Another use is to wake people up ; I allude to boys par-tic-u-lar-ly . '' Another pause after the long word to enjoy the smothered laugh that went round the room . `` Some boys do not get up when called , and Mary Ann squeezes the water out of a wet sponge on their faces , and it makes them so mad they wake up . ''
Here the laugh broke out , and Emil XXXXX , as if he had been hit , `` Seems to me you are wandering from the subject . ''
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