class saluted me from the door of her room and said:"Enrico,you go upstairs this year,I shall not even see youpass！"and looked at me with sadness.The principal hadaround him mothers in distress because there was no roomfor their children,and it seemed to me that his beard was alittle whiter than it was last year.I also noticed that some ofthe boys had grown taller and stouter.On the ground floor,where the divisions had already beenmade,there were children of the first and lowest grade whodid not want to enter the classroom and who balked likedonkeys;it was necessary to push them in;some escapedagain from their benches;others,seeing their parents leave,commenced to cry,and the father or mother would return tooffer consolation or take them home again,and the teacherswere in despair.My little brother was to enter the class of Mistress Delcati;I was put in that of Master Perboni up on the first floor.At ten o'clock we were all in the classroom;fifty-four ofus;only fifteen or sixteen of my classmates of the secondgrade,among whom was Derossi,the one who always winsthe first prize.The schoolroom seemed small and sad to me.Iwas thinking of the woods and mountains where I had spentthe summer.I was also thinking of my teacher of the secondclass;he was so good and always laughed with us,and sosmall that he seemed like a companion,and I was sorry notto see him there with his bushy red hair.Our present teacheris tall with long hair and no beard,and he has a straightwrinkle across his forehead.His voice is heavy and he looksat us fixedly,as though to read our inmost thoughts;！donot think he ever laughs.I was saying to myself:".

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