The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-07-08
&be fittle *ollss.
Red Hair---A Story for Red Haired
Little Girls.

When l was about eight years Old, my
mother called me to her one afternoon to
see if was hemming nicely a handkerchief
she had turned down for me. After showing
me just how TO put in my needle, and eN-
actly how the stitches must look to be right,
she took my hands in hers and said: ''What !
a big hand you have!''
Now, my mothers hand was extremely
small, and always looked white and deli
cate matter how much or what work
she did, and couldn't help feeling that
somehow I WAS to blame for having such
big hand. Then my feet We're large too,and
I wore out shoes dreadfully. never co"ld
walk but / wanted to jump and ran, and
hop on first one foot and then the other.
But what was worse than either big hands
or big feet, T had red hair and n irerkled
face. How should ever get through the
world with red hair? And wasn't there
something that would take away those
dreadful freclSles? tried bnttermilk, and
wheat bran tea, and cucumber water; but
the obstinate frecFles stayed there, and
remain to this day; and don't care a bit if
they do.
The first thing thought of, when saw Il
new little girl, was to notice if her hands
were small, and if she had black hair and
clear skin; and saw plenty that answered
to this description. But as grew older,and
studied algebra, and wrote compositions
and !'ciphered in fractions,' found that
when the teacher looked mt the exercises on
the slate block board he never seemed to
think whether the hands was big or little
that made the figures; and when got into
natural philosophy and astronomy, was
not long III being perfectly satisfied that
the brains under the hair are of more value
than the hair.
What lovely ounces l have seen, with
glossy black hair and taper fingers, or moist,
brown hair and snowy hands, that always
shook their beautiful heads, and twisted
their slender fingers in despair, because
they couldnt answer the questions. While
they were trying to study their lessons,
they couldn't help thinking what George
and Henry and Willie said about them, or
how they should dress themselves up for Il
walk in the evening, and made themselves
look pretty. But, poor me! I couldn't
make ueysey look pretty. My hair would
be brash and red; air and sunshine only
deepened my freckfes and gave it up i'll
despair. But then I resolved to be amiable
and smart. How sorey tried my temper,
which was trying to cultivate into perfect
sweetness, to be told: "Nr. So-and-so says
he prefers the red-headed young-lady;'
'"Fhat red-headed girl, she recites the best
By-and-by ! grew up, as we say, to wo-
manhood, and my hair was red as ever; but
the head under the hair was packed pretty
full of knowledge, and the quick blood,
ever ready to dye the cheeks ana brow the
color OF the hair, mad learned 10 own IT'S
mistress, aud obey her be!,est met u tall
handsome young man, whom every body
praised tor his beauty and his talents. But
what could beauty have to do with me,
with hopeless Pi;'ihhesS never "re'''''.l
ne could forget inc c"'"r Oh my ii'lr' Or ''i
l." notice 'he SIZE 81 my h'h''s ana ''''''
5"t ne never see'heo ''iii'i, amy 'ii''s 'oo'''
Il 1,.,. l-,I lac l.
theiil, ana when he "Shcu me !" 'e MS
Wie' never 'iio"sh' u o'' ''''' '"''''
e1thef' we nave "ee'' '''''' IT," S'' ',''''
yeis' ''o H' 60 ' w.!