The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-05
Morning Glory.


"Oh what lovely Morning Gloryp And
by that name she was called ever after
while at school. Her gray eyes grew black
when she was excited. Her pink and
white complexion had the velvety look of
q peach, and the glossy braids hanging at
the back of her head were what hsir-dress.
ers call light drab. Tall and slender, with
a slight Roman curve in her pretty nose,
she had a straight way of carrying her
head that gave her a graceful air of
haughtiness. But she was really shy, and
not ut all naughty, and in week every
girl in the school adored her. The gown
she wore that first day was crisp white
lawn, with quaint zigzags of pink and
lavender in it, and at her throat and waist
were bows of dainty ribbon, pink and
lavender. Her gowns always had a peculiar
freshness and lightness. Even in winter
she was still morning glory.
The school was crowded, and as Eva ar
rived late there was no place for her save
in No. 40, Hall E, with Lois Hanna an
odd girl and the best scholar in mathe-
mates. Thin and dark, Lois face had
hard lines in it, in spite of her youth;
and her black eyes, though they were
fringed with long lashes, were as devoid
OF feeling as two black beads, save when
she was looking at figures. Then they
seemed to glow. She had never had a
roommate and made few acquaintance !;
but though they were very different, she
and Morning Glory were soon fast friends.
Janesboro academy was an old-fssh-
Toned place. Lilacs, snowballs and syrin-
gas made thicket of bloom about it in
summer, and in winter each tiny low
room was warmed by queer box.stove
In which cracked wood fire. There
were only two men in the building-Ezra
Belts, the steward, withered old gentle
man, slow and precise, and Pat Conner
who filled the woodrooms and took care
OF Madam Lund's fat horses and coupe.
The French master was never seen save
IN his class room, and with his bright
eyed wife at Madam Lund's receptions,
and Professor Olsdoffer, the music mas
ter, never remained in the building mo-
ment he was not compelled to, and often
then exclaimed, when listening to the
performances of some pupil more desti-
tute of musical feeling and perception
than the average Ach, Himmel Wat
hat l ton to pc so afflicted 2" 1t was
Madam Lund's boast that her school was
a model of order and discipline, and en-
phatically female academy. Whatever
Its faults were, it was generally admitted
to be a model school for girls, and its
graduates would have done credit to
schools of larger pretentions.
The teacher in mathematics, Miss Sophia
Mckenzie, was considered a superior per-
SON In her specially; but she was not a
favorite with the pupils, and seemed over
Swallowed by the other teachers. The
girls said her looks were against her
but they were mistaken. 1t was her
clothes. If her brown eyes and waving
hair had been set off by tasteful dress, in
spite of her tiny figure, they would have
called her pretty. But everything she
had was pathetically poor and plain, and
the prunella CATERS which she wore on
her long feet, grew brown and threadbare
before she cast them eff. The girls were
always making remarks about those feet
for they were not only long, but wide in
a bony way, and SKIES were scarcely big
enough for them. Perhaps the girls
would not have held the little woman re-
sponsible for their size, if it had not been
her habit to dart swiftly and stealthily ur
stairs and down and pounce upon any one
engaged in what they considered a little
harmless mischief.
without those ridiculous and enor
nous feet, which do not need wings
Miss McKensie could not pounce," Heller
Kent said.
Curiously enough, Notwithstanding he
habit of watching and spying after dark
Miss McKensie was timid. Mice, spiders
worms and stray dogs and cows frightened
her, and at night she trembled at ever,
unusual sound, and thought it was rob
Der. Lois Hanna was one of the few pu
pills Miss Mckenzie had never given an,
marks; and Morning Glory, though Their
was not an hour in the day that she di'
not break some trivial rule, was so quicl
and such favorite, she somehow elude,
that teachers vigilance till she had BEEF
at Janesboro four months.
1t was cold morning. So cold Their
were sparkling ferns, and pine forest:
and branching beds of coral, pictured i
ing Glory did not mind the cold, an
paused moment, now here, now there
on her way to her room, to translate
sentence or find rule, or mark the finge
ing on a troublesome passage of music
thereby breaking the rule that student
should be in their rooms at half.past Soy
en- Morning Glory did not mean
break the rule she only wanted to hel
her friends. AS l have said only WOO
was burned in the academy. On eac
floor there were small rooms set apart fo
wood and kindlings, and No. 40, Hall I
was next one of them, and Lois was in
getting some chips.
Did you notice poor McKensie's ga
tiers this mornings whispered Mornin
Glory, skipping up and down before tn
wood-room door. off had such feet
hers | wouldn't wear congress CATERS an
leave the straps out. Her toes touchs
each other, and with the hem of h,
gown they formed perfect isosceles IL
angle"
II must give you FIVE demerits," sal
Miss McKensie, suddenly appearing fro
no one knew where. Sand you, Mi
Lois, must have five for getting yol
kindlings in study hours"
Morning Glory flushed crimson, even
the swans down that finished the neck
her blue wrapper. She did not NOV,
but Lois went into her room and clost
the door softly, as her manner was.