The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-31

pie if I was such pitch-upon- patch pitch patch, ," and loud, derisive laugh ter came from the girls at Mattie'f would-be witty nick name. was too astonished and indignant to speak or move fora moment. Could it be possible, these girls, in their cruel thoughtlessness, had been accustomed to speak in this manner of poor, little Ruth's garments? and was that the reason she was so shy and diffident and her face wore such 8 sad, unchild- like expression?
 looked around anxiously to see fl she had heard their heartless sneers She was entering the school room, not ten feet from the group of girls and must have heard every word, as her tormenters evidently intended she should.
 The pained look on her pale face and the tears in her eyes, told plainly how keenly she felt their unkindness. hastened to her and putting my arm about her slender form drew her head against my shoulder.
 "Don't mind it, Ruthie, dear," said, kissing her. "You have some- thing far better than fine clothes. This little head" passing my hand softly over her brown hair, "holds what is of far more value."
 She raised her eyes to mine with a grateful look, and nestled closer to my side.
 "But it does hurt me so, Miss Gra- ham !" she said, almost in a whisper, while her lips trembled and the tears came to her eyes. "I can't help wish ing sometimes" she continued, as soon as she could command her voice, "tthat I could have things like the other girls; but mother works SO hard and does the best she can for us, and I don't want to say one word."
 Dear, patient, brave little soul. 1 drew her closer to me and felt a chok- ing sensation il my throat and tears filled my eyes, but was too indignant to let them fall.
 "They shall never talk SO to you again, if I can help it," I said de- cidedly. "You are worth more than the whole crowd put together, and some time you will win a position where you can look down upon them" l" It flashed over me suddenly that these were hardly the proper sentiments to instill into her mind, and added a little less indignantly, "but I think, then, you will only pity their folly and ignorance"
 Ruth's tears ceased, and with a faint attempt to smile she raised her eyes with look of loving gratitude.
 "You are so kind, Miss Graham" ;" she said softly. "I shall not mind it so much now"
 kissed her again, and with my arm still about her led her to seat.
 "They are only thoughtless," I said with parting caress, "they will be ashamed of it some day." But not withstanding tried to speak gently, 1 was filled with indignation at their cruelty.
 Ruth's family, I knew, was very poor. Her father had inherited fair amount of property, but, honest and simple hearted as a child, he had trusted too much to others, who had taken advantage of his lack of business shrewdness, until the last acre of the family estate had been lost, and his wife and children reduced to the depths of poverty. Naturally weak and inefficient, his heavy losses seemed to completely break his courage, and, but for the energetic, hard working mother, the family would have suf- tered even for food. ~4
 There were four children younger than Ruth, and it must have cost se- were struggle to provide so many with sufficient clothing, even for comfort, and it was no wonder Ruth SO seldom had new dress.
 Her garments were always clean, though patched and darned as long as they would hold together.
 She was slender delicate child of eleven years, whose large, active brain was draining too freely her vital pow CTS; but she was SO quick and bright, such fine scholar-holding her place easily among those two and three years older than herself-that my pride and pleasure in her talents blinded me to the fact that her love of study was wearing out the frail, little body.
 She was so gentle and patient, SO unselfish and affectionate, that I had become strongly attached to her and praised her gifts perhaps a little un- wisely, as it made my opinion of the dullness ot the others more conspicu- ous.
 Anna Ransom and Mattie Barber were particularly backward and slow to learn. They both came of families no members of which had ever been distinguished for scholarly tastes or ability. The fathers of both girls were men whose whole souls were ab-