, 1889-09-10
THE P. R. A. J. SOCIETY.

her aunt and cousins from September
till the following January, she was much
pleased. Annie was 10 years old, just
the age of Tom Burton; and as the four
other children were much older, their
ages ranging from 1S to "a, she thought
it would be very pleasant for Tom to
nave a companion of his own age. The
whole family thought a bright little girl
would be an agreeable addition to the
household circle; but when Annie came
they were much disappointed. Her ap-
pearance was pleasing. She had a trim
little figure, bright black eyes, pretty
dark curls, and, though her features
were rather irregular, her expression
was both amiable and intelligent; her
manners, too, were graceful and re-
fined; yet she was painfully shy. She
seemed troubled If spoken to, and even
a glance would cause her to shrink as il
trying to hide from every eye. The
thought Of going to school seemed so
distressing that Mrs. Burton dropped the
subject and allowed her to stay at home.
Tom was disappointed, and complained
to his mother hat he could not get &C
quainted with Annie.
Never mind, dear" said Mrs. Burton.
II think you will get on together nicely
when the ice is once broken;' but Tom
feared 1t would never break.
Tom was n good boy, in the main,
though he had a very quick temper, and
he was n good looking boy, but-his hair
was red. Now, as some people object to
red hair, l should like to describe Toms
as auburn or golden or tawny; but the
truth is, that If ever hair was red
genuine, unmistakable, unmitigated,
fiery red-that hair was Toms, and Tom
knew it. Poor boyi he couldn't help
knowing it, for he had been leased about
it from his earliest recollection. His
trials began with his elder brothers at
home, but they eliminated at school
when the boys found how 1t plagued him
to have any allusion made to his hair.
Battle after battle did Tom fight to COM
pei silence on the subject, but all in vain.
One day, when Annie had been at her
aunt's for nearly a week, Tom rushed
home from school and burst into the sit
ting room, where the family were assem-
bled, in such n plight that his appearance
was greeted by q chorus of reproof and
remonstrance-
Dear me, Tom" said fastidious Miss
Clara, "you look as though you had peer
rolling in an ash heap"
1.-The sleeve of your jacket is half torn
out and your collar is hanging, said Miss
Julia.
"Hello, Tom, what's the matter with
your eyes?" said Will. ''They don't
match; ones blue and the others black"
"Sullivan's nothing to you, Tom," said
Bert. You're a regular fighting phe-
nomenon."
Tom, dear, l hope you haven't beer
fighting again" said Mrs. Burton.
YES, l have, mother" said Tom.
The fellows won't let me alone, and /
won't stand being called Carrot-top by
any one"
"Nonsense!" said Miss Julia. What
harm does the name do your"
"a rose by any other name," quoted
literary Bert.
1.-The boys are only in fun, said Miss
Clara.
"And your hair Is red, Tom," said
Will, eying the said hair critically, with
the air of having his attention called to
it for the first time.
"You should try not to give way to
anger about such a trife, dear" said
Mrs. Burton. "You should cultivate q
forgiving spirit"
This fighting must stop, sir" said
Mr.. Burton, sternly. Don't let me hear
any more of 1t"
Then, to the utter establishment of
every one, another voice was heard, and
Annie Graham spoke, voluntarily, for
the first time since she had entered the
house. She spoke in a clear, rather
high pitched, slightly plaintive voice,
that gave distinctness to every word.
81 know just how you feel about your
hair, Tom, for it is just the way-I have
felt a great many times"
Every n was amazed; even Mr.. Bur-
ton laid down his paper when Annie
spoke, and every eye was fixed upon
her. Tom was as surprised as the others,
but he said:
"How can you know anything about
it, Annie?' with an appreciative glance
at Annie's dark curls. Your hair isn't
red"
NO, Sdlu <Aillle' bOlellnly, III my
nose"
why, that isn't red, either" said
Will, laughing.
"No," said Annie, in the same clear.
plaintive voice, ''but it's so large. 1t is
dreadful to have such a nose; it seems
to cast a shadow over my whole exist
ence." Will opened his mouth, seeing a
chance for another joke, but, at a sign
from his mother, he shut it again, and
Annie continued:
81 think a large nose is even more
trying than red hair, for you can dye
your hair, or cut it off and wear a wig,
or it may turn gray; but a large nose
car never possibly grow smaller, and as
you grow older it will look even larger.
l AN forget my nose. 1t has been
laughed at ever since l was a little, tiny
girl, and every n that saw me would
say: What a large nose that child hast
The girls at school laugh at it, and one
Of them was angry at me, and nick
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