Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-09-25

with req nalr ana Ir0CKl0S!" Iu0
words seemed to burst from Maria's
lips without having intended to
speak.
"Why, certainly" said Miss Hen
derson "Those accidents have moth
ing to do with either liking or dislik-
ing people, you know"
"Haven't they?" said Maria, with a
wise toss of her head, as if she meant,
s'Much you know about it!''
"Certainly not,'' said Miss Hender-
son. "People are liked for the words
they speak and the helpful and loving
ways they have, without regard to
any looks, save the kind that they
can manage"
"Folks can't manage their looks"
said Maria decidedly.
ooh, indeed they can,-the kind
that I mean; neatly arranged hair,
and neatly brushed shoes, and teeth
and hands and finger nails as clean as
soap and water can make them have
a wonderful effect on looks; and, if
all such matters are cared for, people
take very little notice of any other
kind of looks.''
II don't believe it," said Maria
frankly.
Miss Henderson decided that she
would not at this time reprove any
rudeness that might be shown her.
"Try it," she said, with wise nod
of her shapely head. ssThat is the
best way I know for proving the
truth of thing. Take the best pos
sible care of your looks for the next
few weeks. Make all the changes
you can. Smooth all the wrinkles out
of yonr face, and put smiles there in
stead; and see what a difference it
will make. Then, if your words and
actions match the smiles, you will see
how pleased your friends will be-"
There was no answer for so long
that Miss Henderson bent down to
search for the reason. There were
tears in Maria's eyes.
'I haven't got any friends" she
burst forth at last, -"not friend in
the world: mother is dead and Aunt
Nancy doesn't like young ones. And
Pm red haired and freckled and
homely land the boys call me Carroty;
and the girls tease me or else won't
speak to me. And everybody hates
me-"
"Poor child! Poor little girlie!"
Actually, Miss Henderson was putting
an arm around the red haired little
girl and kissing her freckled cheek.
After that they had long, long
talk. Miss Henderson reached her
boarding house SO late that her din
ner was cold, and Maria was SO late
that Aunt Nancy sent her to bed with
out supper; but great things had
been accomplished, for all that.
Remember, I shall watch all the
time,' were Miss Henderson's closing
words. "I am very eager to see the
experiment tried, and watch it grow
ing in interest from day to day. Of
course, I know it will succeed; for
that is really the only way to win
love that is worth anything, to
make your self as sweet and pure and
attractive as you can, and then forget
all about your looks and live for
others. 1t isn't easy,-nothing that
is worth doing is very easy,-but you
know, my dear, if you keep trying,
you will succeed"
When Miss Henderson said "my
dear' to her aud kissed her, Maria
knew she would follow her directions,
no matter how hard they were.
should like to tell you about the
of this change, and, in
deed, about how the change kept
growing from day to day. Some time
I think will. But just now, 1 have
only space to give you a bit of talk
that was overheard between two Sun
day school teachers. 1t took place
nearly year after Miss Henderson
had her first talk with Maria. One
Sunday school teacher was to be mar
ried and to go to another city to live;
the other was to have charge of her
class. It was on Sunday morning be-
fore service, and the two friends wer e
talking together about the class.
t'Who was that girl with lovely au-
burn curls?" asked the stranger.
'tThat is Maria Coleman. She is
wonderful girl; she has more infu-
ence in the school than any other
young person, I think. Everybody
loves her, and does as she wants them
to. She is so unselfsh and sweet and
bright they cannot help being won to
ner."
''She has rather irregular features"
said the stranger; "but her face wins
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