The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-10
phia, in a little fash of indignation.
Miss Emmons smiled grizzly.


Miss Emmons smiled grimly.
81 guess you've found out, Ann
Sophia, that there amt many perfect
things in this world, and school amt
one of them. Don't you wish you
hadn't made such fuss this winter?"
"Ob, l like to CO." said Ann
Sophia, quickly. She still had a
faint hope that some time she might
know Rose.
But the days passed, and a quiet
resignation drove the hope from Ann
Sophia's eyes. The longed- for
friendship with the other girls always
just eluded her grasp. At recess, if
she escaped Susau's clamorous ap-
peals for assistance, it was only to find
the big girl watching for her outside,
and at noon she always crept off to
eat her solitary lunch behind the
pines. The girls thought she was
proud because she went off alone
every noon; they never suspected the
cold johnny cake whose only relish
was the salt bitterness of her tears.
Yet perhaps Ann Sophia's happiest
times were spent behind the pines
where she used to lie watching the
others and dreaming about herself
and Rose.
About this time there was rage
for pickles in school. The girls
used to bring them and pass them
back and forth under the desks. 1t
was very hard to catch any one,
although at times the air was pun
gent with the smell of vinegar Miss
Larkin forbade the girls to eat them
in school, but still the smell of vine
gar did not lessen. Rose Rowland
was great favorite, and many were
given her which she ate behind her
books or passed on to others. Ann
Sophia used to watch her with
sober little face; she thought it was
dreadful to disobey Miss Larkin, and
yet she could not help loving Rose.
One day Miss Larkin called Rose
suddenly, and the girl started to go
without remembering. at first, that
she had pickle in her hand. She
was passing Ann Sophia's desk then,
and, with quick glance at her,
dropped the pickle there. Ann
Sophia hesitated moment and then
covered it with some papers, while
her little thin face flushed as if she
had been eating it herself. Ann
Sophia never ate pickles; even if
Miss Larkin had not forbidden them
in school the smell of them made her
quite sick. She tried to study, but
the bitter sour smell made her head
ache, and when she went to recite
geography she was sent to the foot of
the class. She colored under the
surprised look in Miss Larkin's eyes.
After the lesson was ended the
teacher called her.
Don't you feel we'll, Ann Sophia 2"
"My head aches some," faltered
Ann Sophia.
"You can take your books outside
and study, if you want to-"
"Oh, thank you ma'am," said Ann
Sophia, gratefully.
She went back to her seat for her
books. Lady" Miller caught at her
dress as she passed and whispered,
Teachers babyp but Ann Sophia
passed her soberly. 1t was cool and
pleasant out under the big oak, and
her headache soon passed off. Even
the disgrace of the geography lesson
seemed more endurable. Presently
little girl came running out; her
voice cut shrilly through the soft
summer sounds.
Ann Sophial Ann Sophia! Teach
er says you're to come in right awayp
Ann Sophia gathered up her books
and hurried into the schoolroom.
Rose was hearing a class of little
ones; Miss Larkin met her with
stern face.
"You may take your seat, Ann
Sophia" she said.
Miss Larkin dismissed the little
ones and sent Rose to her place and
then stepped aside from her desk.
On its top was collection of pickles,
some nearly whole, some half-eaten.
There was profound hush in the
schoolroom; even the big boys were
subdued = the expression on the
teachers face awed them all. She
spoke very slow and quietly.
"You know, scholars, that l have
forbidden you to eat pickles in
school - forbidden you more than
once. l hoped you had too much
honor to disobey the command. l
had suspected it was disregarded,
but had refused to believe it until
TO-DAY. then 7 examined vOur desks