The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-10
Selected Story.
MISS EMMONS'S ANN SOPHIA.
BY MABEL NELSON THURsToN.

BY MABEL NELSON THURSTON' <
DE sure to come right straight
ID home the minute schools over,
Ann Sophia"
"Yes'm," answered Ann Sophia.
"And mind you don't whisper in
school time"
"Yes'm," said Ann Sophia again.
She had already reached the gate,
and she turned to call back her an
swer. Her little, pale, freckled face,
with it's bands of auburn hair plast-
cred down each side of her forehead,
shone joyously out of the depths OF
her green sunbonnet. Green was
not becoming to Ann Sophia, but as
Miss Emmons said, it was "good
stiddy color that want fading the
whole durin' time;" so she had to
wear it. As soon as the trees began
to simmer with misty green every
year, little Ann Sophia had to put on
her green bingham sunbonnet and
tiers. She could not have explained
it, but she felt as if she was grotes-
que imitation of nature. She Won
dered sometimes if the trees were as
glad to drop their leaves in the fall
as she was to put away that dreadful
sunbonnet.
But for once Ann Sophia forgot the
hated color. Her little feet, in the
stout calfskin shoes had been over
the road thousand times before,
but this was the one enchanted
Journey of her life, for she was going
to school at last. Miss Emmons had
promised that she might go in the
winter, but when the term began Ann
Sophia had sore throat. She was
rather delicate anyway, and every
body said that the walk was too much
for her in such weather. So through
the dreary winter day Ann Sophia,
with a strip of flannel around her
little thin throat, used to stand at the
window and imagine how it would
seem to be going to school like girls
who were not delicate.
When she reached the corner two
girls were coming down the crossroad.
They wore pink sunbonnets and car
ried calico bags bullying out with
their books. Ann Sophia glanced
down at her own calico bag with sat-
isfaction. "That's the way I'll look
to morrow" she thought.
The girls looked at her and then
put their heads together with little
giggles.
"Why, there goes Miss Emmons's
Ann Sophia" said one. Don't she
look funny in that green'"
"Yes, real funny. Do you s'pose
she's any kin of Miss Emmons?"
81 d. no. Seems queer to think of
her coming to school. Wonder who
will go with herl"
"Mebbe Susan Mowbray," said the
other, and then they both laughed.
Ann Sophia heard them. She
lifted the little head in the green sun
bonnet and walked straight on; she
wouldn't let them see that she cared.
But the enchanted road had disap-
peared, and she was stumbling with
tear-blinded eyes along very real
pathway of life. She thought the
girl with brown eyes had the prettiest
face she ever saw; suddenly she felt
very small and lonesome.
AS she went on other girls ap-
peared. One or two knew her by
sight, and nodded to her as they
hurried ahead to join their compan-
ions; but most just stared at her.
The schoolhouse was at the brow of
quite steep hill. Ann Sophia toiled
YEARLY to the top, and then stood
looking in at the door, dazed by the
confusion. Boys and girls we're
perched ON desks or standing in
groups about the room, laughing and
talking all at once. Nobody paid
any attention to her. Ann Sophia
thought some of the girls were quite