Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-06-23

bllbs NhIu9
Eyes, | do.
"Why, it's larger than yourn.
81 know it, She's taller than be.
She's grown all out Of everything late
". I've let down tucks an hens an
pieced at the top, an now her pink
Bingham is most up to her knees. had
to buy her this new. so she'd look de-
cent to go to school. Jane come here
minute"
Jane was out on the doorstep making
crochetted trimming. She did not seem
to hear
"Jane, her mother called again.
Then Jane came in hesitatingly. Her
small head, with its mat of fair braids,
dropped forlornly; her slender shoulders
were bent She pulled down her pink
skirt nervously, trying to make it longer.
"Stand up here side of me-" ordered
her mother. 81 want Mrs. Mason to see
how much taller you be. "
James pretty young face flushed pink
She stood beside her mother, and the
tears started in her eyes, although she
tried to smile.
There, you see she's a good half
"You can't get through the door if
you don't stop pretty soon, Jane, -
laughed Mrs. Mason, who was visiting
the Wards. 81 never see such sight.
! An she amt over LAP"
"She amt 10 till next month, " re-
piled Mrs Ward IAN if she don't git
her growth till she's Is don't know
where she'll be. Her father tells her
he's goin to hire her out by an by for a
telegraph pole
Jane laughed feebly when her mother
and Mrs Mason did. Then she stole
back to the doorstep, and the tears rolled
down her cheeks, and she made n mis-
take in her edging 1t was nearly time
for her to start for school. Presently
her mother came with her dinner pail
Here's your dinner, " said she. You'd
better start before long, so as not to
hurry. It's pretty warm mornin.
eyes NJ" said Jane. She kept her
face turned away from her mother so
her tear stained eyes should not be no.
ticed. Before she went into the house
to get her bat and her schoolbooks she
ran across the yard to the well and put
some water on her eyes while she pre-
tended to be drinking out Of the tin
dipper.
You shall have your new dress to
wear tomorrow. said her mother as
she finally started with her schoolbooks
under her arm and the dinner pail
swinging. "You shan't wear that short
thing again.
Jane tuRged at her pink dress skirt as
she went out of the yard. She even
stopped little to make it look longer.
Nobody knew how sore James heart
was over her height. She had mile to
walk TO school, and she never thought
of anything else all the way She had
done all her arithmetic examples and
learned to bound the countries of South
America, so her mind was quite free
for personal worries. AS she went on
she kept looking at the green branches
of the trees beside the road. Once in
awhile she reached up and tried to
touch one. When she could, her heart
sank There amt another girl in
school could" she reflected miserably.
Presently she came to large white
house. with crab apple tree in the
front yard Mary Eta and Maria Starr
lived there, and she saw the flutter Of
their blue dresses at the gate They
were waiting for her
"Hel.or' said Mary Eta as Jane
drew near.
"Hellol' responded Jane, trying to
make her voice cheerful.
Maria was eating a crab apple and did
not say HelloW but presently both she
and her sister stared wonderingly at
Jane.
, whats the natter" asked Mary
> Eta finally
, "Notbin's the matter.
yes there is too You've been
cryin.
| Jane said nothing,
Maria offered her crab apple. Jane
5 shook her head at it impatiently.
"Ske's mad, -" said Maria, who wa.
; quick tempered herself.
t Il amt, returned Jane.
YES, you are. Come, Mary Eta.
amt goin to walk with her. "
/, But Mary Eta fingered. What the
natter" she asked again. quite low
. ingly.
- "Nothin's the matter. l wish you Z
A let me alone, cried Jane with burs
t. of tears That was enough. Mary Etti
I and Maria both hurried up the roaC
r with curt switches of their blue starch
. ed skirts, and Jane plodded miserabl!
a on behind She was no older than TIN
. Starr girls, but she was head and shout
3 ders above them, and she had to hav
her hair done up, while they wore their
down their backs She was SO large TO
Y her age her mother thought il looket
g better
$ Poor Jane was the tallest girl il
Il school, and not only that, but the tall
4 est scholar Not one of the boys was a
/ tall as she, and not only that. but sh
n was taller than the teacher. 1t did seen
a to Jane that the committee ought t
IS have chosen teacher who was taller
just out of regard to the becoming an
l. suitable appearance of the school.
II stranger might almost have taken he
! for the teacher, especially since her hal
V was done up.
n When she reached the schoolhouse
d she hung her hat on one high, lone pc
is above the two regular rows ON the girl
% side of the entry. This had been espe
! cially allotted to her because she wa
the only One who could reach il Ever