Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-17

mean, our first day of this fall term
"And can hardly wait till tomorrow. -
declared Harry. boy who loved TO study.
He was a regular "bookworm, his father
said. II saw Jack Downs yesterday and
he was deploring the fact that school
| was to open Monday. He does hate
| school. Jack does"
Yes, and many other children do
| the same said Mrs. Graham II think
1t is due to a lack of home training when
| boys and girls show no interest in their
| studies
Just at this moment n young girl-per-
haps the same age as Marjory-passed
along the street and bowed to Mrs. Ora
ham. Harry and Marjory. who were seat
| ed on the broad veranda that ran across
the entire front of their house. When
| she had disappeared round the corner
Marjory said: THAT was Irene Smith.
| She Is in my class. Doesn't she wear
funny clothes? Really, 1 like the girl
| but 1 don't have much to do with her at
school because she's the laughing stock
or the class. George Tfnney says she
must be the sole survivor of an extinct
race"
] Harry laughed, but Mrs. Graham's
! face became serious Turning to Mar
| jory, she said: Il was just speaking of
| home training in the matter of children
| liking or not liking their school, And I
fear have been lax in the training of
my dear children regarding some other
things-their classmates dress, for ex.
ample. Now, dear, you speak OF Irene
Smiths dress something that keeps
You apart from her. and confess it is be-
cause the others Of your class laugh at
her. Is that noble of you?''
MarjOrv flushed a deem rod Iyor moth
ers words brought a feeling of shame.
She realized that ones clothes-if clean
and well kept-sholild not influence ones
classmates either for or against one. The
personality was the chief thing A boy
or girl could possess fine characteristics
and wear the cheapest of garments which
mad been Fashioned without regard to
the prevailing styles Of the day.
Mrs. Graham proceeded: Il must tell
you the story of a girl l once knew. It
Will be tine lesson for YOU and Harry
to remember. 1t is of girl who was of
my own age and who was a member of
my class. Well, she was a plain girl
like your Irene Smith wore her fine.
heavy hair in simple braids, pinned close.
~ about her head. The other girls, my
self included-wore our hair in the fussy
fashion then prevailing. front hair all
curled and unkeptsover our eyes, and back
enormous bow Of ribbon. And this girl
her name was Anna Gragg-also wore
such queer dresses, or at least we other
girls thought them curious-almost COM
ical. Well, her best frocks were Of ging-
ham, while the rest of us wore fine cloths
such as soft woolens, elegant silks and
velvets for 'dress-up' occasions And as
matter of course. we held ourselves a bit
aloof from Anna. who was known in the
class as bingham Anna.
''One day l mentioned Bingham Anna
at home. My grandfather, who. as you
know, was a minister. was present He
began to question me regarding my class
mate, Bingham Anna, and before he had
talked to me five minutes I felt honestly
ashamed of having laughed at her, or Of
having listened to my classmates ridicu-
ling her clothes and style of hair But
maybe you don't care for the whole story
of Bingham Anna" said Mrs. Graham
"Oh, yes, mamma, please go on with it,"
urged Marjory
YES" let's have the whole story"
begged Harry. Maybe our Irene Smith
will turn out to be another Bingham
Anna. Who knows?'
'sWoll INV rapdfof haOo~