The girls gazed at him with pride as he
came on the playground, walking briskly along in the new shoes, which
were just the right size. He had been wearing all winter a pair of cast-
off women's shoes. From a distance he looked like another child. But as
he came closer ... oh! his face! his hair! his hands! his finger-nails!
The little fellow had evidently tried to live up to his beautiful new
raiment, for his hair had been roughly put back from his face, and
around his mouth and nose was a small area of almost clean skin, where
he had made an attempt at washing his face. But he had made practically
no impression on the layers of encrusted dirt, and the little girls
looked at him ruefully. Mr. Pond would certainly never take a fancy to
such a dreadfully grimy child! His new, clean clothes made him look all
the worse, as though dirty on purpose!
The little girls retired to their rock-pile and talked over their bitter
disappointment, Ralph and the other boys absorbed in a game of marbles
near them. 'Lias had gone proudly into the schoolroom to show himself to
Miss Benton.
It was the day before Decoration Day and a good deal of time was taken
up with practising on the recitations they were going to give at the
Decoration Day exercises in the village. Several of the children from
each school in the township were to speak pieces in the Town Hall.
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