Individually and collectively they had endeavored to correct her
grievous faults, and she had received their instructions meekly. But
what could one do with a mild brown eye that met the gaze of aunts so
steadily and submissively, while her lips betrayed quite other emotions!

Phil's clothes were another source of distress. She hated hats and in
open weather rejected them altogether. A tam-o'-shanter was to her
liking, and a boy's cap was even better. The uniform of the basketball
team at high school suited her perfectly; and yet her unreasonable aunts
had made a frightful row when she wore it as a street garb. She gave
this up, partly to mollify the aunts, but rather more to save her father
from the annoyance of their complaints. She clung, however, to her
sweater,--on which a large "M" advertised her _alma mater_ most
indecorously,--and in spite of the aunts' vigilance she occasionally
appeared at Center Church in tan shoes; which was not what one had a
right to expect of a great-granddaughter of Amzi I, whose benevolent
countenance, framed for adoration in the Sunday-School room, spoke for
the conservative traditions of the town honored with his name.

Phil had no sense of style; her aunts were agreed on this. Her
hair-ribbons rarely matched her stockings; and the stockings on agile
legs like Phil's, that were constantly dancing in the eyes of all
Montgomery, should, by all the canons of order and decency, present
holeless surfaces to captious critics. That they frequently did not was
a shame, a reproach, a disgrace, but no fault, we may be sure, of the
anxious aunts. Manifestly Phil had no immediate intention of growing up.
The idea of being a young lady did not interest her. In June of this
particular year she had been graduated from the Montgomery High School,
in a white dress and (noteworthy achievement of the combined aunts!)
impeccable white shoes and stockings. Pink ribbons (pink being the class
color) had enhanced the decorative effect of the gown and a pink bow had
given a becoming touch of grace to her head. Phil's hair--brown in
shadow and gold in sunlight--was washed by Montgomery's house-to-house
hairdresser whenever Aunt Fanny could corner Phil for the purpose.

Phil's general effect was of brownness. Midwinter never saw the passing
of the tan from her cheek; her vigorous young fists were always brown;
when permitted a choice she chose brown clothes: she was a brown girl.

* * *