ess of
"making a fuss."

"If you are hurt--bear it! If you are teased--look pleasant! If you
are blamed--do better next time! If you feel blue--perk up, and don't
be a baby!" Such were the Spartan rules of the new life, and an
unaccustomed shame rose up in her mind at the realisation of the
selfishness and weak betrayal of that first home letter. Was it not
possible to represent the truth from the bright side as well as the
dark, to dwell on the kindnesses she had received, and leave
disagreeables untold? Yes, it _was_ possible; she would do so, and save
her dear ones the pain of grieving for her unhappiness. So the thick
sheets were torn across with a wrench, which made Thomasina look up from
her desk.

As a head girl, "Tom" possessed a study of her own, to which she had
prepared to depart earlier in the afternoon, but had been persuaded to
stay by the entreaties of her companions.

"Tom, don't go! Don't leave us! It's a wet day, and so dull--do stay
with us till tea-time. You might! You might!" urged the suppliant
voices, and so Tom sat down to her desk in the house-parlour which was
the property of the elder Blues, and indited letters on blue-lined,
manly paper, with a manly quill pen.

As her eyes rested on the torn letter and on the clean sheet of paper
drawn up for a fresh start, she smiled, a quiet understand-all-about-it
smile, which Rhoda chose to consider an impertinent liberty. Then down
went her head again, and the scrape, scrape of pens continued until four
o'clock, by which time the girls were thankful to fold the sheets in
their envelopes and make them ready for post. Rhoda read over her
second effort in a glow of virtue, and found it a model of excellence.
No complaints this time, no weak self-pity; but a plain statement of
facts without any personal bias. Her father and mother would believe
that she was entirely contented; but Harold, having been through the
same experiences, would read between the lines and understand the
reserve. He would say to himself that he had not expected it of Rhoda,
and that she had behaved "like a brick," and Harold's praise was worth
receiving.

Altogether it was in a happier frame of mind that Rhoda left her desk
and took her place in one of the easy chairs with which the room was
supplied. From four to five was a free hour on Sundays, and the girls
were allowed to spend it as they liked, without the presence of a
teacher.

This afternoon talk was t