A Modern Tomboy : A Story for Girls: Large Print

A peal of laughter greeted her ears. "Indeed, I am Phyllis Flower," said the young lady in question; and Mrs. Merriman started back with a look of disappointment. "You thought because I had rather a pretty name that I'd look it," continued the girl. "But I do not-I am neither witty nor beautiful, and I know I am not clever.

I have got just nothing but my name. I'd rather like to live up to it; but somehow I don't think I can.

Perhaps I may at Sunnyside. It seems such a novel idea to come to a sort of home school like this, and not to be treated a bit formally.

Thank you so much, Mrs. Merriman!" and Phyllis held out a small, neatly gloved hand and clasped Mrs. Merriman's, looking at her all the time with delight beaming in her eyes.The other girls followed suit.

They managed to introduce themselves one by one, and presently Mrs. Merriman was seen trotting contentedly down the avenue, followed by her new pupils.

She looked something like a well-groomed pony herself, and the girls were much amused at her way of greeting them, and so thoroughly pleased that peals of laughter reached the displeased ears of Lucy, who was waiting with Annie and Laura in the porch."Really," thought Lucy, "poor mother gets worse and worse.

What sort of school will this be? Not the slightest vestige of order, and all these girls being spoken to at the gate.

Mother has no dignity. It is really terrible. I shall be glad when Miss Archer and Mademoiselle Omont come.

How are we to spend the present evening?"The girls themselves seemed to arrange that matter.

Having lost all shyness with regard to Mrs. Merriman, they were not likely to feel it towards Lucy.

They accordingly requested to be taken into the house, and were much pleased with the arrangements made for their comfort.

The old house of Sunnyside was one of the prettiest in the southwest of England.

It had spacious grounds, beautiful gardens, and the rooms themselves, although somewhat low, were large and numerous.

One or two girls had a room each, and the others were arranged two in a room, with a curtain between.When Mrs. Merriman started the idea of a small school for the special education of special girls, she had spared no expense to have everything done in as thoroughly nice a manner as possible; and the girls themselves were delighted, and showed their appreciation by behaving in a hoydenish and school-girl fashion.

They laughed and joked with each other, declaring that Mrs. Merriman was quite too funny for anything, but that she was also an old dear; that Lucy was rather a nuisance, and very prim, but that she shouldn't stand much in their way. And then they paced about in the garden arm-in-arm, and talked to one another, just, as Lucy said afterwards, as though they had lived there all their lives.