but—alas, that it should be so—there are other unruly flocks where the boys, ay, and even the girls, too, have been known to unite in hooting and making faces at the traveller, a disgrace to themselves and to their instructors. But the children at the Red Brook behaved very properly, albeit they were not so polished as to bow and curtsey. They told their names, showed their books, and pointed out their different roads home in a civil, pretty way. Indeed, those instances of unmannerly conduct alluded to above did not occur in the same neighborhood, but were observed at some little distance from this valley.
The appearance of most of the little people was creditable; they looked cleanly and simple. Many of the children were bare-footed, as usual in warm weather,—almost all the boys, and a number of the girls. In winter they are all provided with shoes and stockings. Here and there among the girls there was some show of tawdry finery: ribbons that were no longer clean, glass jewels, and copper rings; and one of the older girls had a silk hat, which looked both hot and heavy, beside her companions' nice sun-bonnets; it was trimmed inside and out with shabby artificial flowers. But then, as an offset to these, there were several among the little people whose clothes, well washed and ironed, showed a patch here and there. Now there is nothing in the world which carries a more respectable look with it, than a clean coat or frock which has been nicely patched; when united with cleanliness, the patch tells of more than one virtue in the wearer: it shows prudence, simplicity, and good sense, and industry; it shows that he or she is not ashamed of honest poverty, and does not seek to parade under false colors. There are two situations in which patched clothing excite an especial feeling of interest and
