ing. It was again too much for sensible little Matilda, weary from
her long stand on the floor. "Rosy Stebbins, you are a great ninny,
acting so stuck up over that old brass ring," said she. "Comfort
Pease has a real solid gold one, and she don't even wear it."

Rosy and Charlotte Hutchins and Sarah Allen all stared at Comfort.
"Have you?" asked Charlotte Hutchins, in an awed tone. She was a
doctor's daughter, and had many things that the other little girls
had not; but even she had no gold ring--nothing but a chameleon.

"Yes, I have," replied Comfort, blushing modestly.

"Real gold?" asked Rosy, in a subdued voice.

"Yes."

Some other girls came up--some of the older ones, with their hair
done up; and even some of the boys, towering lankily on the
outskirts. Not one of these scholars in this country district school
fifty years ago had ever owned a gold ring. All they had ever seen
were their mothers' well-worn wedding-circlets.

"Comfort Pease has got a real gold ring," went from one to the other.

"Why don't she wear it, then?" demanded one of the big girls. She had
very red cheeks, and her black hair was in two glossy braids, crossed
and pinned at the back of her head, and surmounted by her mother's
shell comb she had let her wear to school that day. She had come out
to recess without her hood to show it.

"She's waiting for her hand to grow to it," explained Matilda, to
whom Comfort had shyly whispered the whole story.

"Hold up your hand," ordered the big girl; and Comfort held up her
little hand pink with the cold.

"H'm! looks big enough," said the big girl, and she adjusted her
shell comb.

"I call it a likely story," said another big girl, in an audible
whisper.

"The Peases don't have any more than other folks," said still another
big girl. The little crowd dispersed with scornful giggles. Comfort
turned redder and redder. Rosy and Charlotte and Sarah were looking
at her curiously; only Matilda stood firm. "You are all just as mean
as you can be!" she cried. "She has got a gold ring!"

Matilda Stebbins put her arm around Comfort, who was fairly crying.
"Come," said she, "don't you mind anything about 'em, Comfort. Le'ss
go in the school-house. I've got a splendid Baldwin apple in my
dinner-pail, and I'll give you half of it. They're mad 'cause they
haven't got any gold ring."

"I have got a gold ring," sobbed Comfort:

"Honest and true,
Black and blue,
Lay me down and cut me