Welcome to Litsy!

"ONLY one day more," cried Patty Hirst, surveying with deep interest the large new box which stoodby the side of the chest of drawers in her bedroom; "just one day! How dreadfully quickly the timehas come! I feel quite queer when I think about it. I can scarcely believe that before the end of theweek both I and my luggage will be a whole hundred miles away, and settled at Morton Priory. I dowonder how I shall like it?""Very much, I hope," replied her mother, pausing for a moment in her task of packing the neatpiles of linen and underclothing into as small a compass as possible. "I'm sure it seems a delightfulschool, and you are an extremely lucky girl to be going there.""Yes," said Patty, with a rather doubtful tone in her voice, sitting down on the edge of the bed, and beginning to turn over the pocket handkerchiefs, the new blouses, the ties, hair ribbons, andother articles which made up her schoolgirl outfit; "I suppose I am lucky. Perhaps it may be nicerthan I think. I wanted to go dreadfully when Uncle Sidney first wrote about it, but somehow nowthat it's got almost to starting off, do you know I feel as if I'd changed my mind, and I'm not at allsure that I wouldn't rather stay at home. It seems too horrible to have to go amongst so many newgirls."Mrs. Hirst laughed."Don't be a silly child," she said. "Of course you will feel strange just at first, but you will soon getover your shyness. It will be quite a fresh world for you, and a very interesting one. I expect to havethe most enthusiastic letters from you when you have been there for a few weeks.""It will be different from Miss Dawson's, at any rate," said Patty."I hope it will. Miss Dawson's is the best school we have in Kirkstone, but it is only moderatelygood. I can't be too glad for you to have this opportunity of going to a better one. Give me yourstockings, dear, and the workbasket; I've a corner I want to fill up here."Patty sat watching her mother's deft fingers in silence for a moment or two, only handing herfrom time to time the things which she required. She gave a little sigh of satisfaction as she saw allher belongings stowed away in the big box; she had never had so many new possessions in her lifebefore, and in the pleasure of owning them felt some slight compensation for the wrench of partingfrom home.