The Nicest Girl in the School

"ONLY one day more," cried Patty Hirst, surveying with deep interest the large newbox which stood by the side of the chest of drawers in her bedroom; "just one day!How dreadfully quickly the time has come! I feel quite queer when I think about it. Ican scarcely believe that before the end of the week both I and my luggage will be awhole hundred miles away, and settled at Morton Priory. I do wonder how I shalllike it?""Very much, I hope," replied her mother, pausing for a moment in her task ofpacking the neat piles of linen and underclothing into as small a compass aspossible. "I'm sure it seems a delightful school, and you are an extremely lucky girlto be going there.""Yes," said Patty, with a rather doubtful tone in her voice, sitting down on theedge of the bed, and beginning to turn over the pocket handkerchiefs, the newblouses, the ties, hair ribbons, and other articles which made up her schoolgirloutfit; "I suppose I am lucky. Perhaps it may be nicer than I think. I wanted to godreadfully when Uncle Sidney first wrote about it, but somehow now that it's gotalmost to starting off, do you know I feel as if I'd changed my mind, and I'm not atall sure that I wouldn't rather stay at home. It seems too horrible to have to goamongst so many new girls."