376 
COMPARISONS* 
“ I don’t know what you mean by being 
tied up, Matilda,” said Annie, with spirit. 
“I am sure they are not confined to the 
society of girls any more than they want 
to be; and I don’t believe they consider 
us such terrible bores as you seem to ima¬ 
gine.” 
“ To-be-sure,” said Matilda, “you are 
more like boys than girls,—in some things, I 
mean,” she hastened to add, seeing that 
Annie’s colour rose and even Kate looked 
a little offended. “I didn’t mean to affront 
you, Annie: so you need not look so dis¬ 
turbed. But I never saw any girls before 
who ran races, and took long walks in all 
sorts of places, and whittled and did all such 
things, and that liked it, too. And that is 
what I mean by saying that you are more 
like boys than girls.” 
“Well,” said Kate, “ and what harm is it 
if we do ? I am sure we know bow to do 
other things. Annie can sew better than 
you or Antoinette, and she is not behind 
you in her lessons; and I am sure she is a 
great deal stronger and healthier.” 
“And twenty times more agreeable,” said 
Sidney to himself. But he added, aloud, 
