And each tried to see if it could n't howl the other down . You know that Highland Scotch family of MacNabs back of the Glen ? They 've got twelve boys and the oldest and the youngest are both called Neil -- Big Neil and Little Neil in the same family . Well , I s ` pose they ran out of names . '' `` I have read somewhere , '' laughed Anne , `` that the first child is a poem but the tenth is very prosy prose . Perhaps Mrs. MacNab thought that the twelfth was merely an old tale re-told . '' `` Well , there 's something to be said for large families , '' said Miss Cornelia , with a sigh . `` I was an only child for eight years and I did long for a brother and sister . Mother told me to pray for one -- and pray I did , believe ME . Well , one day Aunt Nellie came to me and said , ` Cornelia , there is a little brother for you upstairs in your ma 's room . You can go up and see him . ' I was so excited and delighted I just flew upstairs . And old Mrs. Flagg lifted up the baby for me to see . Lord , Anne , dearie , I never was so disappointed in my life . You see , I 'd been praying for A BROTHER TWO YEARS OLDER THAN MYSELF . '' `` How long did it take you to get over your disappointment ? '' asked Anne , amid her laughter . `` Well , I had a spite at Providence for a good spell , and for weeks I would n't even look at the baby . Nobody knew why , for I never told . Then he began to get real cute , and held out his wee hands to me and I began to get fond of him .
But I did n't get really reconciled XXXXX him until one day a school chum came to see him and said she thought he was awful small for his age .
Glen Neil THAN amid for in of that to with