I have kept the best for the last . You laugh at me because I think Paul is a genius but I am sure his letter will convince you that he is a very uncommon child . Paul lives away down near the shore with his grandmother and he has no playmates ... no real playmates . You remember our School Management professor told us that we must not have ` favorites ' among our pupils , but I ca n't help loving Paul Irving the best of all mine . I do n't think it does any harm , though , for everybody loves Paul , even Mrs. Lynde , who says she could never have believed she 'd get so fond of a Yankee . The other boys in school like him too . There is nothing weak or girlish about him in spite of his dreams and fancies . He is very manly and can hold his own in all games . He fought St. Clair Donnell recently because St. Clair said the Union Jack was away ahead of the Stars and Stripes as a flag . The result was a drawn battle and a mutual agreement to respect each other 's patriotism henceforth . St. Clair says he can hit the HARDEST but Paul can hit the OFTENEST . ' '' `` Paul 's Letter . '' ` My dear teacher , '' ` You told us we might write you about some interesting people we knew . I think the most interesting people I know are my rock people and I mean to tell you about them . I have never told anybody about them except grandma and father but I would like to have you know about them because you understand things . There are a great many people who do not understand things so there is no use in telling them . ' '' ` My rock people live at the shore . I used to visit them almost every evening before the winter came . Now I ca n't go till spring , but they will be there , for people like that never change ... that is the splendid thing about them . Nora was the first one of them I got acquainted with and so I think I love her the best .
She lives XXXXX Andrews ' Cove and she has black hair and black eyes , and she knows all about the mermaids and the water kelpies .
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