I gave my only pair of black stockings to Lida Marsh , because she had n't any and her poor little feet were awful cold and I was so sorry for her . No child ought to have to go without shoes and stockings in a Christian community before the snow is all gone , and I think the W. F. M. S. ought to have given her stockings . Of course , I know they are sending things to the little heathen children , and that is all right and a kind thing to do . But the little heathen children have lots more warm weather than we have , and I think the women of our church ought to look after Lida and not leave it all to me . When I gave her my stockings I forgot they were the only black pair I had without holes , but I am glad I did give them to her , because my conscience would have been uncomfortable if I had n't . When she had gone away , looking so proud and happy , the poor little thing , I remembered that all I had to wear were the horrid red and blue things Aunt Martha knit last winter for me out of some yarn that Mrs. Joseph Burr of Upper Glen sent us . It was dreadfully coarse yarn and all knots , and I never saw any of Mrs. Burr 's own children wearing things made of such yarn . But Mary Vance says Mrs. Burr gives the minister stuff that she ca n't use or eat herself , and thinks it ought to go as part of the salary her husband signed to pay , but never does . I just could n't bear to wear those hateful stockings . They were so ugly and rough and felt so scratchy . Everybody would have made fun of me . I thought at first I 'd pretend to be sick and not go to church next day , but I decided I could n't do that , because it would be acting a lie , and father told us after mother died that was something we must never , never do . It is just as bad to act a lie as to tell one , though I know some people , right here in the Glen , who act them , and never seem to feel a bit bad about it . I will not mention any names , but I know who they are and so does father . Then I tried my best to catch cold and really be sick by standing on the snowbank in the Methodist graveyard with my bare feet until Jerry pulled me off . But it did n't hurt me a bit and so I could n't get out of going to church . So I just decided I would put my boots on and go that way . I ca n't see why it was so wrong and I was so careful to wash my legs just as clean as my face , but , anyway , father was n't to blame for it . He was in the study thinking of his sermon and other heavenly things , and I kept out of his way before I went to Sunday School . Father does not look at people 's legs in church , so of course he did not notice mine , but all the gossips did and talked about it , and that is why I am writing this letter to the Journal to explain .
I suppose I did very wrong , since everybody says so , and I am sorry and I am wearing those awful stockings to punish myself , although father bought me two nice new black pairs XXXXX soon as Mr. Flagg 's store opened on Monday morning .
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