"It was a good while I was there: frum seven year old till sixteen.

'T seemed longer t' me 'n 't was.

'T seemed as if I'd been there allus,--jes' forever, yoh know.

'Fore I went in, I had the rickets, they say: that's what ails me.

'T hurt my head, they've told me,--made me different frum other folks." She stopped a moment, with a dumb, hungry look in her eyes.