Things happened right along . Cecily declared she hated to go to sleep for fear she might miss something . There were so many dear delights along the golden road to give us pleasure -- the earth dappled with new blossom , the dance of shadows in the fields , the rustling , rain-wet ways of the woods , the faint fragrance in meadow lanes , liltings of birds and croon of bees in the old orchard , windy pipings on the hills , sunset behind the pines , limpid dews filling primrose cups , crescent moons through darklings boughs , soft nights alight with blinking stars . We enjoyed all these boons , unthinkingly and light-heartedly , as children do . And besides these , there was the absorbing little drama of human life which was being enacted all around us , and in which each of us played a satisfying part -- the gay preparations for Aunt Olivia 's mid-June wedding , the excitement of practising for the concert with which our school-teacher , Mr. Perkins , had elected to close the school year , and Cecily 's troubles with Cyrus Brisk , which furnished unholy mirth for the rest of us , though Cecily could not see the funny side of it at all . Matters went from bad to worse in the case of the irrepressible Cyrus . He continued to shower Cecily with notes , the spelling of which showed no improvement ; he worried the life out of her by constantly threatening to fight Willy Fraser -- although , as Felicity sarcastically pointed out , he never did it . `` But I 'm always afraid he will , '' said Cecily , `` and it would be such a DISGRACE to have two boys fighting over me in school . '' `` You must have encouraged Cyrus a little in the beginning or he 'd never have been so persevering , '' said Felicity unjustly . `` I never did ! '' cried outraged Cecily . `` You know very well , Felicity King , that I hated Cyrus Brisk ever since the very first time I saw his big , fat , red face . So there ! '' `` Felicity is just jealous because Cyrus did n't take a notion to her instead of you , Sis , '' said Dan . `` Talk sense ! '' snapped Felicity . `` If I did you would n't understand me , sweet little sister , '' rejoined aggravating Dan . Finally Cyrus crowned his iniquities by stealing the denied lock of Cecily 's hair . One sunny afternoon in school , Cecily and Kitty Marr asked and received permission to sit out on the side bench before the open window , where the cool breeze swept in from the green fields beyond . To sit on this bench was always considered a treat , and was only allowed as a reward of merit ; but Cecily and Kitty had another reason for wishing to sit there .
Kitty had read XXXXX a magazine that sun-baths were good for the hair ; so both she and Cecily tossed their long braids over the window-sill and let them hang there in the broiling sun-shine .
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