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           Onmorningline-upshetiedMeggie’sleftarmagainstherbodywithrope,andwouldnotundoituntilthedismissalbellrangatthreeintheafternoon.Evenatlunchtimeshehadtoeat,walkaroundandplaygameswithherleftsidefirmlyimmobilized.Ittookthreemonths,buteventuallyshelearnedtowritecorrectlyaccordingtothetenetsofSisterAgatha,thoughtheformationofherletterswasnevergood.Tomakesureshewouldneverreverttousingit,herleftarmwaskepttiedtoherbodyforafurthertwomonths;thenSisterAgathamadethewholeschoolassembletosayarosaryofthankstoAlmightyGodforHiswisdominmakingMeggieseetheerrorofherways.God’schildrenwereallright-handed;left-handedchildrenwerethespawnoftheDevil,especiallywhenred-headed.

           InthatfirstyearofschoolMeggielostherbabyplumpnessandbecameverythin,thoughshegrewlittleinheight.Shebegantobitehernailsdowntothequick,andhadtoendureSisterAgatha’smakingherwalkaroundeverydeskintheschoolholdingherhandsoutsoallthechildrencouldseehowuglybittennailswere.AndthiswhennearlyhalfthechildrenbetweenfiveandfifteenbittheirnailsasbadlyasMeggiedid.

           FeegotoutthebottleofbitteraloesandpaintedthetipsofMeggie’sfingerswiththehorriblestuff.Everyoneinthefamilywasenlistedtomakesureshegotnoopportunitytowashthebitteraloesoff,andwhentheotherlittlegirlsatschoolnoticedthetelltalebrownstainsshewasmortified.