Blue-eyed Charley Day had a cousin near his own age, whose name was
Harry Knight. When they were about eight years old, and began to go to
the public school, the boys called them, "Day and Night."

Charley did not object to the puns the schoolboys made; but Harry was
quite vexed by them. Having quite a dark skin, and very dark eyes and
hair, he thought the boys meant to insult him by calling him, "Night."

One large boy, about twelve years old, seemed to delight in teasing
Harry. He would say to him, "Come here, 'Night,' and shade my eyes, the
day is so bright." Then, seeing that Harry was annoyed, he would say,
"Oh, what a dark night!"

Poor Harry would get angry, and that made matters worse; for then Tom
Smith would call him a "stormy night," or a "cloudy night," or the
"blackest night" he ever saw.

Harry talked with his mother about it; and she told him the best way
would be to join with the boys in their jokes, or else not notice them
at all. She said if he never got out of temper, the boys would not call
him any thing worse than a "bright starry night." And if he went through
the world with as good a name as that she should be perfectly satisfied.

"Don't take offence at trifles, Harry," said Mrs. Knight. "Don't be
teased by a little nonsense. All the fun that the boys can make out of
your name will not hurt you a bit."

Harry was wise enough to do as his mother advised, and he found that she
was right. The boys soon became tired of their jokes, when they found
that no one was disturbed by them. But the little cousins were alway