midnight
What made her so different from his mother ? He had loved her , and he thought of her now as she used to look when in her dainty white frocks , with the strings of coral he had bought with nuts picked on the New England hills . He used to kiss those chubby arms -- kiss the rosy cheeks , and the soft brown hair . But that hair had changed sadly since the days when its owner had first lisped his name , and called him `` Ugh , '' for the bands and braids coiled around ` Lina 's haughty head were black as midnight . Not less changed than ` Lina 's tresses was ` Lina herself , and Hugh , strong man that he was , had often felt like crying for the little baby sister , so lost and dead to him in her young womanhood . What had changed Ad so ? There was many a tender spot in Hugh Worthington 's heart , and shadow after shadow flitted across his face as he thought how cheerless was his life , and how little there was in his surroundings to make him happy .