Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-18
Happy Nancy---The True Secret,

= There once lived IN an old brown cottage.
SO small that it looked like a chicken-coop,
solitary woman. She tended her little gar
den, knit and spun for living She was
known everywhere, from village to village,
by the cognomen Of Happy Nancy" She
had no money, no family, no relations she
was half blind, quite lame, and very crooked.
There was no comeliness in her and yet
there, in that homely, deformed body, the
great God, who loves to bring strength out Of
weakness, had set His Royal seal.
"Well, Nancy, singing again ?" would
the chance visitor say, as he lounged at her
door.
d" La! yes, I'm for ever at it. don't
know what people will think" she would say
with sunny smile.
"Why, they'll think, as they always do
that you are very happy"
"La! well, that's fact I'm just as
happy as the day is long"
Il wish you'd tell me your secret Nancy !;
you are all alone, you work hard, you
have nothing very pleasant surrounding you
what is the reason you're SO happy"
Perhaps its because | hav'u't got any,
body but God," replied the good creature,
looking up.
"You see, rich folks like you depend
upon their families and their houses /; they've
got to keep thinking of their business, Of
their wives and children, and then theyr
always mighty afraid of troubles ahead. L
amt got anything to trouble myself about,
you see, cause | leave it all to the Lord.
l think, well, if lie can keep this great world
in such good order, the sun rolling day after
day, and the stars shining night after night,
make the garden things come up the same,
season after season, He can certainly take
care of such a poor, simple thing as am ;
and so, you see, leave it all to the Lord,
and the Lord takes care of me-"
"Well, but Nancy, suppose frost should
come after your fruit trees are all in blossom,
and your little plants out suppose"
But don't suppose; | never can sup
pose; 1 don't want to suppose except that the
Lord will do everything right. That's what
makes you people unhappy; you're all the
time supposing. Now why can't you wait
till the suppose comes, as do, and then make
the best Of it?'
"Nancy, it's pretty certain you'll get to
heaven, while many of us, with all our world
ly wisdom, will have to stay OUT
i, There, you are at it again." said Nancy
shaking her head, "always looking for some
black cloud. Why, if was you, I'd keep
the devil at arms length, instead of taking
him right into your heart; he'll do you a
desperate sight of mischief"
She was right. We do take the demons
of care, of distrust, of melancholy forebod
? ing, of ingratitude, right into our hearts
and pet and cherish the ugly monsters, till We
assimilate to their likeness. We cankel
every pleasure with this gloomy fear of ill
we seldom trust that pleasures will enter, OF
! hail them when they come. Instead of that
we smother them under the banker of appre
hension, and choke them with our misan
thropy.
1t would be well for us to initiate Happy
Nancy, and "never suppose" If you see ;
cloud, don't suppose it's going to rain; i
you see frown. don't suppose scoldlug vii
follow, Do whatever your hands find to do
and there leave it. Be more childlike to.
ward the great Father who created you learl
to confde in His wisdom, and not in you
own; apd above all, "wait till the suppos
comes, and then make the best Of it," De
pend upon it, earth would seem an Eden, i
you would follow Happy Nancy's rule, ant
never give place in your bosom to imaginar.
evils.