Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-04
Happy NanoY-The True Secret.

ucie ouce iFel IN un oid brown cot
tsge, 30 small that il looked ike chicken
coop, solitary uomsn. She tended her
litle garden, knit aud spun Cor living
She vas known everywhere, from village
TO village, by the eocOomen of aHappy
Nancy" She bad no money, no family,
no relations; she was hSlf bind, qui.e
lame aud very crooked. There was no
comehness iu her; and yet there in thst
homely dcformed body, tbe great God,
who loves to bring strength out Of weak
ness, hsd sci Ills royal seal.
'WeH, Nancy, singing agaiDi' would
the chance visitor say, as be louBged at
Der door.
Lat Yes, Pm forever at It. l don't
know what people viii 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. fn just as hap.
py rs the day is long,
4 wish you'd tell me your secret, Nan.
cy; you are ell alone you work hard. you
have nothing very pleasant surrounding
you--what Is the ressoG you're 80 happyT
Perhaps it'e because | Lav'nt got any.
body but God replied the good creature,
looking up.
you see, rich folks like you depend up
on their families aud houses; they've got
to keep thinking of their business, of their
wives and children, snd then they're always
afraid Of troubles ahead. | amt got any.
thing to trouble myself about, you see,
cause | leave it all to the Lord. | think,
well, if He 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 sartainiy take
care Of such poor, simple thing as I am;
aud so, you See. leave it all to the Lord,
aud the Lord takes care Of me-
We'll, tut Nancy, suppose frost should
come, after your fruit trees are all in bios.
som, and your little plants out; suppose
But don suppose; never can sup.
pose; | 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 cant
you wait till the suppose comes, as | do,
and then make the best of it,
'Ah, Nancy, it's pretty certain you'll get
to heaven, while many of us, with all our
worldly wisdom, will have to stay out
There, you are at it again, said Nancy,
shaking her head, always looking out for
some black cloud. Why, if | was you,
Id keep the devil at arms length, instead
of taking him right into my heart, he'll
do you desperate sight of mischief
She was right. We do take the demons
of care, of dislrust, Of melancholy forebo.
dings Of ineratitude, right Into our heart,
aud pet and cherish the ugly monsters, till
we assimilate to their likeness. We cank-
er pleasure with this gloomy fear of i'll; we
seldom trust that pleasures will enter, or
hail them when they come. Instead of
that, we smother them under the blanket
of apprehension, and cloak them with our
misanthropy.
1t would be well for US to initiate happy
Nancy, and never suppose If you see a
cloud. don't suppose its going to rain; if
you see frown, don't suppose scolding
will follow. Do whatever youT hands find
to do, and there leave it. Be more child
like toward the great Father who created
you; learn to confde in His wisdom, and
not in your owr; and above all, wait till
the suppose comes, and then make the best
of it, Depend upon it, earth would seem
and Eden il you would follow Happy Nan
cy's rule. and never give place in your bo-
som to imaginary eviIs.-Reg'ster.