Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-03-11
IWHOLE NO 1920
Happy Nancy-The True Secret

HAPPY nancy ne JrIe Secret
There once lived iu an old brown cottage
so small that it looked like chic ken coop
solitary old woman. She tended her little
garden, knit aud spun for a living. She was
known everywhere, from village to village.
by the--eognOmen Of Happy Nancy" She
had no money, no family, no relations; she
was half blind, quite lame, a. d very crooked
There was no ccminess in her, and yet
there in that homely. deformed body, The
grea. God, who loves to bring strength out
tf weakness. has set His royal seal.
well, Nancy, singing again," would the
chance visitor say, as he lounged al her door,
sLs. yess.i'm forever sti,. .I<;on't know
" ss1ss people g~iiill tiIiHit," ske wc6.d 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, Marcy:
you are II alone, you work hard, you have
nothing very pleasant surrounding you
what is the reason you are So happy,"
perhaps it's because haven'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 of thinking their busi-
ness, of their wives aud children, and then
they're always mighty afraid of troubles
ahead. amt got anything to trouble my
&c If about, you see, cause ! leave it all to
the Lord. think, we'll, if He can keep
this great world in such good order, the sun
rolling day after day, and the stars shining
night alter night, make the garden things
/ come up the same, season after season. lie
can sartlnly take care of sush Ponr, simple
thing as | am; and 50, you see, leave it
all to tie Lord, and the Lord takes care of
me-"
"Well, but Nancy. suppose frost saould
come after your fruit trees are all in plos-
som, AMI your little Plants OUT
But don't suppose; | never can sup
pose, except that the Lord " ill do every
| thing 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 10, and then make tie 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. ~ ays looking out for
some black cloud. Why, if was yoa, I'D
keep The devil at arms length, instead of
taking HIM right into NY heart; he'll 60 you
desperate site OF mischief"
She was right We DO take the demons
Of care, OF distrnst, Of melancholy foreboj-
ing, of ngratItude, right into our hearts,
ard pet and cherish the ugly monsters, till
we assimi!ate 10 their Likeness. We canker
every pleasure with this gloomy lear OF i'll,
we seldom trust that pleasures will enter,
| q hail tseSn Wien they cune. Instead OF
! that, we smother them under the blanke. of
I apprehension, and choke them with our
misanthropy.
| II would be well for US to initiate Happy
Nancy, and "never suppose" yoa see a
cloud, don't suppose its going to rain-if
you see frown, don't suppose scolding
will follow. Do wbsteyer your hands find
to do, and there leave it. Be more child
| Ii ek towards the great Father who created
/ you; learn 10 confiJe in His wisdom, and
not in your own; and above all, await till
the suppose Comes, and then make the
best of it," Depend upon it, earth would
seem an Eden, If you would f1l'ow Happy
Nancy's RUE, and never give place i'll your
! bosom 10 imaginary evils