Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-03-05
II A p Ply n A n G Y
THE TRUE SECRET.


so small that it looked like chicken coop,
q solitary woman. She tended her little
garden, knit and ,pun for living. She
was known everywhere, from village to vii.
lage, by the coguomen Of "Happy Nancy
She had no money, no family, no relatives;
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, set His royal
seal.
"Well Nancy, singing again7" would
the chance visitor say, as be lounged nt
her door.
"L. yes, I'm for ever at it ! don't
know what people will think" she would
say, with a sunny smile.
"Why, they'll think, as they always
do, that you are very happy"
ola we'll, that's fact. I am just as
happy as the day is long
~ wish you'd tell me your secret, Nan
cy; you are all alone, you work hard, you
have nothing very pleasant surrounding
you-what is the reason you're so happy"
"Perhaps it's because havn't got any
body but God," replied the good creature,
looking up. "You see, rich folks like you
depend upon their families and houses !;
they've got to keep thinking of their
business, Of their wives and children, and
then they're always mighty afraid Of trou-
bles ahead. aint 60. anything to trou-
bir myself about, ,o~ .Aa. 'nansa I leave
it all to the Lord. I think, well, if He
can keep this great world in such good
order, the sun rolling day after day, and
the stars nigh. after night, make the gar
den things como up the same, season after
season, He can certainly take care of such
a poor, simple thing as am; and go,
you see, leave it all to the Lore, 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"
"Bus don't suppose; 1 never can
suppose I 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 til; the suppose comes, as 1
do, and then make the best Of it?"
get to heaven, while many 81 fiia'V as. iTSu q! \!
our worldly wisdom, will have to stay out"
"There you are a. it, sgain," said Nan
cy, shaking her head, "alwa5s looking out
for some black cloud. Why, if l was
you, I'd keep the devil at arms length,
instead of taking him right into my heart ;
he'll do you a desperate sight of mischief"
She was right. We do take the de-
mons Of care, Of distruss, Of melancholy
foreboding, Of ingra:itude, right into our
hearts, and pet and cherish the ugly mon'
sters, till We assimilate to their likeness.
We capker every pleasure with this gloo-
my fear of i'll; We seldom trust that pleas
ures will enter, or hail them when they
come. Instead of that, We smother them
under the blanket Of apprehension, and
choke them with our misanthropy.
! 1t would be we'll for US to initiate Hap.
| py Nancy, and "never suppose" If you
sec cloud, don't suppose it's going to
rain; if you see frown, don't suppose a
.colding will follow. Do whatever your
hands find to do, and there leave it. Be
more childlike toward the great Father
who created you; learn to cOnfde in His
wisdom, and not your own, and above all,
"wais till the suppose comes and then
make the best of it," Depend upon it,
earth would seom an Eden, if you would
follow Happy Naucy's rule, and never
give place in your bosom to imaginary
evils.-Sdlem Register.