The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-01
Happy Nancy--The True secret.

There once lived in an old brown cottage
SO small that it looked like a chicken coop, a
solitary woman. She was some thirty years
of age, tended he. little garden, knit and spun
for a living. She was known everywhere,
from village to village, by the coguomen of
Happy Nancy" She had no money, no fam
lily, no relatives; she was half blind, quite
lame and very crooked. There was no come
Illness In her, aud yet there. in that homely,
dsormed body, the great God, who loves TO
bring strength out of weakness, had set his
royal seal.
1--WE ell, Nancy, singing again ~ would the
chance visitor say, as he iounged at her door.
LA yes, Pam forever at it. | don't know
what people will think" she would say with
her sunny smile.
why. they will think as they always do,
that you are very happy"
''La! that's a fact, I'm ust as happy as the
day is long"
4 wish you'd tell me your secret, Nancy
you are ali 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 nobody
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 they're always
mighty afraid of trouble ahead. | ain't got
ythinR TO trouble myself about, you see,
cause | leave it ali TO the Lord. | think,
well, If He can keep this great world in such
gooo order, the sun rolling day after day and
the stars shining night after night, make
my garden things come up the same, season
after season, He can certainly take care of
such d poor, simple thing rs | am and so
you see, leave it all to the Lord, aud the
Lord takes care Of me.
Well, bat, Nancy, suppose a frost should
come alter your fruit trees are all In blossom,
and your little plants out suppose"
But L don't suppose; | never can suppose:
don't want to suppose, except that the Lord
Will do everything right. That's what makes
you people so unhappy; you're ali the time
surprising. Now, why can't you wait till the
suppose comes, as do, and then make the
best Of it ?''
"Ah. Nancy. las pretty certain you'll get
to heaven while many OF us, with all our
wisdom, viii have to stay OUT
There. YOU are at ii again." said Nancy,
shaking her head, always looking out for
some black cloud. Why, if / was you, I'd
keep the devil at arms length, instead of tax
ing him rigot into ny heart-he'Il do you
desperate sight of mischief"
She vas right, do take the demon of
k,U
ingratitude, right into our hearts, and pet and
cherish the ugly monsters, till we assimilate
to their likeness. We canker every pleasure
with this gloomy fear OF coming i'll we sell
dom trust thas pleasures will enter or hail
them when they come. Instead of that we
another them under the blanket of apprehen-
sion and choke them with nisanthrupbv.
1t would be we'll for us to ia.itate Happy
Nancy, and never suppose" 1t you see a
cloud, don't suppose it's going TO rain; if you
see trown, don't suppose scolding will fol-
low-do whatever your hands find to do, and
there leave it. Be more child like towards
the great Father who created you; learn to
confde in His wisdom, aud not in your own
and, above all, ''wais till the suppose comes,
and then make the best of it." Depend upon
1t, earth would seem an Eden, if you would
follow Happy Naney's rule. aud never give
place in your bosom for imaginary evils