The Portland daily press., 1867-12-16
selected story.
MISS CARELESS.
A FAIRY STORY.

Miss Careless was a good little girl, who
loved her papa and mamma dearly, but, as her
name Slows, she had one bad fault-she took
no care of anything. When her parents scold-
ed her she hung her head, her large blue ewes
filled with tears, and she looked 80 lovely and
so unhappy that they almost reproached
themselves for having given her pain and in
voluntarily set to work to comfort her; but
their backs turned, all traces OF repentance
disappeared, and the disorder became worse
shan ever
Careless had brother year o.det tnan
herself, whose example and adVice i'su a ooo
influence over her. 1t was tne custom III ILat
country, when boys had hardly peeuh 10 cut
their second teeth-at the age when 1t IS so
pleasant to hear them prattling about the
house in their pretty frocks, with their long
curls falling over their shoulderS-it was the
custom, l say, to send them to great houses,
built like barracks, where, after cropping their
heads, they were dressed in military coats,
buttoned to the chin, patcnt-leather belts,
and soldiers caps perched over the ear, lack
ing nothing but swords to be equipped for
battle. The poor children learned to play
men, and to look down on their sisters. 1t
was thing agreed upon in this little world
that man who respects himself puts nothing
IN its place, and the example of the most eel
eb- ated personaSes, renowned fol- their aD-
sent-mindedness, who always put on their
trousers wrong side before, was quoted as
proof OF genius. The grown persons OF the
house had told this to the tall lads, who had
told this to the smaller boys, who had told it
TO the little Ones and Careless's brother who
was one of the latter, had repeated it to her.
Armed with this imposing testimony, Care
less thought it very absurd to require OF her
such minute attention to details so insionifi-
cant, and nothing seemed to her so tiresome
as to put things IN order one day which must
be disturbed the next. She did not suspect
what need she would have in after Years,
when she should become a mother herself,
and how disgrsceful it is to woman to have
. nothing in its place in her house. Her man.
ma, who was well acquainted with her faults,
and who loved her too well to suffer this ia
tai habit to become rooted in her. knew not
what to do to break her OF it, she had en-
hausted everything = warnings, prayers,
threats, and even tears, and she finally resolv-
ed to punish her. e-e1 ~ .-.lsl
1t was not difficult task to punish the
dear little girl; her heart was so tender that a
harsh look made her unhappy. and the sight
OF her mother in tears threw her in despair.
Unhappily, all this sorrow was wasted since
she would not eel the importance OF what
was required of her. 1t always seemed to her
that her parents were very wrong in making
such fuss about things that were so little
worth the trouble, and that the, made her un-
oOliged therefore, to have recourse to more
direct punshments, in order to make strong
er impression on her mind. If her bed was
in disorder, she was forced to wear her night
cap all day. Every time she overturned her
lnkstand, and this often appened, the end of
her nose was linked. Whenever she lefs a
handkerchief, or anything else, lying about
The house, it was fastened OH her back; even
believe that shoe was hung there one day,
w OI1r,6 IT, r.
low, astray on the stairs.
All this mortified her greatly, but did not
reform her. She finally persuaded herself,
indeed, that her parents no longer loved her,
since they persisted in tolmenting her in this
way, and this unhappy thought hardened her
in Der disordeTly habits. One day, at length,
when her brother had a holiday, and between
them, they had put everything out OF place in
the parlor aud dining roem, MISS Careless was
told that she must not leave her room all the
next morning. This was punishment which
she felt keenly, for the young gentlemans
presence was rare event since he had Joined
the regiment, and he now introduced into
their pays those cavalier and domineering
airs which rendered him still larger in the
eyes OF his little sister.
The next morning the rising sun found her
seated on her bed in teals, looking despair
ingly about her room, her prison till dinner.
Her pretty dress, put on tor the first time
the night before in compliment to her broth
ers arrival, was thrown in a corner, half on
the floor and halt on a chair. One OF her
boots was under the door, and the other
against the door. Two pretty gray silk mits
were on each end of the mantle piece, ard
the little black velvet lat, Of which she had
been SO proud, was lying on its side on the
top OF the water pitcher, with its great white
plume falling into the basin.
Careless saw all this confusion with pro-
found indifference, snd only thought how
tiresome it would be to stay alone for long
hours in room with nothing to do, since it
did not occur to her to put ,hings in order.
How unhappy l ami" she cred. "Eyery
one here hates me, and treats me badly. No
body loves me but my dear Paul, and thew
won't let me play with hun"
The larry Order was atthat moment making
her rounds through the house. She had al
ways avoided this neglected room, Tor she
had profound contempt for giddy and neg
ligent little girls, and the young lady was not
one of her favorites; but when she heard her
gentle. voice moaning so pjtiully, she had
compassion on her, and believing that she had
Iepented at last, opened the door
You may imagine low she trowned at the
sight OF the disorder. "Are you not ashamed?"
she exclaimed, harshy, advancing to the foot
OF the bed.
"of what, Madam ?" ans 7ered the little girl,
tremblingy.
Just take the trouble to l,ok around this
ROOM" >
well, what is the matter with it?"
what! don't you see the frighful disorder
that everything is in? There is not single
article of your dress in its place. Tr-n
'Oh! ifthat is all, there is no great harm
done. Paul says that it makes no difference
where we put our things at night, provided
that we find them in the morning.
hai; D. ~ = q,
1t makes no difference where you put your
things~ cried the fairy, anglily swell, you
shall see." t-i ~
With these words she touched the child
with her wand, and behold little Careless
flew into pieces in every direction. The
head was in search of the hat on the water
pitcher, the body plunged into the dress across
the chair, each loot regained its boot, the one
under the bed and the other against the door
and the hands made their way INFO the mitts
on each end of the mantle piece: it was the
work OF an instant.
Now" said the fairy, II an going to send
Master Paul to put all this 10 order. You
shall see whether it makes no difference
where you put things tt
She went into the court yard, where Mas
ter Paulw taking advantage of his mammals
absence to try to smoke tie end of cigar,
that his papa had forgotten the night before
Go up stairs to your sisters room, said she:
"she needsyou.e
Paul was not very sorry to he disturbed in
an attempt which he was beginning to find
unpleasant nevertheless, he carefully laid
the precious clgar-stump on the wiz dow. sill,
and went to his sisters room, his head some
what heavy.
We'll, what is the mat.er?" said he on en-
terng. He saw no one in the room. /" here
are you" he cried, furious at what he thought
trick insulting to his dionitv
Here" groaned the head. "Come and help
me quickly, my dear Paul; am very uncom-
Portable on this water-pitcher.
"No,come here" howied the body. ct can't
bear this any longer; the corner the char is
piercing me throubh and through
Don't leave me unoer the bed" said the
right foot.
Look against the door," said the left foot.
Don't forget US on the mantle-piece, shout
ed the hands, with all their might.
Another little boy might have been fright
ened, but Paul was ALREADY strong minded.
Picking up the feet, hands, and head in the
twinkling of an eye, Don't be alarmed, nv
dear sister," said he, in an important tone:
IL will set you to rights; it will not take me
long. The deucew
This was one of his words. borrowed from
a friend that had taken him under his protec-
uon, a young man of eleven, who had long
since renowned the refinement of good Ian
SuaSe; Yet it was not six months, since,
seaCeo on ms mammals knee every evening
before Solng to bed, with his hands clasped.
nc na ;n pi ot,i God to be good boy. But
we WIN ieeuiii 70 our work OF putting together
the scattered limbs of poor Careloss7 'oo'''-0-