Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-04
Calls and Skftehes.
WHERE Is THE TROUBLE?
BY JENNY BRADFORD.

happy p
Yes" he replied, after a moments hesi-
tation. II think she is often happy in being
very miserable"
Emily looked up with a smile, saying,
Very good; believe you are right J" but
little Carrie, who stood leaning on her
chair, exclaimed, Happy in being miser-
able! y Why John, what do you mean?
thought people hated to be miserable
so it is generally supposed" he re-
marked and went on with his reading.
What does he mean?" asked Carrie,
| turning to her sister
$50 get him to tell you" said Emily
DO please tell me, John, do you think
Mrs. Wilmot likes to be so sorrowfulP
thought she couldn't help it
| The young man closed his book. and
| putting his arm about his sister, as she
stood beside him, returned quiet smile to
| her earnest, puzzled gaze.
"You don't think there is much fun in
being unhappy, do you?' said he.
"No, | am sure don't, and | did not
know that anybody did l can't understand
you"
"Wel, my little maid, you will find a
great many curions things in this world of
ours, somewhat hard to understand. You
/
had to suffer severely, but now she has got
into the way of it she likes it. She is
best pleased with herself when she feels
| that she Is perfectly wretched, and she is
best pleased with other people when they
eoncede to her that she is the most afflicted,
| disconsolate, and inconsolable of women"
| Il should think she would like me, then,"
| said Carrie, '1or do think so it almost
4 a ~ 70 hon hon. IL
| about her troubles"
| did You ever hear her talk of any
| thing else?" asked John
| But you know, exposufated the sympa-
| thizing little girl, ''she says it makes her
feel better to unburden her mind Wasn't
| that what she said ?"
| Yes. and do you know the reason, my
dear? She has unburdened her mind again
and again, and crybody understands her
| grievances and sorrows, and is ready to
pity and help her AS much as may be SO,
where is the use Of telling it all over again,
as she has just been doing here? Why, do
you think it makes her feel better, Carrie !?
She likes to set forth her griefs in order,
SO that she can see them; there is no dan
ger she might lose some of them if she
did not count them over in this way; she
| might forget she had burden on her
mind ii she did not take pains to show it,
and weigh it, and grid it on anew pretty
| often. She feels better, not because she
thinks herself any more happy, but be-
! cause she has reassured herself that She
has cause for being remarkably unhappy"
"She Is welcome to be unhappy, then, if
she wants to be-" cried Carrie with some
spirit 81 wouldn't try to comfort her
again, Emily"
"She did not seem to think my comfort
worth much, observed Emily.
II did," returned her young sister.
"When you showed her how many pleas
ant things she has left and how kind her
brother has been to her, and talked to her
so sweetly about Gods being willing to
love her and take care OF her, | thought it
wasn't so bad after ALL and | was dread
fully disappointed when she shook her
head so moulntully; ''You are very kind,
| Miss Moore, but you cannot console me, =
she said.
And why Because she didn't wish to
be consoled, she refused to be comforted.
| The little girl mounted herself on the
arm OF her brothers easy chair, and leaning
on his shoulder, sat looking thoughtiully
out at the window. In Il few moments she
| returned to the conversation, saving,
| Il don't really see how it is" after all
1t does not seem as though any one could
actually wish to be unhappy Is there
| anybody else like Mrs Wilmot ?"
II remember seeing a certain young
girl in Aars not longer ago than last
Tuesday, who enjoyed them so much that
| she was near being veXed with an unfor-
tunate brother of hers, who happened to
| make her laugh, and so spoiled her cry,n
replied John.
Carrie smiled and podted at this home
thurst.
Explain to her little, John, do" said
Emily.
"My dear Caroline, commenced the
brother very grayely, mo doubt you are
| already aware that life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness are among the in
alienable rights of man, but you may not
Yet have observed that people often die
because they have not resolution enough
to live-to give up the indulgences which
are destroying them, and make the exer-
ton which might secure health they suffer
themselves to be slaves of men and devils,
of bad habits and bad passions, because
they have not the courage and determine
ton to break their chains and in like
i'N-.'.A~A 'H - IhShtiy Nuoooc W pt illiS-
cradle, rather than to make the sacrifice
and the effort necessary in order to be
happy. Let us take, for example, the last
case referred to; Carrie wishes to go to
the concert; she consults her mother about
it, and finds her Of the opinion that it isn't
best for her to go; Carrie appeals to the
higher tribunal: her father saws, No, my
dear and she very well knows that settles
the question Now, if happiness is the
thing the dear child most wants, we might
suppose that when the fact is plain that
she cannot have it in the way of music,
she will straightway try the next best way.
Here are books, pictures, cousin Dick with
his puzzles, and mother with her pretty
stories which? Carrie will none of them,
she viii not even eat her supper, but re-
tires to lament her hard fate, and afllict
her soul, and when John penetrates to her
crowley, she heartily wishes he would
let her alone, to be just rs wretched as she
pleases, to have IA good time feeling des-
perately She feels an emotion of indig-
nation both at him and at the smile which