American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-01

Cmldren-werc any of you ever per
picked to know whether you were your
own self, or you were somebody else, and
somebody else were you :? | don't be-
lieve. at all events, that you ever had such
a strange experience of that kind rs l had
when / was about your age
One day when was quite Il little girl,
| was sent in disgrace to my room, for
an exhibition of ill-temper, with the in
junction "Don't come down again till
you can come rs our own sunny-faced
daughter"
l must have liked solitude then, for /
did not try to put on a sunny face. | sat
on the window seat, kicking the wood
work underneath, regardless of the deep
dents my heels were making in the white
paint, while passion was as busily disfig-
uring my face. l sat there long while,
thinking all sorts of hard things of my
parents, till l fancied 1 was the most
abused child that ever breathed. Hav-
ing come to this foolish conclusion,
threw myself upon my bed, resolving that
l would never go down till some one came
for me.
Presently I heard my mothers voice
calling: "Dinner is ready for our little
daughter"
hunger was stronger than my foolish OBJ
stinacy. determined, however, to wear
a grieved expression; as though l felt
myself shamefully i1l-treated.
1 walked rather sullenly into the din
ing-room, when what was my astonish-
ment to see my father generously heap
ing the plate of another little girl, who
certainly looked wonderfully like me,
only think she must have been a great
deal prettier.
She seemed perfectly at home, and 1
noticed that she said ayes, sir" and
"No, ma am, '-''If you please, SIR" and
Il thank YOU" without forgetting once. l
though she behaved very sweetly and my
parents smiled affectionately upon her.
Hearing the door close, the three di-
rected their full gaze upon me. Mother
turned to me rather coldly, saying:
"What do you want, little girl? Doyou
know it is impolite to enter a strangers
house without first knocking?''
"Why, mammal" cried, in an agony
of apprehension; Don't you know your
own little Carrier"
The little Carrie at the table laughed
merrily, and said:
"Papa-mamma! This little girl has
got into the wrong hOusew
mo, l haven't" 1 almost screamed.
go mammal Can't you see that am your
own little daughter? Papa, see. Don't
look like mamma? Auntie said she
daughter"
Don't insult us, horrid child"l said my
father in anger; but mamma babe me
stand in a chair and look into the mirror
with her | shrank back in horror at the
scowling, pouting face whose sullen eyes
looked into mine, beside my sweet-faced
mothers.
81 thought was your little girl, NAM
ma" said | sorrowfully. "WhOse am II"
II cannot tell" she replied. Little
girl, am sorry for you, but 1 am more
sorry for the mother of such an ill-tem
pered child as your face shows you to be-"
Then she added quickly:
''Do go, child, at once! Do you see
you are giving that scowl of yours to our
own little girl?"
l glanced toward the other Carrie and
saw her sunny face was clouded, and she
did not look at all sweet. Presently she
began to kick the rounds of the chair
tan old habit of mine when l felt CROSSE
Leave the hOuser' cried papa, thor
oughly reused; and l rushed from the
door.
Having gained the open road, ran and
ran. till out of breath l threw myself
under the old elm whose dropping
branches almost touched the water in
CLASSY little cove. A long way from home
it was, bat familiar spot to me.
90 what shall do ?" | sobbed. GLOW
can make my parents know that l am
their child ?"
nv many faults. and the numberless times
l had made those dear faces sad by my
ill-temper, and thought if my parents
would only take me back, | would try
oh so hard-to please them.
Just as the setting sun was looking into
the little cove to kiss it good night, l re-
solved to try once more. As 1 smoothed
back my tumbled hair, / glanced into the
bright water, and how glad l was to rec
ognize the sunny, little face | saw at the
at home. 1t was mine now.
| sprang up with Il glad shout.
"They will know me now ~ l kept re-
peating. as | fastened homeward with
flying steps.
Remembering my mothers reproof
when had last appeared, l gave tImid
little knock upon the sittingroom door.
Mamma opened it and said:
"Glad to see you, little girl, you look
so smiling and happy. Come in"
ooh doesn't she know me now ?" l
almost sobbed but | resolved to keep the
smiling face that had looked at me out of
the brook.
NV mother gave a troubled glance to-
ward the west window and following
her eve, my own rested upon the most
sulky. disagreeable looking child that
had ever seen. She sat in my own little
camp-cbair, sewing up seam overland
over stitch She twitched and broke her
thread and then she muttered the crossest
words about my dear mother. How l
hated that ugly child but remembered
to have seen her before, somewhere.
After watching her in silence few min
,,toe T caiJ in tin,il wiSttIIl tone.
mamma, aren't you glad to see your
own little girl again ?"
II am not your mother dear !; l wish
were. am the mother of that child yon-
der" She cast such look of sorrow to-
ward the wavward girl, that | expected
to see her throw her arms around her
mothers neck in pcnitence, but she only
grumbled:
Every time want to play you are
sure to take out one of those horrid pill
Iow-cases. l believe you make me sew
just to plague me Then you keep prals-
ing other girls on purpose to make me
feel jealous ~
q let me sew it for you, can sew nice
ly ~ said ! eagerly.
..No. nv dear; besides your mother
will be waiting supper for you. do not
wish to see your sunny face clouded.
Have YOU any GRAND ?"-seeing that |
hcsitated.
eff papa were only here, lie would know
me, thought.
| eagerly sprang forward as | saw his
face III the doorway. Ills glance OF cool
inquiry was more than ! could bear.
ooh papa-mamma If you don't
take me back and love me as you used to,
| shall die | am your own little daugl-
ter ~
$50 YOU are our own darling. You