Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-30
Youths Department.
MYSELF, OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
BY BELL CAMPBELL.
:" II this he L
As | hope il he,
Ihave a little dog at home,
Ard ha EuoNxs mo -


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 as had
when was about your age.
One day when / was quite little girl,
l 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 as our own sunny-faced
daughter"
/ must have liked solitude then, for /
did not try to put on sunny face. l sat
on the window seat, kicking the V ood-
work underneath, regardless of the deep
dents my heels were making in the white
paint, while passion was as busily disfig-
uring my face. | sat there long while,
thinking all sorts of hard things of my
parents, till / fancied / was the most
abused child that ever breathed. Hav-
ing come to this foolish conclusion, /
threw myself upon my bed, resolving that
1 would never go down till some one came
for me-
Presently l heard my mothers voice
calling: "Dinner is ready for our little
daughter"
l mad not had my usual lunch, and so
hunger was stronger than my foolish OBJ
stinacy. determined, however, to wear
grieved expression; as though l felt
myself shamefully ill-treated.
l 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 great
deal prettier.
She seemed perfectly at home, and
noticed that she said "Yes, sir" and
''No, ma'am, ,"-"If you please, sir" and
81 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? Do you
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-mammal This little girl has
got into the wrong housei"
''No, l haven't" / almost screamed.
80 mammal Can't you see that / am your
own little daughter? Papa, seel Don't
1 look like mamma? Auntie said she
should know me anywhere for mammals
daughter"
Don't insult us, horrid child"i said my
father in anger; but mamma bade 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 I was your little girl, NAM
ma" said l sorrowfully. "Whose am I:'
81 cannot TELL" she replied. Little
girl, am sorry for you, but L 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 oncel Do you see
you are giving that scowl of yours to our
own little girl?"
/ 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
ian old habit of mine when l felt cross
leave the houser' cried papa, thor
oughly reused; and / rushed from the
room in terror as he followed me to 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 a
CLASSY little cove A long way from home
it was, but familiar spot to me.
90 what shall do ?" l sobbed. How
can make my parents know that / am
their child ~
All that long afternoon l thought over
my many faults, and the numberless times
had made those dear faces sad by my
illtemper, and thought if my parents
would only take me back, l 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 | 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
dinner-table at home. 1t was mine now.
l sprang up with glad shout.
"1hey will know me now % / kept re-
peating, as / FASTENED homeward with
flying steps.
Remembering my mothers reproof
when had last appeared, l gave timid
little knock upon the sitting room door.
Mamma opened it and said:
"Glad to see you, little girl, you look
so smiling and happy. Come in"
"Oh doesn't she know me now :"
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, nv own rested upon the most
sulky, disagreeable looking child that
had ever seen. She sat in my own little
camp-chair, sewing up seam Overland
over stitch She twitched and broke her
thread and then she muttered the crossest
words about my dear mother. How
hated that ugly child but remembered
to have seen her before, somewhere.
After watching her in silence few min
utes said in tinlid, wistful tone:
Mamma, aren't you glad to see your
own little girl again -
"I am not your mother, dear wish
were. am the mother of that child yon-
der" She cast such look of sorrow to-
ward the wayward girl, that / expected
to see her throw her arms around her
mothers neck in Denitence, but she only
grumbled
EVERY time 1 want to play you are
sure to take out one of those horrid pill
low-cases. believe you make me sew
lust to plague me Then you keep prais-
ing other girls on purpose to make me
feel jealous !"
"Let me sew it for you, can sew nice
ly ~ said l eagerly.
"No, my dear; besides your mother
will be waiting supper for you. / do not
wish to see your sunny face clouded.
Have you any errand :"-seeing that /
hesitated.
'If papa were only here, he would know
me-" thought.
l eagerly sprang forward as l saw his
face in the doorway. His glance of cool
inquiry was more than i could bear.
dOh papa-mamma If you don't
take me back and love me as you used to,
shall diel am YOUR own little daugh-
ter ~
so you are our own darling. You
have slept off all your naughtiness, /
guess; and papa misses his little gill. >
8 rna..,,,,. He'd me ofr the he'd and