American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-16
''PRIDE MUST HAVE A FALL
BY MISS BRONSON.

| ana an elegant time they were having.
1t was one of the early summer days
when the whole air was fragrant, and the
| birds kept up an incessant twitter, and
don't think that even the birds, little
patterns of industry though they are, had
| been any more busy than these two chill
dren. A real oldfashioned house-clean-
ing had been going on in their home, in
| consideration of which fact mamma had
consented that dinner should be taken
under the apple-tree. Just think what
| fun 1t seemed to them with this deligh
full prospect ahead that one O'Clock would
| never arrive; and when at last Ann the
waitress appeared and deposited tray on
the wooden seat before them, l think that
| no dinner had ever before looked so
| tempting in their eyes. There were two
| nicely Drowned chops, some roasted pota-
| toes, little dish of green peas, and a big
orange apiece.
"Oh dearr' said Emma, chow I do
wish l were an Indian then l would live
in tent and eat my meals out of doors
always" Poor Emma, l guess if she
could just once have taken peep at the
kind of dinners that Indians eat, she
| would have been less enthusiastic on the
subject.
Well, all good things must come to an
end sometime; and even the most charm
ing of repasts would not last forever.
little white dish, the orange pits had all
been planted to make a magnificent grove
at some future day, and nothing but some
well picked bones and pile of potato
skins remained of what had been such a
superb feast. Then with renewed strength
and energy the little girls returned to
their work, which was nothing less than
making castle, a deer-park, and land
scape. The castle was really very pretty,
nhSto oil do
of moss-covered pieces of bark, and stood
on little eminence in a grove of rootless
cedar trees. At the foot of the hill was a
looking glass lake, surrounded by wonder
full rock work, and rejecting in its tran
quill depths the graceful form of tin
duck, which the children always spoke of
as the white swan of castle All Breezer"
three wooden deer stood motionless
in the high grass, which most beautifully
concealed the fact that they had long ago
lost their legs. Absorbed in their occup-
ton the children had no idea that the
pleasant day was drawing to its close, till
they heard their brother Tom calling
them loudly. "Hallo! girls" he said,
'mother sent me out to tell you that she'd
gone to Aunt Fanny's to take tea. She's
going to Sunday-school lecture afterwards,
and she says if you're not too tired, I'm to
take you round to the lecture-room, and
she'll bring you home; but you need not
go if you're too played out"
"Well, must say / am tired" exclaim-
ed Emma, stretching her arms YEARLY.
"Nurse is calling for you like every
thing" continued Tom, "she says she's
laid all your clean things on the bed in
your room except your hats, and those
you can get for yourselves if you CO."
"Ill go and get ready right away" said
ncSa and off Chn f1,fa.r .ln,,
walk toward the house, while Emma and
Tom came on slowly in the rear.
'What's up" said Tom, 'that Rosic's in
such hurry to go to lecturer"
"I'll tell you," said Emma, "if you
won't tell, she wants to wear her new hat"
A long whistle from Tom was the only
reply to this communication.
Poor little Rose had one failing which
was only too well known to every nem-
Der of her family She could never for
get that she was pretty, and nothing else
ever gave her so much pleasure as new
dress, or a ribbon on a pretty new bon
net.
Little did Rosie think as she hurried in,
and took her new bonnet daintily out
from between its coverings of tissue pa
per, what dreadful trouble it would be the
means of bringing upon her before the
evening was over. BY the time that En-
begun her toilet, and good-natured Emma
said nothing about her own fatigue for
fear of disappointing her sister.
They reached the lecture-room in good
season. not, however, without a remon-
STRANGE from Tom. Rosie, in compliment
to her new hat, adopted what she consid-
cred a particularly graceful style of walk
ing, the prominent features of which were
a sort of twist of the body and Il toss of
a. tn u
gravated Tom, who was naturally bash
full, in no ordinary degree, as he felt that
it would certainly attract the attention of
somebody before they reached their des-
tination. Don't wriggle so, Rosie he
said, "every one will laugh at you;' but
Rosie thought differently and continued
to wriggle. Tom left them when they
reached the door, and they went in softly,
and paused moment near the entrance.
The first person they recognized in Il seat
near them was one of their Aunt Fanny's
servants, who whispered to them that their
mother had headache, and had sent her
TO take care of them.
Don't sit here" said Rosie, ever mind
full of the new bonnet, and anxious to put
it in position where it would be adj
mired, come up near the front. It's
plcasanter.'
"Oh, please DON'T" exclaimed Emma
II would rather stay here by Mary" But
rcmonstrance was useless. Rosie with a
firm step walked on up the aisle TO the
very front pew in the church, and seating
herself comfortably in the end of the pew,
turned to see what had become of her sis
ter; and when she discovered that instead |
of following her she had remained by |
Mary's side it must be confessed that her |
first feeling was people can see me |
great deal better when there is no one else |
in the pew Pretty soon the service be |
gan; but as the church was not very full, |
il so happened that two or three pews i'm |
mcdiatelv in the vicinity of our young |
lady were unoccupcd, and She and her |
hat were as conspicuous as she could have |
desired During the first prayer and the |
singing of the hymn everything went on |
very wcll-then came the last prayer be |
fore the lecture.
Rosie, by way of raising herself to the |
level of the grownup people, had placed |
one tootstool on top of another and upon
these she knelt in what she considered a
most graceful attitude, and remained mo-
tionlcss during the whole prayer. So far
so good; but when the PRAYER came 10 an
end, and everyone else rose from their
knees, Rosie did not move. The lecture
began, and still she remained in her de
votional attitude. The truth must be
told; Rosie was fast asleep. One or two
people glanced at the little girl and
smiled, and Mary said to Emma in a hor-
riticd whisper: Mercy on us, if Miss
Rosie hasn't gone 10 sleep forninst the |