American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-04-18
FAULT-FINDING.-A FAIRY TALE.
BY UNCLE GEORGE.

fAULl.FlND1NU. A1h1 1dLLs
BY UNCLE GEORGE.
BBssY JOHNSON was brighteyed little
girl about eight years old. She was the
Oldest of five children; that is, she had
two little brothers and two little sisters.
Her father and mother were not rich, nor
were they very poor. They kept no hired
girl, so Bessy had to help her mother do
the work, and useful help she was too.
She could dress her little brothers and
sisters, except the baby, she could sweep,
wash the Dishes and once she cooked the
dinner all by herself, and every Saturday
she made cookies, and they were good
cookies. Besides doing SO much work
Bessie went to school, and learned her
lessons very we'll. Her parents were
proud of her, and well they might be.
Anybody would be proud of such a
daughter as that.
But Bessy had her faults, as all good
children have; now and then, when things
did not 90 right, she would get snappish
and cross, and find fault. Then she would
have a good cry and get over it. We'll,
one day she got up in the morning in one
of her pets-it had been very hot night,
and the mosquitoes were bad, and the
baby cried-sO that on the whole Bessy
had not slept very we'll. Then came the
how or other were cross. Then the break
fast did not taste good, and there was
nothing very good for luncheon to take to
school, and Bessy was hurried Off to
school before she had time to have good
cry. This was a very hot morning, and
the school-ho was long way off, for
they lived in the country.
So Bessy trudged off to school with
heavy heart the tears trying to get out of her
eyes, but she kept them back and trudged
on until she came to little grove of tIees
which she had to pass through, and here
she sat down to rest on the grass in the
shade. Then she could not help it any
longer, and she commenced to cry and
find fault, and think she had pretty hard
time of it, And this is what she said to
herself: "I'm tired, and l hate to go to
school and l don't like to work. / wish
we had hired girl as other folks do, but
we are poor and don't like it," And
then Bessy looked at her copper-toed
shoes, and her gingham apron, and her
common straw hat, and then she looked
into her basket, and there was nothing
but just bread and butter and cheese.
And then she said, "Oh, 1 wish l was
rich, and didn't have to work, and had
fine clothes-and-rich things-to G. at"
and then Bessy's eyelids dropped, and
her lips stopped moving, and two big
tears dropped into her apron, and poor,
cross, tired little Bessy was in the land OF
Nod. When any one is asleep, we say
they are in the land of Nod, for Nod,
some folks say, is the name OF the fairy
who gives sleep. But there are other
fairies there besides Nod. Bessy muttered
half aloud, "I-wish-I-was-ric
"Oh-ho, you do, do you, little miss"
said cunning little old woman of
fairy who appeared to Bessie as she
dreamed.
"Well, poor child, you shall be rich"
"And have no work to do!" SAID
Bessy-
"No work." echoed the fairy.
"Nice clothes?" said Bessy.
"Yes," said the fairy.
"Candy and cake and such nice
things?" said Bessy.
"Plenty," said the fairy.
ooh, that will be splendid" said
Bessy.
"But," said the fairy, "you must make
me promise before give you those nice
thing s. In fairy-land grumbling and
fault finding is not allowed. Now,
promise me you will find no fault if you
have all these nice things, for our rule is,
that as soon as you find fault you lose
everything"
"Oh, 1 do PROMISE" said delighted
Bessy, for by this time she was dressed
like a little queen The straw was white
velvet, the gingham was pink silk, and
the copper toes were splendid button
shoes of silver leather, and her little brown
hands had nice kid gloves on. In fact,
no little girl was ever dressed so nice.
She looked around, and she was in
splendid fairy house, made of gold and
silver, and two maidens, dressed neatly,
were there to wait on her.
I'll fn;r ~ w q
queen, % our little girls do no work here;
they have little servants to work for
them"
Bessy was SO happy she could not
speak, but was about to run for an ivory
chair, trimmed with satin, to sit down.
Up went the finger of the fairy, Your
servants will get you the chair
Bessy blushed and sat down, and was
about to pick up a fan of gold to fan her
self with.
Up went the finger, Your servants
will fan you"
just then little silver chime bell
tinkled, and dinner was ready. Two more
little servants brought an elegant little
teatray and set it before Bessy. On the
tray was icc-cream, cakes and candy
Bcssv was pleased, and waited a moment
and then whispered 10 the little servant,
for already She began to be afraid of The
larry I'D yer, lease DTtHS Sthhc
bread and butter first, then we will eat
the dessert"
Up went the finger, "Our little girls do
not eat bread and butter"
But" said the fairy, if you do not
want that, bring in another tray"
1t was brought in, filled with custard
pie, cream pie, maple sugar and raisins.
Bessy was very fond of the pies, and COM
menced to help herself:
Up went the finger, Your little servants
will feed you; but eat all you want to,
dear child" said the fairy, sweetly.
The pies were SO rich that Bessy could
not eat much of them, SO she finished her
maple sugar and raisins. After din
ner she was taken to her room to dress
again. The sight of the dresses made her
happy.
"Oh," said Bessy to the servants, "iet
me curl my hair with these beautiful
curling irons made of gold"
She reached for them, and just behind
her elegant little bureau stood the fairy
with her finger up. so the servants did
the curling, but they hurt awfully. Bessy