The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-04
yiolly'S Habits.

MolIy's Habits.
"Come, Molly, do tie up your shoe
strings, and brush your hair; how un-
tidy you look - a
eyes, mamma, in minute" said
Molly.
But many minutes passed. and Molly
forgot all til at had been said to her.
"Now, Molly, dear, wish you'd at
tend to what 1 say. Just look what a
fright you are Tie your shoe-strings,
dear, and brush your hair.
Eyes, mamma, III a minute" said
Molly.
But the minutes went by, and Molly
remembered no better than at first.
Thus it had been for many days and
weeks, till Mrs. Milbur wondered why
her little girl cared SO little for her
wishes. And Molly herself wondered
why she did not remember the words of
the kindest of mothers.
The beautiful month of roses had
come, and everything felt fresh and
lovely. The flowers doomed, as if it
was the easiest thing in the world to be
beautiful, and the insects hummed, and
the leaves We're as happy in the soft air
as if they understood all about the sky,
and the rain, and the dew that made
them grow so hxuriantly. But in all
this beauty Molly put by none of her
untidy habits. She made rose-leaf pies
and buried them in the ground, and for
got to wash her hands afterward. She
hunted for birds nests in the hedges and
bushes, that she might watch for the
dear little birds, but she did not remem-
Der to smooth her tangled hair when che
came home. She made flower beds, and
transplanted larkspurs and violets, and
watered them until her apron was soiled
and wet; but she forgot to put on her
clean one before she came to the table.
The consequence of her carelessness
was the frequent modification Of her
came to the house, they supposed her to
be some forlorn child that did no lifelong
to that pleasant, neat home.
"What shall do9" thought Mrs.
AIilbur.
"What shall I do |" thought Molly.
But Mrs. Milbur still spoke gently,
and Molly still forgot, and made no re-
solve to mend her untidy ways. At last
she became quite unhappy about it, and
thought so much of what she neglected
to do, that she grew very restless and
uncomfortable.
One lovely June morning, she went
out into the garden and gathered her
'hands full of flowers. Beautiful roses
of many hues, and garden lilies, and the
phlox and clematis. Then she went
through the field and picked clover
blossoms and buttercups and into the
woods and gathered dog toothed violets,
the Solomon's seal, and the triulliams.
She had at last felled her apron, and sat
down by the brook to hear the murmur
of the water. No wonder she fell asleep,
lulled by the sweet sound, and let her
apron fall, with all its treasures and
no wonder that she had dream az she
slept there with the soft air breathing
upon her.
Immediately it seemed to her that she
was the queen of all the flowers, and
dwelt among them, and heard all their
complaints, and took care of them in
quite motherly way. And care enough
she had, too for she was anxious that
each one should do its very best and
loveliest. First, she thought to herself,
will be very gentle mother, and let
the flowers have their own way and, as
they had all been quite loving and ODE
dient to the queen of the year before,
she had no doubt that she could trust
them entirely so she resolved to go q
Journey, and let them oil have their way.
But no sooner was their gentle queen
gone, than dozen spirits of evil seemed
to be present among the flowers, and
tempted them to all sorts of mischief,
and they forgot all the good instruction
they had received.
"Dear me I" said O little Strawberry
blossom what's the use of trying to
have such fair, white petalsl Let the
mud defile me, and the sand cling to me,
can't take the trouble to wash myself
in dew every morning :" so the straw
berry, blossom became dingy and quite
like the soil in color. III
"What bother TO lie always trying
to brush up!" said Rose-tree. "I'1
just stop shaking myself i'll the wind, and
let the dust cover me all up"
SO the great clouds of dust came NJ
and settled on the leaves and stems, and
they never moved fiber to clear theil
beautiful garments. They were soon as
brown as the earth.
" Here I've stood oil the spring." sale
the garden lily, "with my great buds
growing and opening aud never rain
drop or mist has passed me without
my turning, as the breeze came, to catcl
them, that / might keep my garments ~
pure as the snow that went mp to thu
clouds in the sunlight. But I'm tired o
so much trouble. I'll just let the yellow
pollen fall all over my pure petals, anC
the dust, too T: and I'll not bother mysel
to show the people how lovely plac,
this world is !" and the lily became lik,
q bit of paper that has been blowing
about in the gutter.
What a bother to keep shining ant
shining, like the stars !" said tuft o
tiarel]a. "I'll never dress myself agail
beside this brook, thinking to make tn
world brighter place. I'll let the wind