The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-07
WHY NELLIE WAS NOT POPU
LAR

asked Miss Percy, as she seated herself
in a straw rocker on the piazza, where
Nellie sat, chin in hand, pouting over a
portfolio of prints that lay outspread be-
fore her.
"pm mad" was the reply.
" Mad! That is distressing. I hope
you don't bite"
ooh, of course l don't mean Mati"
said Nellie, turning away from the pict-
ures with an injured air, 81 am vexedw
"Then why did you say mad'"
ooh, you are too particular, Aunt
Alice! What do you think Kate Sibley
has done?"
81 cannot imagine"
Her mother gave her leave to invite
three of the girls to go with her to the
picnic in Cedar Creek, and she asked the
Morrisons and Minnie DuBose, and left
me out, though have worked every one
of her examples ever since we have been
in Denominate Numbers. 1t is just the
way with them all. l do everything
they ask me to do, and they all hate me.
PHI be even with them, Thoughtful hate
them, too"
And the future misanthrope began to
snitfle and use her pocket handkerchief
Don't you think it would be a wiser
plan to make them love your" asked
Miss Percy, gravely.
81 can't do it, replied a chokey voice
from behind the handkerchief.
81 have tried, but l ca-an't. They
all like Rosa Guignard, who never does
anything for anybody, but-but-"
AS Nellie did not seem able to finish
what she wished to say, Miss Percy came
to her relief by observing quietly:
"The girls all like Rosa on account of
a very rare gift she possesses"
Rose Guignard giftedr exclaimed
Nellie, surprised into forgetfulness of
her wrongs. "Why, Aunt Alice, she is
way down in all her classes, and you
know she isn't pretty-that is, until you
get used to her."
But it is much rarer gift than
either intellect or beauty, that which
Rosa possesses, returned Miss Percy.
Nellie's red-rimmed eyes asked ques-
ton to which Miss Percy replied with
brevity; "Tact."
"Tact? What is that?" asked Nellie.
81 don't know any better definition of
the word than one a great novelist has
given: Tact is knowing what not to
say"
Don't know what not to say, Aunt
Alice?" asked Nellie, after short
silence.
mo, my dear; don't think you do.
You will take offense, probably, if l give
you few examples as proofs of this;
but as am in your mothers place this
summer, shall take the liberty of speak
ing plainly. Do you remember who
were in the company yesterday when you
| cOolly asserted that certain religion was
nothing but mummery,' and went on to
observe that, for your part, you looked
upon such religionist as no better than
Mohammedan or jew"
"There were so many-such room
fui-that | cannot o Aunt Alice!
do remember now! Mademoiselle Du-
rand was here, and she is a member of
that church. am so sorryw
"And Miss Lyons was here also, and
she is a devout Jewess. Did you notice
that she kissed Kate Sibley when she
went away and did not kiss you?"
" Yes; and l wondered what was the
matter. But mademoiselle kissed me-"
" Yes, mademoiselle kissed you, al
though the flush had not died out of hel
cheeks which your thoughtless words
had called up"
Well, Aunt Alice, l didn't mean any
harm; and you know everybody makes
mistakes once in while"
g But you make mistakes great deal
oftener than other people do, Shall
give some other instances of your moi
setting watch on your lips?"
elf you like"
Don't be sulky about it. am crue,
only to be kind When we were told
the other evening that Miss Collins had
smallpox, you Immediately declared thai
if you were in her place you would
rather die at once than get well and be {
fright all the rest of your life. 1t was
too dark on the porch to see the expires
sion on Miss Adger's deeply-scarreG
face, but | remember that lady's mex
remark was: l can't endure pert chill
dren."
You can't expect me to see in the
dark" muttered Nellie.
ono; but you ought to have remem
bcred Miss Adgers presence. And you
have not darkness for an excuse for VIVA
you said Yesterday before Miss Pratt