The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-04-19
JTLU Nellie EdS Not Popular.

your sad disaster"
-Edtrard Lear.
Why Nellie Eas Not Popular.
'sWell, Nellie, what is the matter?"
asked Miss Percy, as she seated herself
IN straw rocker on the piazza, where
Nellie sat, chin in hand, pouting over a
portfolio of prints that lay outspread be-
fore her.
''I'm mad p was the reply.
s'Mad That is distressing. I hope
you don't bite"
60 Oh, of course I don't mean that !''
said Nellie. turning away from the
pictures with an injured air. 81 am
vexedl''
''Then why did you say mad 90
ooh, you are too particular, Aunt
Alice What do you think Kate Sibley
has done %
GO cannot imagine"
&c Her mother gave her leave to invite
three of the girls to go with her to the
picnic in Cedar Greek, and she asked the
Morrisons and Minnie DuBose, and left
me out, though I have worked every
one of her examples ever since we have
been in Denominate Numbers. It is
just the way with them all. do every
thing they ask me to do, and they all
hate me. I'll be even with them,
though-Il hate them, too"
And the future misanthrope began to
sniffie and use her pocket handkerchief
"Don't you think it would be a wiser
plan TO make them love you2" asked Miss
Percy, gravely.
81 can't do it, replied chokey voice
from behind the handkerchief
81 have tried, but I ca-an't They all
like Rosa Grignard, who never does any
thing 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:
ssThe girls all like Rosa on account of
very rare gift which she possesses.
''Rose Guignard gifted !'' 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 pos
sesses," returned Miss Percy.
Nellie's red-rimmed eyes asked ques-
ton, to which Miss Percy replied with
brevity, "Tact."
What Ie tIo4 ,e1-oJ NoJ1.a
81 don't know any better definition oil
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 ST.
lence.
"No, my dear don't think you do.
You will take offense, probably, if ]
give a few examples as proofs of this
but, as 7 am in your mothers place this
summer, [ shall take the liberty of
speaking plainly. Do you remember
who were in the company yesterday when
you coolly asserted that the Roman
Catholic religion was nothing but num-
your part, you looked upon a Romanist
as no better than Mohammedan, or q
Jew?''
"There were so many-such room
ful-that I cannot - Oh, Aunt Alice
[ do remember now Mademoiselle
Durand was here, and she is Roman
list. / am so sorry ~
''And Miss Lyons was here also, and
she is devout Jewess Did you notice
that she kissed Kate Sibley when she
went away, and did not kiss your"
Eyes and L wondered what was the
matter. But mademoiselle kissed me. -
Yes, mademoiselle kissed you, al
though the flush had not died out of her
checks which your thoughtless words
had called up; and thereby showed her
self to be, what Miss Lyons is not, fol-
lower of Him who, 1rhen He scas reUiled,
reviled not again."
''Well, Aunt Alice, I didn't mean any
harm and you know everybody makes
mistakes once in WHILE
But you make such mistakes a great
deal ottener than other people do. Shall
give you some other instances of Won,
not setting watch on your hps?''
If you like"
Don't be sulky about it. I am 'crue
only to be kind When we were tolc
the other evening that Miss Collins hat
smallpox, you Immediately declared thai
If you were in her place you would rath
er die at once than get well and be s
fright all the rest of your life. Tt was
too dark on the porch to see the expires
sion on Miss Adger's deeply SCARED face
but remember that lady's next remarh
was, / can't endure pert children. ="
You can't expect me to see in the
dark, muttered Nellie.
"No: but You ought to have remem
bered Miss Adger's presence And you
have not darkness for an excuse for what
you said yesterday before Miss Pratt
that you believed all red-haired persons
had bad tempers."