The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-05-26
WIN Nellie scGs not Popular.

VIA Nellie scas not Popular.
"Well, Nellie, what is the matter 2"
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
before her.
"T'm mad !" was the reply.
"Mad? That is distressing. I hope
you don't bite,"
"Oh, of course 1 don't mean that"
said Nellie, turning away from the plct-
ures with an injured air. II am vexed?"
"Then why did you say mad?"
"Oh, you are too particular, Aunt
Alice! What do you think Kate sibley
has done ?"
81 cannot imagine.
cher 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. 1t is just the
way with them all. / do everything
they ask me to do, and they all hate me.
Pll be even with them Thoughtful hate
them too"
And the future misanthrope began to
snif1e andSgse her pocket-handkerchief.
"Don't you think it would be a wiser
plan to make them love you?" asked
Miss Percy, gravely. D
"I can't do it replied a chokey voice
from behind the handkerchief.
ct have tried, but l ca-an't. They
all like Rosa Guignard, who never does
anything for any body, 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 gifted" exclaimed
Nellie, surprised into forgctfulncss of
her wrongs, why, Aunt Alice, she is
away down in all her classes, and you
know she isn't pretty-that is, until you
get used to her."
"But it Is a much rarer git than
either intellect or beauty, that which
Rosa possesses" returned Miss Percy.
Nellie's red-rimmed eyes asked a ques
ton to which Miss Percy replied with
brevity: "Tact."
"Iact? What is that?" asked Nellie
don't know any better difnition o.
the word than one a great novelist has
given: THAT is knowing what not tc
say"
"Don't Iknow what not to say, Aunt
Alice?" asked Nellie, after a short sill
lenee.
No my dear !; I don't think you do
You will take o~fFense, probably, if l give
you a few examples as proofs of this
but as I am in your mothers place this
summer, l shall take the liberty ofspeak'
ing plainly. Do you remember who
were in the company yesterday when
you coolly asserted that a certain reli
gion was nothing bnt 'mummery, and
went en- to observe that, for your part
you looked upon such a religionist as nc
better than u Mohammedan or a Jew p
"There was 80 many-such a roemfu.
that / cannot o Aunt Alice! I dc
remember now! Mademoiselle Durand
was here, and she is a member of that
lchurch. I am sorry!"
"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 your"
ayes; and / wondered what was the
matter. But mademoiselle kissed me. u
eyes, mademoiselle kissed you, al
though the flush had not died out of hel
cheeks which your thoughtless words had
called up"
"Well, Aunt Alice, / didn't mean
any harm and you know everybody
makes mistakes once in a while.
"But you make mistakes a great deal
oftener than other people do. Shall
give I'm other instances of your moi
setting watch on your Iips?"
eff you like"
"Don't be sulky about it. I am 'erueI
only to be kind When We were told
the other evening that Miss Collins had
smallpox, you Immediately declared that
if YOU were in her place you would
rather die at once than get well and be a
fright all the rest of your Life, 1t was
too dark on the porch to see the expires.
sion on Miss Adger's deeply-scarred face,
but l remember that lady's next remark
was Il can't endure pert children"
"You can't expect me to see in the
dark" muttered Nellie,