Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-02-15
Miss Edith's Modest Requets.


Ny Papa knows you, and he says you're man
who makes reading for books;
But never read nothing you wrote, nor did
Papa-I know by his looks.
So guess you're like me when talk, and
talk, and talk all the day,
And they only say: "Do stop that child :" OF
"Nurse! take Miss Edith away"
But Papa said il 1 was good could ask you
alone by myself
II you wouldn't write me book like this little
one up on the shelf.
l don't mean the pictures, of course, for to
make them you've got to be smart
But the reading that iuns all around them,
know-just the easiest part.
You needn't mind what it's about, for no one
will see it but me
And Jane-that's my nurse-and John-he's
the coachman-just only us three.
You're to write of bad little girl, that was
wicked and bold and all that
And then You are to write, il you please, some
thing good-very good-of a cat!
This cat she was vi,tuous and meek, and kind
And careful and neat in her ways, though her
mistress was such bad child;
And hours she would sit and would gaze when
her mistress-thats me-was go bad,
And blink, just as if she would say "Oh,
Edith, you make my heart sad
And yet you would scarcely believe it, that
beautiful, angelic cat
Was blamed by the servants for stealing what
eve~, they said, she'd get at.
And when John drank my mi k-don't you tel
me! l know just the way it was done
They said twas the cst-and she tting and
washing her face in the sun
And then there was Dick, my canary When 1
left its cage open one day,
They all made believe that she ate it, though
know that the bird flew away.
And why? Just because she was paying with
feather she found on the floor.
AS if cats couldn't play with feather without
people thinking twas more
Why, once we were romping together, when I
knocked down vase from the shelf.
That cat was as grieved and distressed IS if
she had done it herself;
And she walked away sadly and Lid herself,
and never came out till tea
So they say, for they sent me to bed and she
never came even to me.
No matter whatever happened, it was laid at
the door of that cat,
Why once when tore my apron-she was
wrapped in it, and called "Rat =
Why, they blamed that on her. 1 shall never
no, not to my dying day
Forget the panied look that she gave mo when
they slapped me- and took me away.
or course, you know just what comes next
when child is as lovely as that.
She WASTED quite slowly away-it was good
ness was killing the cat
/ know it was nothing she ate, for her tas e
was exceedingly nice
But they said she stole Bobby's ice cream, and
caught a bad cold from the ice.
And you'll promise to make me book like
that ittleo one up on the shelf,
AMI you'll call her Naomi" because it's q
name that she just gave herself;
For she d scratch at my door in the morning,
and whenever I'd call out: "Who's
theTe?"
She would answer "Naomi Naomi" like a
Christian, l VOW and declare.
And you'll put me aud her in book And
mind, you're to say was bad
And I might have been Bladder than that but
for the example had /;
And you'll say that she was a Maltese, ant
what's that you ask? 'Is she dead p
Why, please sir, there amt no cat? You're tc
make one up out of your head
Bret Hdrte IN The independent