The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-16
Fretful Ellen.

d SWEEP, laughing mouth, ana ner name
was Ellen but am sorry to add, she
was sometimes called "fretful Ellen. "
She had great many trials. | sup
pose that was the reason she had become
fretful so early in life. If she went to
walk, it was too warm, or the wind was
too cold. She found the potatoes too
hot for breakfast, and mamma would not
allow her to drink coffee If she was left
alone with her little brother Archie, he
was certain to pull her hair or tear her
book. At school she complained very
often to the teacher that some one was
plnchlng her; but the worst trial of all was
brother Tom. He had hateful red
book, and every time she cried or whined
he would take it out and write down
something like this:
800 A. M. Ellen cried because her
boots buttoned hard
$3.50. Ellen cried because there were
no sponge cakes for lunch"
One day there were twenty-seven such
entries, every one of which Tom read
aloud at tea. You can see she had a
very trying life, and things seemed to get
worse as she grew older.
One warm day in early summer, after
an unusual number of trials, the climax
was reached when she found there were
no strawberries for tea. She made every
one so uncomfortable that she was sent
away to stay In her own room. Ellen
sat down by the window where she could
look into the pleasant little yard and see
the tulips and syringas. She saw some
robins flying about the maple tree, and
the cat crawling under the bushes look
ing as contented as possible. She won
dered why everything looked SO happy
when she was so miserable.
Suddenly everything in the yard
seemed to change in a most astonishing
manner, and the queerest looking old
man, with his face puckered up into a
scowl, came walking on the piazza roof
toward her.
When he spoke, his voice was crosser
than the crossest child's you ever heard.
How do you like my country" he
said.
II don't know" replied Ellen
"Where am 2"
In the Fretful Land" said the scowl-
ing man. Here you will see all the
cross and discontinued people and things.
Those tulips over there in the corner
with their heads bent down and covered
with dust did not like to bloom so early
In the season, so we brought them here
where nothing blooms. That rough
looking robin, with his head under his
wing, would not sing because his song
was not SO sweet as a canary's. Nothing
sings here"
But what is the matter with that
tree p interrupted Ellen.
THAT" said the man, that is a
maple tree that was discontinued because
it could not bear acorns like an oak"
What does all that cat?' said Ellen,
forgetting her fright in her curiosity
1t does nothing but stand there and
growl, looking as if its fur had been
rubbed the wrong way ?"
All cats look SO in Fretful Land, u
said the queer man. Would you like
to see how little girls look?' Quick as
a wink he drew little mirror out Of his
pocket and held it up before her. She
saw her own face so twisted up in an
ugly frown that it looked like the queer
mans and try as hard as she could, she
could not make it straight.
ooh y she cried, will it always look
SOP"
"Of course; you are in the Fretful
Land now"
" But don't want to stay here, cried
Ellen.
That makes no difference" said the
cross voice; 1T is the only place for
you"
Ellen started up in horror, thinking
she would run away from the dreadful
country. AS she did So th-re was a
great crash which made her open her
eyes to find that the cross man was gone
and she was in her own room with her
chair tipped over at her feet. 1t was
dark, and the moonbeams were stealing
across the carpet. Before she conld
realize what had happened her mother
came in exclaiming, What a noise You
must have fallen out Of your chair. You
have been sleeping so soundly that 1 did
not like to disturb you"
" 1 tried.to getaway from Fretful Land
and my chair tipped over" said Ellen
still rubbing her eyes.