The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-08-04
MEDDLEsOME MOLLIE.

poA, uuhuiO, poiCoas pssShoSos W bcttcTs
but what her prying eyes were at once
concerned In. And it was well II her
mischievous fingers were not very soon
concerned in it too.
She was. in most things, q very good
little girl. but it is really surprising to
see how many grave faults will spring
from habit which. perhaps, might not
be called sinful in itself Disobedience
came with il. for she was often led into
meddling with things her mother had
forbidden her to touch. Then, to hide
what she had been doing. she would
sometimes be tempted to tell lie.
Her mother often talked to her about
the meanness Of trying to spy into the
affairs Of other people. Mollie would
promise to give up this bad habit, but
forget all her good resolutions at sight
of tho first thing which seemed in any
way to be hidden from her. She could
not rest till it was found out, and her
mother began to fear it would take some
very severe lesson to cure her. And
she was not sorry when the little las
sic got herself into scrape which was
SO ridiculous and so notifying that she
began to think that the best work in the
world for little girls is minding their
own business.
One Saturday morning her mother,
before going out, suggested to Mollie
that, as she was going visiting in the
afternoon. it would be we'll for her TO do
her practising and weed her little gar
den in the morning. Miss Molly did not
feel in mood for work, and wandered
idly into her mothers room. She OPEN
ed the upper drawer of the bureau.
"Ah" she exclaimed, in great pleas
ure, THAT must be- the new sash mother
promised me. am to wear it this At
ternoon. What beautyr'
She looked with delight at the lovely
pale blue, with its delicate brocading Of
moss rosebuds. She tried it on, making
a very poor attempt at big bow at the
back. and tried to get view of it in
the glass Not succeeding very well.
she laid the sash on the bureau, and
turned her attention to a case of per-
fumery. She put some from each bottle
on her handkerchief, and set them
loosely on the bureau, not troubling her
self to put them back in the case.
Then she took up bottle that stood
behind the glass, and, pulling out the
cork, took a good smell. It almost
knocked her down, and made the tears
run from her eyes, for it was the strong
est ammonia. Hastily setting it down,
she knocked over two of the perfume
bottles, and alas! they broke on the
marble slab, and the perfume splashed
over, and ran under the beautiful sash.
She gazed in dismay as soon as she
could see anything. She carried IL to
the window and hung it in the sunshine
to dry-then tried to clean up things on
the bureau. While doing this she spied
bottle she had never seen before.
"Hair-oilr' she said to herself. "Now
I can put some on my hair. Mamma
never lets me have anyhow I'll have
plenty"
She did take plenty. She was proud
of her hair. 1t was long and wavy and
glossy. She daubed and smeared the
oil over it without stint and rubbed 1t
in well. 1t did not make her hair quito
so soft and shiny rs she expected it
would. but she forgot this for a while
as she went to look II the sash were dry.
1t was, but il was sad to see the streaks
and blotches where the crimson and
green of the rosebuds had run" into
the pale blue ground.
She folded and laid 1t back in her
mothers drawer, then went to her
own room, for she did not feel like see
ing her just then.
Dinner-time came The bell rang and
rang again, but no MOllie appeared.
Her mother sent servant to her room
to desire she would come down at once.
| And soon at the dining-room door ap-
peared fOrlorn figure with wOeful face
and tear-swollen eyes, and-Such hair.
What's the matter with your hair.
my child?" cried her mother, in aston
ishment and alarm.
"Gr-r-r-racious!' exclaimed her elder
brother.
"Je-whillikinsr' shouted her young
| est brother.
No wonder. Her hair hung In stiff
strings and sticks, looking as If Il were
made of split shingles.
what nave you been doing to your
self" asked mamma.
IL oiled it with the hair-oil on
| your bureau, mamma"
II have no hair-oil. Go and bring
what you have been using" She came
| anu SnOWcu I'LL WAS potio VA P'0
pared glue.
The boys gave a great shout Of laugh:
ter, and thought 1t the best joke they had
ever heard. But mamma took her poor
little girl to her room and talked long
and lovingly with her.
The pretty hair was all cut eli SC
close that Mollie thought herself per.
feet fright But every time she looked
in the glass. and very often besides, she
remembered that 1t was her ugly trick
of mcddling that had caused her Sc
much shame and vexatiOn, and made
up her mind she would persevere In
curing herself of such an odious fault.
Whoever NEEDLES in the affairs o.
. others is sneak, and ''sneak" Is the
meanest word in the English language
| Don't Won think so?