The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-22
MEDDLES0ME M0LLIE.

mischievous fingers were not very soon
concerned in it too.
She was, in most things, a 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 Disobedence
came with it, for she was often led into
meddling with things her mother had
forbidden her to touch. Then, 10 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. Noble would
promise to give M his bad habit, but
forget all her good resolutions at sight
Of the first thing which seemed in any
way to be hidden from her. She could
not rest till II was found out, and her
mother began to fear it would take some
very severe lesson 10 cure her. And
she was not sorry when the little las
sic got herself into scrape which was
so ridiculou. and 50 Notifying that she
began 10 think that the best work in the
world for little girls is minding their
own business.
One Saturday morning her mother,
before going ont, suggested to MolIie
that, Is she was going visiting in the
afternoon, il would be well 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 he the new sash mother
promised me am 10 wear il this al
tcrnoon What beautyr'
She looked with delight at the lovely
pale blue, with It's delicate brocadng Of
moss rosebuds She tried it on, making
a very poor attempt at a 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 g ease Of per-
fumery. She put some f ON each bottle
on her handkerchief, and set them
loosely on the bureau, nc troubling her
self 10 put them back in Che case.
Then she took up II bottle that stood
behind the glass, and, pulling out the
cork, took a good smell. 1t almost
knocked her down. and made the tears
run from her eyes, for twas 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, aud ran under the beautiful sash.
She gazed in dismay as soon as she
could see anything. She carried it 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
q bottle she had never seen before
"Hair-oil" 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 it
in well. II did not make her hair quite
SO soft and shiny as she expected it
would. but she forgot this for a while
as she went to look if 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 it back in her
mothers drawer, then went 10 her
own room, for she did not feel like see
inc her Just then.
Dinner-time came. The bell rang and
rang again, but no Mollie appeared.
Her mother sent a servant to her room
10 desire she would come down at once
And soon at the dining-room door APP
peared a forlorn figure with woeful face
and tear-swollen eyes, and-SHcb hair.
What's the matter with your hair,
my child2' cried her mother, in aston.
ishment and alarm
"Gr-r-r-raciousw exclaimed her elder
brother,
whillikins" shouted her young
est brother.
No wonder Her hair hung in stiN
strings and sticks, looking as II it were
made of split shingles.
"What have you been doing TO your
self?" asked mamma.
III 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
and showed tit was bottle Of pre-
pared glue.
The boys gave great shout of laugh
ter, and thought it 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 off so
close that Mollie thought herself per-
feet fright. But every time she looked
in the glass. and very often besides, She
that it was her ugly trick
Of meddling that had caused her SO
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 of
others is a sneak, and SNEAK is the
meanest word in the English language.
Don't you think so?
Clo,n;ebnooo Ia iho Lavish rnftirnnq