Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-20

been tried all the afternoon, was moved
to say now the most unkind and cutting
thing she could hink of:
We'll, you needn't go up in the sky.
Zaidee SeldeD. But now I'm going to
tell you what my uncle Horace said
about your aunt Fanny. Yes, am. He
said she had human nose
Jessie meant Roman; but it was all
the same to Zsidee. A word against her
best friends nose was more than she
have been such happy one, ended, at
last, in a quarrel. --...
why, what has happenedp exclaimed
Mrs. Selden. when Zaidee rushed home
| long before tea-time, looking wildly
unhappy.
o mammal replied the little girl,
almost sobbing from excitement, 'Jessie's
very disagreeable; and besides she
Knocked me down
Mrs. Selden looked very much sur
prised.
1t doesn't seem possible said she. 4
never heard of Jessie's behaving like
that. What had you done to make her
angry|
'Ob, it was she that made me angry,
talking about aunt Fanny's bracelet,
and aunt Fanny's human nosep
Mamma let her work fall in her lap,
and laughed and laughed.
a human nose is tbs very incest in
the world said she at last. But Jessie
didn't knock you down for that?'
Nom and Zaidee bowed her head
very low in shame. Nom; knocked
her down first
Then it was all out. Zaidee had been
known it all the while, though she had
tried to make herself believe it was
Jessie.
sorry it sheuld have happened said
Mrs. Selden, gazing sadly at her dear.
wretched, wayward little daughter
And to have it happen just as the beau
tiful Christmas is coming. when every
body ought to be glad and happy What
kind of Christmas day is it going to be
for my poor little Zaidee?'
% mamma, l wish l hadn't been
naughty | wish could take it all back
| haven't acted SO since l was a little,
little girlp said the child, throwing her
self weeping into her mothers arms.
Cant ever, ever take it backY
Yes; you can ask Jessie to forgive
you
o mamma, mamma, mamma! Jessie
was bad herselfl If l ask her TO forgive
me she will think she was good! And,
oh, she wasn't good! She was almost
half as bad as Ip
Mrs. Selden said no more, but wisely
left her little daughter by herself to
think.
At supper-time Zaidee's eyes were still
pink from weeping; but her face looked
serene, and the smiles were playing
about her mouth, The truth was, she
had written letter to Jessie. 1t was
very neatly done in violet ink, and she
had put in the left-hand corner of the
envelope, Kindness of Zaidee,' thinking
person who took the letter was Nancy,
the cook. And she laughed to think she
called herself kindl
The letter was short:
MY AFFECsHIoNATE FRIEND:
am very sorry 'nockt you down
first. will forgive you if you will for
give me. Yours respectfully, Z.S S.
This was all Jessie needed to make
her happy, for she had the tenderest lit
tie heart in all the world.
She wrote in reply, L forgive you
And in the left-hand corner of her en-
velope wer the words, Kindness of Jes
sie;' for she supposed that must be the
proper thing, and she never allowed
Zaidee to be more fashionable than her
self if she could possibly help it.
And, indeed, there teas Kindness now
in the hearts of both little girls, and sim
cere repentance too for their foolish, bad
behavior. The angel with pearly wing
had come back again the unhappy little
breeze had blown over; and in three
nights and two days Zaidee and Jessie
were enjoying the merriest Christmas
that ever dawned in Boston town.
Sophie May, in Wide Awake for De-
cember.