The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-27
Gnr he Ghilher.
Poor Little Me.

his was Nanny fOsDro0ReS pet name
with her own family. 1t came from one
day when she was little girl of six, and
they all had to rouse at five in the morn
ing to take an early train for the country.
1t is never pleasant to be walked before
you are ready. None of the children en-.
joyed it but Nanny liked it least of all,
and she was so exceedingly sorry for her
self that ii made every one laugh.
"Poor little me I'm so sleepy" she
kept saying. "Poor little me wish |
could go to bed again." Always from
that day Jack and Gill, her brother and
sister, leased her about it; even papa and
mamma would at times call her Poor
Little Me-" for there was good deal in
Nanny's ways and habits to remind them
of the name.
She was really healthy, happy child,
with nothing to trouble her beyond the
occasional Interruptions and vexstions
which all children and grown people must
have. But she had this twist in her tenn
per, which otherwise was a good one
the tendency to feel injured. She was
always plying herself, and suspecting or
inventing reasons why she ought to be
pitied. Gill, whose real name was the
old-fashioned English Gillian, used to say
that Nanny was never 80 unhappy as when
she couldn't find anything to be unhappy
about; and there was grain of truth in
the remark.
Here is one of Nanny's days as speci-
men of the rest. She woke up feeling
unusually happy, for she had slept we'll (;
and sound rest almost always ensures q
cheerful waking. She looked about the
pretty room which she had to herself.
and there was something to be glad and
thankful for from the first moment, for
some girls do not have pretty rooms to
themselves. The sun shone in at the
blinds, and cast dancing yellow lights on
the wall it was going to be beautiful
day.
Alas before Nanny was half. dressed
her comb flew out of her fingers, as she
was busy at her hair, dropped heavily on
the floor, and broke in two. 1t was q
new one of ivory, and Nanny valued it.
"There !" she said, "that's all because
Gill borrowed my black one, and forgot
to bring it back. ] do wish she would
leave my things alone" She seized her
dress, and, whisking the skirt over her
head, caught it on a nail and tore it.
Here was fresh misfortune, for tn Q
household rule was that whoever tore
dresses must mend them.
"Poor little me" thought Nanny.
There goes whole hour out of my half.
holiday, and shan't have time to half
learn my French. Mr.. LIE Dernier will
give me an imperfect mark, and Emily
Allen will get ahead, and l shall miss the
prize at examination. Oh dear oh dear
how unfortunate l am wish mother
wouldn't make such rules; none of the
other girls mothers do. Mrs. Allen al.
ways mends Emily's things for her. 1t
isn't bit fair"
She put on another dress while these
thoughts ran through her mind, and now
she knelt down to say her prayers. 1t
was habit. Nanny would have felt it
strange and wrong to 60 down to break
fast without prayer; but all the time
that one.half of her mind was saying
"Our Father" the other half had strayed
away from the solemn words, and was
busy with thoughts of the torn dress and
the hardship of having to mend it. And
what a sad thing and loss this divided
attention was to Nanny If she had
fixed her mind, and had asked God
earnestly and simply to make her patient
and good, and equal to whatever little
trials might be coming to her, how much
happier her day might have been.
She was little late in getting down
stairs, and received reproof in conse-
quence. 1t was gentle one, but Nanny
took it urgently. She shrugged her
shoulders, pouted, and looked so sullen
that her father noticed it, and said
sharply, "Ask your mothers pardon,
Nanny. and don't let me see you so late
again"
In another minute, just as Nanny
mumbled her apology, Gill came in, also
late. She, too, had reproof, more severe
than Nanny's, because her mother was
already vexed but she took it so sweetly
and said, "Pm very sorry, mamma. !
didn't mean to be late, but forgot to
wind my watch last night" in such an
apologize tone, that both father and
mother smiled on her. And Nanny
thought, "There, that is always the way
Gill was later than l, but nobody was
angry with her Bit" Nanny was quite
unconscious of the effect of her own
manner upon the manners of other people
After breakfast Nanny confessed the
torn dress ; but instead of bidding her &c
and mend it, Mrs. Fosbrooke said kindly
81 am sorry, dear but for this once Anne
shall mend it for you, because know you
are working hard for the French exam
nation" So all Nanny's resentful feel
ings were needless, and if she had only
waited patiently she need not have had
them at all.
However, by this time her mood had
grown so contrary that even this un-
expected good fortune could not lift her
out Of it. At dinner, as it happened
Jack helped himself to the orange on
which she had fixed her affections, and
Nanny thought, "That's the way it al
ways is " and felt vexed.
Mamma sent her on an errand, and she
thereby missed visit from Emily Allen
That was another wrong. Her canary
got out of his cage, and she was a long
time catching it. That was another
wrong. Somehow Nanny was sure that il
was ellis fault, though Gill stoutly de.