Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-12

W and she was the merriest little
girl you ever saw. Fun twinkled
in her bright eyes, mirth dimpled in
the corners of her mouth, and wher-
ever she might be gay laughter or chat
ter or song could always be heard
Now, this made Margery delight
full child to have around the house,
and it was all very well at home, for
she had a most indulgent pair of par
ents and a doting grandmother These
three people, and Bridget, the cook
as well, were amused by Margery's
pranl1s and delighted with her funny
| speeches. But at school it was diff
ferent.
Margery didn't really mean to be
naughty; indeed, she wasn't a naughty
child, but she was so full of mischief
and so bubbling over with good ma
tured fun that it just seemed as if she
couldn't obey the rules.
During the morning exercises, when
the children were expected to be es-
pecially quiet and attentive, Margery
was almost sure to see something fun
ny. 1t might be only a fly trying to
stand on his head, or a smudge of
crayon on the teachers nose, but
whatever it was she would fall to
| giggling and so contagious was her
laugh that the others would join in
without knowing or caring what the
joke might be. This made Miss Foster
great deal of trouble, and sometimes,
|
Margery up in the corner.
But so good natured was the little
girl that she didn't mind that a bit, and
she stood there contentedly enough and
smiling as usual. Then if Miss Foster
| told her to turn her face to the wall
she willingly did so, but in that case
she would think of such funny things
that her little shoulders would shake
with mirth, and the whole class would
begin to laugh again. Sometimes Miss
Foster would keep Margery after
school and talk with her kindly about
her department.
And Margery, who really loved the
teacher, would say: "Oh, dear Miss
Foster, do try to be good, but I see
something funny and then I have to
laugh, and all my goodness tumbles
head over heels!"
But, Margery," said Miss Foster,
"it isn't only that you see funny
things. You also cut up mischievous
pranks on the other children. This
morning you pulled Nellie Parkers
hair during roll call and then you hid
Walter Reeds slate pencil
"Yes'm I know 1 did," said Mar
gerry, contritely "and I'm sorry, but
Nellie looked so stiff and prim / just
had to stir her up, and Walter is such
so I wanted to see what he'd do when
he couldn't find his pencil
"And what they did was to make
great deal of trouble for me-" said
Miss Foster, "and it was really all
your fault"
ut was" said Margery, kissing her
kind teacher, land truly 1 won't ever
do it again" And she didn't do either
of those two particular bits of. mis-
chief again, but on the whole she was
very much the same irrepressible little
girl, and continued to keep the class in
turmoil and herself in disgrace
At last Miss Foster, quite at her
wits end, was obliged to go to see Mar
gery's parents about the matter. That
was one evening after Margery had
gone to bed The next morning after
breakfast Margery's papa led her into
the library and taking her on his knee,
began to tell her what Miss Foster had
told him.
"I know it, papa" said Margery,
land I'm awfully sorry, but l can't
seem to behave myself proper in
school"
$50 it seems" said her father "and
that is why 1 am going to help you
Whenever you have troubles you Will
find that it is wise to tell your par
ents about them and ten times out OF
nine they'll fix things all right for
YOU"
"Oh, papa, can you really help me to
be a good girl in school? For truly
want to be, but forget"
"Listen, my daughter and think
minute. How many pupils are in your
class? ?"
Twenty -four"
"Well. suppose each Of those twenty
four were like you and laughed and
chartered and played tricks ON one
another every day, what would Miss
Foster do?"
II guess she'd go crazy"
81 think she would Now you've no
more right to do these things than the
lnther tMenty-three, and as you're quito