Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1875 — Our Young Folks. [ARTICLE]

Our Young Folks.

MAKING THINGS BEAUTIFUL. just lot*, Mamie Bernard, lost look at her face;” and Bell Btevens held the “ fright” quite out at arm’s length with a con. temptuous toss of her frizzled head and s contemptuous look in her eyes. Marsie looked up for an instant and then down at the ribbon she was twining through her fingers, wondering as she twined it. how a doll with wax cheeks and .flossy hair that would comb could be a fright, and wondering if she would ever have a doll with such wonderful dresses, all flounced and frilled, such cunning hats and stockingMuid shoes; and thinking of the homely fag baby, Jessamine, which she had so fondly sung asleep before she came away ana tucked Snugly in the cradle in the comer.

“The girls have such sweet dolls,” continued Bell, partly to herself, “ and as to clothes! deary me, I am just ashamed for anybody to see these frights,” and she threw the abused doll down at her side greatly risking its head altogether, and turned again to Marsie: “ What kind of dolls are yours at home? Are they very fine?” “I only have one,” said Marsie, softly. “ It is a grand one then. I suppose. I’d rather have one and have it just the nicest kind, you know, than to have all these frights.” Marsie was still for an instant She would rather not have told Bell Stevens about Jessamine at home; it was very hard to own that her doll was not grand, and was only a rag doll with the plainest kind of clothes. Bell had taken for granted that it was a fine dolly and already was envying it; how easy to say nothing and let her continue to think it fine. But Marsie was too true to deceive; the next instant she was saying: “ Jessamine is only made of rags, and her clothes are not fine at all, but I love her and she is pretty to me.” “ Made of rags! I don’t know how you mean, hut then she has some kind of a fine face?” “ Not nice like your doll’s, for it is only of rags.” “ Now, Marsie Bernard, I most don’t believe you!” “ Mamma made her and I love her,” said Marsie, thinking regretfully of having for a moment been ashamed of her. Bell came and knelt down quite close to Marsie as she sat on the floor, and twining back the long golden curl that had faflen'over her face, stooped to look in the blue eyes and see if they were “telling true.” “Hasn’t she any hats?” continued Bell, “nor shoes to take off? and has she nothing but rag cheeks, with no wax at all ?” She leaned over and picking up the fright she had cast down, began smoothing the rumpled hair as she asked: “Why hasn’t Jessamine fine clothes?” “Mamma has no time to spare; she sews and sews everybody’s things to get mopey for me and Robbie, and then she is too pale and tired to sew for dolls.” “ Hasn’t she one single-flounced frock ?” “ No, none flounced, hut the plain are pretty enough.” Bell was picking up one <3ress and pret§T nick-nack after another and tossing it own again.

“ Flaxy has lots of dresses, and so have all my dolls, only I don’t think them nice. Is Jessamine as big as Flaxy?” “ Almost, I guess; only not so nice, expt to me.” “Flaxy has lots of things. She can spare these,” holding up some pretty dresses and fancy doll fixings. “ I know mamma will not care if I give them to Jessamine. I will run this minute and ask her.” Marsie was too glad when Bell came back to say many words of thanks, but the happiness in her eyes was enough to tell the story. “ But Flaxy is a fright—now don’t you think so, Marsie?” Bell began, again coming back to the original point.” “You have spoiled her a little, but she is sweet, I think.” “ Prettier than Jessamine?” “ Jessamine is only rags, you know, so she cannot be pretty, only to me.” - How can she be pretty to yon?” “ Because I love her, and mamma made her for me.” “ That don’t make her pretty.” “ Mamma says it is our own eyes and hearts that make things ugly or beautiful.” “I don’t believe I know what you mean.” “ Why, don’t you know when you look at Flaxy if you think about the ugly things she will be ugly, but if you think how blue her eyes are, and how pretty her hair, and try to find the pretty things about her, she will he pretty to you? That is what mamma means when she says things are beautiful or ugly as we make them so by our own eyes and hearts.” “I cannot help seeing her nose is stubbed and her face all scratched up.” -*4* No, blit the face is only a little scratched, and the nose a little speck stubbed, and I’d try to forget about that—forget to hunt for the scratches.” “ Oh, I know Ido keep hunting for the scratches. Of course, if I did not look close I could not see them; and, after all, she must be a great deal finer than a doll of rags;” and as Bell, after tying around her a pretty ribbon, held her off once more at arm’s-length, gave her an approving glance, she said very earnestly: “ Marsie, do you know I believe it must make people always happy to be looking only for the beautiful things f'—George Klingle, in Ghriitian Union.