MEDDLESOME MATTY.
One ugly trick has often spoiledThe sweetest and the best;Matilda, though a pleasant child,One ugly trick possessed,Which, like a cloud before the skiesHid all her better qualities.Sometimes she’d lift the tea-pot lid,To peep at what was in it;Or tilt the kettle, if you didBut turn your back a minute.In vain you told her not to touch,Her trick of meddling grew so much.Her grandmamma went out one day,And by mistake she laidHer spectacles, and snuff-box gayToo near the little maid;“Ah! well,” thought she, “I’ll try them on,As soon as grandmamma is gone.”Forthwith she placed upon her noseThe glasses large and wide;And looking round, as I suppose,The snuff-box, too, she spied:“Oh! what a pretty box is that;I’ll open it,” said little Matt.“I know that grandmamma would say,‘Don’t meddle with it, dear;’But, then, she’s far enough away,And no one else is near:Besides, what can there be amissIn opening such a box as this?”So thumb and finger went to workTo move the stubborn lid,And presently a mighty jerkThe mighty mischief did;For all at once, ah! woeful case,The snuff came puffing in her face.Poor eyes and nose, and mouth beside,A dismal sight presented;In vain, as bitterly she cried,Her folly she repented.In vain she ran about for ease;She could do nothing now but sneeze.She dashed the spectacles away,To wipe her tingling eyes,And as in twenty bits they lay,Her grandmamma she spies.“Hey-day! and what’s the matter now?”Says grandmamma, with lifted brow.Matilda, smarting with the pain,And tingling still, and sore,Made many a promise to refrain,From meddling any more.And ’tis a fact, as I have heard,She ever since has kept her word.
One ugly trick has often spoiledThe sweetest and the best;Matilda, though a pleasant child,One ugly trick possessed,Which, like a cloud before the skiesHid all her better qualities.Sometimes she’d lift the tea-pot lid,To peep at what was in it;Or tilt the kettle, if you didBut turn your back a minute.In vain you told her not to touch,Her trick of meddling grew so much.Her grandmamma went out one day,And by mistake she laidHer spectacles, and snuff-box gayToo near the little maid;“Ah! well,” thought she, “I’ll try them on,As soon as grandmamma is gone.”Forthwith she placed upon her noseThe glasses large and wide;And looking round, as I suppose,The snuff-box, too, she spied:“Oh! what a pretty box is that;I’ll open it,” said little Matt.“I know that grandmamma would say,‘Don’t meddle with it, dear;’But, then, she’s far enough away,And no one else is near:Besides, what can there be amissIn opening such a box as this?”So thumb and finger went to workTo move the stubborn lid,And presently a mighty jerkThe mighty mischief did;For all at once, ah! woeful case,The snuff came puffing in her face.Poor eyes and nose, and mouth beside,A dismal sight presented;In vain, as bitterly she cried,Her folly she repented.In vain she ran about for ease;She could do nothing now but sneeze.She dashed the spectacles away,To wipe her tingling eyes,And as in twenty bits they lay,Her grandmamma she spies.“Hey-day! and what’s the matter now?”Says grandmamma, with lifted brow.Matilda, smarting with the pain,And tingling still, and sore,Made many a promise to refrain,From meddling any more.And ’tis a fact, as I have heard,She ever since has kept her word.
One ugly trick has often spoiledThe sweetest and the best;Matilda, though a pleasant child,One ugly trick possessed,Which, like a cloud before the skiesHid all her better qualities.
One ugly trick has often spoiled
The sweetest and the best;
Matilda, though a pleasant child,
One ugly trick possessed,
Which, like a cloud before the skies
Hid all her better qualities.
Sometimes she’d lift the tea-pot lid,To peep at what was in it;Or tilt the kettle, if you didBut turn your back a minute.In vain you told her not to touch,Her trick of meddling grew so much.
Sometimes she’d lift the tea-pot lid,
To peep at what was in it;
Or tilt the kettle, if you did
But turn your back a minute.
In vain you told her not to touch,
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
Her grandmamma went out one day,And by mistake she laidHer spectacles, and snuff-box gayToo near the little maid;“Ah! well,” thought she, “I’ll try them on,As soon as grandmamma is gone.”
Her grandmamma went out one day,
And by mistake she laid
Her spectacles, and snuff-box gay
Too near the little maid;
“Ah! well,” thought she, “I’ll try them on,
As soon as grandmamma is gone.”
Forthwith she placed upon her noseThe glasses large and wide;And looking round, as I suppose,The snuff-box, too, she spied:“Oh! what a pretty box is that;I’ll open it,” said little Matt.
Forthwith she placed upon her nose
The glasses large and wide;
And looking round, as I suppose,
The snuff-box, too, she spied:
“Oh! what a pretty box is that;
I’ll open it,” said little Matt.
“I know that grandmamma would say,‘Don’t meddle with it, dear;’But, then, she’s far enough away,And no one else is near:Besides, what can there be amissIn opening such a box as this?”
“I know that grandmamma would say,
‘Don’t meddle with it, dear;’
But, then, she’s far enough away,
And no one else is near:
Besides, what can there be amiss
In opening such a box as this?”
So thumb and finger went to workTo move the stubborn lid,And presently a mighty jerkThe mighty mischief did;For all at once, ah! woeful case,The snuff came puffing in her face.
So thumb and finger went to work
To move the stubborn lid,
And presently a mighty jerk
The mighty mischief did;
For all at once, ah! woeful case,
The snuff came puffing in her face.
Poor eyes and nose, and mouth beside,A dismal sight presented;In vain, as bitterly she cried,Her folly she repented.In vain she ran about for ease;She could do nothing now but sneeze.
Poor eyes and nose, and mouth beside,
A dismal sight presented;
In vain, as bitterly she cried,
Her folly she repented.
In vain she ran about for ease;
She could do nothing now but sneeze.
She dashed the spectacles away,To wipe her tingling eyes,And as in twenty bits they lay,Her grandmamma she spies.“Hey-day! and what’s the matter now?”Says grandmamma, with lifted brow.
She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes,
And as in twenty bits they lay,
Her grandmamma she spies.
“Hey-day! and what’s the matter now?”
Says grandmamma, with lifted brow.
Matilda, smarting with the pain,And tingling still, and sore,Made many a promise to refrain,From meddling any more.And ’tis a fact, as I have heard,She ever since has kept her word.
Matilda, smarting with the pain,
And tingling still, and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain,
From meddling any more.
And ’tis a fact, as I have heard,
She ever since has kept her word.
—Ann Taylor.