The Little Girl Who Was Taught by Experience   By: Anonymous

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BOSTON. BOWLES AND DEARBORN, 72 WASHINGTON STREET.

Isaac. R. Butts and Co. Printers. 1827.

District of Massachusetts, to wit :

District Clerk's Office.

Be it remembered, that on the nineteenth day of June, A.D. 1827, in the fifty first year of the Independence of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Bowles and Dearborn of the said district, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit : "THE LITTLE GIRL, WHO WAS TAUGHT BY EXPERIENCE."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to an act entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled, an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints."

JNO. W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts .

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS TAUGHT BY EXPERIENCE.

Little Lucy's mother had died when she was a very small child; this was a great misfortune to Lucy, for her mother loved her very tenderly, and she would have taken the trouble to tell her what she did wrong, and when she felt wrong, and would have taught her to correct all her faults; she would have taught her that happiness could not dwell in her heart, while she permitted wicked passions to rise up and grow strong there, any more than the beautiful flowers which she planted in her little garden bed, could thrive and bloom when she allowed all the rank weeds which sprang up with them, to become strong and remain there to choke them: wicked passions like troublesome weeds, grow very fast, and they soon root out all the mild, gentle virtues which are just budding into beauty, if we do not take great pains to check them, and pluck them out of our hearts.

Lucy's mother would have taught her all this, for she saw these evils were already springing up to destroy the lovely blossom of virtue in her young bosom; but she died, and Lucy was left to the care of a most indulgent father; he did not like to correct his little girl, for he only saw her when his busy day was over, and then he wished to gratify all her desires, to fondle over her and play with her and bless her while he thought of her dear mother whom he had lost; he did not see her faults the little time he was with her, the servants did not like to tell him of them, and poor Lucy was growing up a vain , selfish, self willed, prying little girl, with an obstinate temper which could bear no contradiction.