Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/152

 simple, honest way, not hidin' or coverin' up, nor pretendin' to be what they are not, but jest go on from day to day and from year to year doin' their best, not pretendin' their best is any better than it is, and not pretendin' that it is any worse (which is jest as wrong, though we don't look at it in that light). Not awed by them above 'em in worldly wealth and station, thinkin' how little one really can own in this life, not lookin' down on them beneath 'em in worldly knowledge or wealth, thinkin' how different God looks on different gifts from what we do, and thinkin' mebby he counts wealth of heart more worthy than wealth of intellect. For that very reason havin' no contempt for common people or common things, knowing' well that what we call common He might call oncommon. The beggar mebby with his heart full of prophecy and hope beatin' under his squalid rags, and the king like as not carryin' his poor starved heart to a banquet with his royal robes trailin' about him. We can't see through these rags and robes always, and see what poverty or wealth they cover. So it is best to carry our heads and minds jest as straight and stiddy as we can, and doin' our own duty we will have less time to either look up or down on our poor fellow mortals travelin' along the road with us, we won't have the time to pretend to like them when we don't, to be overjoyed to see 'em when we hain't, but will try to tell the truth with fear and tremblin'."

Sez Tamer Ann, "Would you tell everybody right out blunt what you think of 'em?"

"No," sez I firmly, "no, indeed! that would make the world too curious a place, that would make circuses and shows and curosities too common and frequent in