Foolish Fears
Mary Charlotte had a silly habit of screaming when she saw a spider, anearwig, a beetle, a moth, or any kind of insect; and the sound of amouse behind the wainscot of the room made her suppose she should diewith fright. The persons with whom she lived used to pity her for beingafraid, and that made her fond of the silly trick, so that she becameworse daily, and kept the house in a constant tumult and uproar: for shewould make as much noise about the approach of a poor insect not muchlarger than the head of a pin, as if she had seen half a dozen hungrywolves coming with open jaws to devour her.
Mary Charlotte was once asked by Mrs. Wilson, a very good lady, to gowith her into the country, and Mary was much pleased at the thought ofgoing to a house where there was a charming garden and plenty of nicefruit. But the country is a sad place for people who encourage suchfoolish fears, because one cannot walk in a garden or field withoutseeing numbers of harmless insects.
Mrs. Wilson, with her coach full of guests, arrived at her country-housejust before dinner, and as soon as that meal was over, Mary begged leaveto go out into the shrubbery. It was a charming place, and Mary wasquite delighted with the clusters of roses and all the sweet-smellingshrubs and flowers that seemed to perfume the air. But as she wastripping along, behold on a sudden a frog hopped across the path. It wasout of sight in a moment, yet Mary could go no farther; she stood stilland shrieked with terror. At the same instant she saw a slug creepingupon her frock, and she now screamed in such a frantic manner that hercries reached the house. The company rushed out of the dining parlour,and the servants out of the kitchen. Mrs. Wilson was foremost, and inher haste to see what was the matter, she stumbled over a stone, andfell with such violence against a tree, that it cut her head dreadfully;she was covered with a stream of blood, and was taken up for dead.
It was soon known that the sight of a frog and a slug was all thatailed Miss Mary, and then how angrily and scornfully did every one lookat her, to think that her folly had been the cause of such a terribledisaster. Mary Charlotte had not a bad heart, and when she heard Mrs.Wilson's groans of pain while the doctors were dressing her wounds, shewept bitterly, and sorely repented her silly unmeaning fears.
Mrs. Wilson was in great danger for many days, and Mary crept about thehouse in the most forlorn manner, for no one took any notice of her, andshe dared not go out in the garden, for fear still of meeting some mightymonster of a snail, or something equally alarming. At length Mrs. Wilsongrew better, and then she sent for Mary to her room, and talked to hervery kindly and very wisely on the folly of fearing things which had notthe power to hurt her, and which were still more afraid of her than shecould be of them--and with reason, since she was stronger, and had farmore power to hurt and give pain than a thousand frogs or mice had.
Mary promised that she would try to get the better of her fault, and shesoon proved that her promise was sincere.
One day she was with Mrs. Wilson in her chamber, and this good lady,being fatigued and sleepy, gave Mary a book of pretty stories to diverther, and begged the little girl would make no noise while she slept.Mrs. Wilson lay down on the bed, and Mary sat on a stool at some littledistance. All was as still as possible. After some time, as Mary chancedto lift her eyes from her book, she saw not far from her a spider, whowas spinning his web up and down from the ceiling. She was just going toscream, when she thought of the mischief she had already done to Mrs.Wilson, and she forbore. At the same moment, as she turned her head tothe other side, a little gray mouse sat on the table, nibbling somecrumbs of sweet cake that had been left there. Mary now trembled fromhead to foot, but she had so much power over herself that she neithermoved nor cried out. This effort, though it cost her some pain at first,did her good, for in a minute or two she left off trembling. Her fearwent away by degrees, and then she could observe and wonder at thecurious manner in which the spider spun long lines of thread out of itsown mouth, and made them fast to each other and the wall just as hepleased; and could also admire the sleek coat and bright eyes of thelittle gray mouse on the table. Mary's book slipped from her lap, and asshe stooped to catch it, that it might not fall on the floor, she wasseen by the two visitors, who instantly fled away to their retreats inthe greatest fright possible. Neither spider nor gray mouse appearedagain that day; and ever after Mary Charlotte had courage and prudence,and took care not to do mischief to others, nor deprive herself ofpleasure, by the indulgence of foolish fears.