Young Folks' Treasury, Volume 3 — Little Goody Two-Shoes: How Little Two-Shoes Became A Trotting Tutoress, And How She Taught Her Young Pupils

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HOW LITTLE TWO-SHOES BECAME A TROTTING TUTORESS, AND HOW SHE TAUGHT HER YOUNG PUPILS

It was about seven o'clock in the morning when we set out on this important business, and the first house we came to was Farmer Wilson's. Here Margery stopped, and ran up to the door, tap, tap, tap.

"Who's there?"

"Only Little Goody Two-Shoes," answered Margery, "come to teach Billy."

"Oh!

Little Goody," says Mrs. Wilson, with pleasure in her face, "I am glad to see you Billy wants you sadly for he has learned his lesson."

Then out came the little boy.

"How do, Doody Two-Shoes," says he, not able to speak plain.

Yet this little boy had learned all his letters; for she threw down this alphabet mixed together thus: b d f h k m o q s u w y x f a c e g i l n p r t v z j, and he picked them up, called them by their right names, and put them all in order thus: a b c d e f g h i j k i m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. The next place we came to was Farmer Simpson's. "Bow, wow, wow," says the dog at the door.

"Sirrah," says his mistress, "what do you bark at Little Two-Shoes?

come in, Madge; here, Sally wants you sadly, she has learned all her lesson."

"Yes, that's what I have," replied the little one, in the country manner: and immediately taking the letters she set up these syllables: ba be bi bo bu, ca ce ci co cu, da de di do du, fa fe fi fo fu, and gave them their exact sounds as she composed them.

After this, Little Two-Shoes taught her to spell words of one syllable, and she soon set up pear, plumb, top, ball, pin, puss, dog, hog, fawn, buck, doe, lamb, sheep, ram, cow, bull, cock, hen, and many more.

The next place we came to was Gaffer Cook's cottage.

Here a number of poor children were met to learn, who all came round Little Margery at once, who having pulled out her letters, asked the little boy next her what he had for dinner?

Who answered, "Bread" (the poor children in many places live very hard).

"Well then," says she, "set up the first letter."

He put up the B, to which the next added r, and the next e, the next a, the next d, and it stood thus, Bread.

And what had you, Polly Comb, for your dinner?

"Apple Pie," answered the little girl; upon which the next in turn set up a great A, the two next a p each, and so on, till the two words Apple and Pie were united and stood thus, Apple Pie.

The next had potatoes, the next beef and turnips; which were spelled, with many others, till the game of spelling was finished.

She then set them another task, and we proceeded.

The next place we came to was Farmer Thomson's, where there was a great many little ones waiting for her.

"So, Little Mrs. Goody Two-Shoes," says one of them, "where have you been so long?"

"I have been teaching," says she, "longer than I intended, and am, I am afraid, come too soon for you now."

"No, but indeed you are not," replied the other; "for I have got my lesson, and so has Sally Dawson, and so has Harry Wilson, and so have we all;" and they capered about as if they were overjoyed to see her.

"Why, then," says she, "you are all very good, and God Almighty will love you; so let us begin our lessons."

They all huddled round her, and though at the other place they were employed about words and syllables, here we had people of much greater understanding who dealt only in sentences.

The letters being brought upon the table, one of the little ones set up the following sentence: "The Lord have mercy upon me, and grant that I may be always good, and say my prayers, and love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength; and honor the King and all good men in authority under him."

Then the next took the letters, and composed this sentence: "Lord, have mercy upon me, and grant that I may love my neighbor as myself, and do unto all men as I would have them do unto me, and tell no lies; but be honest and just in all my dealings."

LESSON FOR THE CONDUCT OF LIFE

He that would thrive, Must rise by five.

He that hath thriven, May lay till seven.

Truth may be blamed But can't be shamed.

Tell me with whom you go, And I'll tell what you do.

A friend in your need, Is a friend indeed.

They never can be wise, Who good counsel despise.

As we were returning home, we saw a gentleman, who was very ill, sitting under a shady tree at the corner of the rookery.

Though ill, he began to joke with Little Margery, and said, laughing, "So, Goody Two-Shoes, they tell me you are a cunning little baggage; pray can you tell me what I shall do to get well?"

"Yes, sir," says she, "go to bed when your rooks do and get up with them in the morning; earn, as they do, every day what you eat, and eat and drink no more than you earn: and you'll get health and keep it.

What should induce the rooks to frequent gentlemen's houses, only but to tell them how to lead a prudent life?

they never build under cottages or farmhouses, because they see that these people know how to live without their admonition.

"Thus wealth and wit you may improve.

Taught by tenants of the grove."

The gentleman, laughing, gave Margery sixpence, and told her she was a sensible hussy.