Stories for the
family
Sunshine Factory
by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden),
1878
May you enjoy this beautiful old story, which is no
longer bound by copyright.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20436/20436-h/20436-h.htm
Oh, dear! it always does rain when I want to go
anywhere," cried little Jennie Moore. "It's too bad! Now I've
got to stay in-doors all day, and I know I shall have a wretched
day."
"Perhaps so," said Uncle Jack; "but you need not have a bad
day unless you choose."
"How can I help it? I wanted to go to the park and hear the
band, and take Fido and play on the grass, and have a good time,
and pull wild flowers, and eat sandwiches under the trees; and
now there isn't going to be any sunshine at all, and I'll have
to just stand here and see it rain, and see the water run off
the ducks' backs."
"Well, let's make a little sunshine," said Uncle Jack.
"Make sunshine," said Jennie; "why how you do talk!" and she
smiled through her tears. "You haven't got a sunshine factory,
have you?"
"Well, I'm going to start one right off, if you'll be my
partner," replied Uncle Jack.
"Now, let me give you three rules for making sunshine:
- First,
don't think of what might have been if the day had been better.
- Second, see how many pleasant things there are left to enjoy;
and, lastly,
- Do all you can to make other people happy."
"Well, I'll try the last thing first; and she went to work to
amuse her little brother Willie, who was crying. By the time she
had him riding a chair and laughing, she was laughing too.
"Well," said Uncle Jack, "I see you are a good
sunshine-maker, for you've got about all you or Willie can hold
now. But let's try what we can do with the second rule."
"But I haven't anything to enjoy; 'cause all my dolls are
old, and my picture-books all torn, and—"
"Hold," said Uncle Jack; "here's a newspaper. Now let's get
some fun out of it."
"Fun out of a newspaper! Why, how you talk."
But Uncle Jack showed her how to ... cut a whole family of paper dolls and
how to make pretty things for Willie out of the paper. Then he
got a tea-tray and showed her how to roll a marble round it.
And so she found many pleasant amusements; and when bedtime
came she kissed Uncle Jack, and said:
"Good-night, dear Uncle Jack."
"Good-night, dear little sunshine-maker;" said Uncle Jack.
And she dreamed that night that Uncle Jack had built a great
house, and put a sign over the door, which read:
Sunshine
Factory,
Uncle Jack and little
Jennie:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20436/20436-h/20436-h.htm
BOSTON: D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY, 1878.