' / i / 
 
 >H 
 
 JESSY GRANT'; 
 
 ■/'H. 
 
 OR, 
 
 "$e not €mdatmtb to tips JEfarlfc." 
 
 THE VICTORIA TALES AND 
 STORIES. ' 
 
 LONDON I 
 
 Frederick Warne and Company, 
 
 BEDFORD STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 
 
 *b 
 
JESSY GRANT; 
 
 OR. 
 
 BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD." 
 
 Rom. xii. 2. 
 
 T was Sunday morning. Jessy 
 Grant was going to her god- 
 mother's house to take her 
 to Church with her; for Mrs. Ford was 
 old and feeble now, and could not walk 
 without help, and Jessy had been accus- 
 tomed for years to fetch the old dame 
 to morning service ; and had always felt 
 pleased to do so — but to-day she disliked 
 this duty very much. I will tell you 
 
r 
 
 Jessy Grant. -z 
 
 why. Jessy was dressed very fine. She 
 had on a violet dress, a black silk jacket, 
 a hat and feather, and her hair was all 
 bunched up at the back, as if her head 
 had grown double. She felt sure that 
 strangers would take her for a young lady, 
 if she were not obliged to drag old Mrs. 
 Ford on her arm all the way to church ; 
 and she felt quite vexed when she saw 
 the nice neat old woman in her tidy shawl 
 and poke bonnet. 
 
 cc Aunt Ford," she said, as they walked 
 slowly towards the church, <c I wish you 
 would dress a little more in the fashion. ,, 
 
 " The fashion, child — and at my years. 
 Why, what ails you ? I never gave in to 
 fashions much in my youth, and I ain't 
 1 a going to begin now. What put that in 
 iyour head ?" 
 
Jessy Grant. 
 
 "Only your bonnet is such a queer 
 shape now," said Jessy, colouring. 
 
 Mrs. Ford stood still and looked at 
 her little companion from head to foot. 
 
 " Well," she said, after a while, " I see 
 that your mother has been led away, and 
 has made you a sad fright. I am almost 
 ashamed to go to Church with you, 
 considering that I am your god- 
 mother." 
 
 " Why, Aunt ?" asked Jessy. " I am 
 sure my things are very nice and all the 
 fashion. My hat is just like Miss 
 b ranee s. 
 
 "So much the worse. Don't you 
 know that I promised when you were 
 baptized, Jessy, that you should renounce, 
 — that is, give up — "the pomps and 
 vanities of this present world." And now 
 
Jessy Grant, 
 
 here I am walking arm in arm with 
 you to Church with all the pomps and 
 vanities you can get at, stuck upon you." 
 CC I never knew pretty clothes were 
 pomps and vanities," said Jessy. fC And I 
 don't see that it is worse for me to wear 
 them than it is for Miss France." 
 . cc Ah, but it is/' said her godmother. 
 J" They ain't pomps and vanities for Miss 
 France. Her father is a rich man, and 
 she is used to be dressed well, and we 
 don't think about what we are used to 
 have, Jessy. She can wear a hat and 
 feather in Church and never think about 
 it, but you can't. It's new to you and it 
 will run in your head, I'm sure, and make 
 you not heed your prayers, but be vain 
 and thinking of others. If Miss France 
 were to dress like a duchess or a grand 
 
Jessy Grant. 
 
 lady, then it would be "pomp" for her, 
 but that which is suited to her station is 
 not so. The fashions are all ugly enough 
 just now, and I don't think any Christian 
 girls, whether rich or poor, should follow 
 them quite, but it's worst of all for poor 
 girls to care for dress — it leads to much 
 sin — it makes them want money — and 
 waste money. A poor man's earnings 
 should be laid by for old age and illness, 
 not wasted on hats and feathers. St. 
 'Paul says, cc Be not conformed to this 
 world," and I take it that is just as 
 much a Bible command as Cf Thou shalt 
 not steal." 
 
 Now Jessy was really a religious girl, 
 who wished to obey God's word. 
 
 " I did not remember those words, 
 Aunt Ford," she said, humbly, cc or I 
 
 Jl 
 
Jessy Grant. 
 
 did not understand them. I will ask 
 mother to sell the feather, and I will 
 plait my hair neatly for next Sunday." 
 
 Jessy did so, and Miss France, whose 
 good opinion she cared for very much, 
 said to her mother as they drove back from 
 Church, 
 
 cf How pretty and neat Jessy Grant 
 looked to-day, mamma — she was quite 
 disfigured by her head dress last Sunday." 
 
 Jessy would have been pleased if she 
 had heard those words ; as it was, she 
 was very happy, because she had tried to 
 do right. 
 
 
X 
 
 ►\: 
 
 THE VICTORIA TALES AND 
 STORIES. 
 
 SUITABLE FOR THE YOUNG. 
 
 CONTENTS OF PACKET A. 6d. 
 
 LITTLE GEORGE AND HIS GRANDMOTHER. 
 
 BE KIND TO ALL; or, the Story of a Goose. 
 
 THE BLACK SNAKE ; or, Do as you would be Done by. 
 
 MARY HENDERSON ; or, the Pet Lamb. 
 
 LITTLE MARY'S APPLE ; or, Selfishness. 
 
 JANE THOMPSON ; or, How to be Happy. 
 
 PATIENCE ; or, Fading Flowers. 
 
 MAGGIE'S BABY; or, How to be Useful. 
 
 FLOWERS AND WEEDS ; or, Harry's Choice. 
 
 THE MASON ; or, Trust in God. 
 
 WILLIE'S SIXPENCE; or, True Benevolence. 
 
 MARY'S RESOLUTION ; or, the Power to Shun Evil. 
 
 LITTLE THINGS ; or, How Good and Great God is. 
 
 "SO MANY CALLS;" or, Be Charitable. 
 
 MARGARET AND HER MOTHER ; or, Thinking and 
 
 Speaking. 
 EDWARD'S SUM; or, Don't.Give Up. 
 WILLIE'S QUESTIONS ; or, All Belongs to God. 
 WILLIAM AND LYDIA; or, the Geneious Children. 
 THE GREAT SEA; or, God is Everywhere. 
 HARRY'S DREAM ; or, Tenants of the Heart. . 
 HENRY GRAY; or, I'm Afraid. 
 
 DO YOU LOVE THE BIBLE? or, Search the Scriptures. 
 A STORY FOR WILLIE, and Calling his Sheep by Name. 
 A STORY FOR WEE KATY; or, the Penknife in the 
 
 Garden. 
 
 LONDON: F. WARNE AND CO. 
 
 BEDFORD STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 
 
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