Little Bessie, the Careless Girl, or, Squirrels, Nuts, and Water-Cresses

The story opens on a small house where Bessie lives with her widowed mother, who is too ill to work. The family has fallen on hard times, but Bessie's spirit remains undimmed. Despite being called "careless" in her studies, her play, her tendencies to lose things and forget tasks, she possesses an earnest, scattered generosity that makes her endearing. When she and her friend Nelly set out on a nutting expedition through the autumn woodland, chasing squirrels and gathering provisions, we see both her high spirits and her inability to stay focused. But the real heart of the story lies in Bessie's longing to help her mother. When she learns that watercress can be sold for money, she sees her chance to contribute to the household, though her carelessness threatens this endeavor as it threatens everything else. This is a period portrait of childhood poverty rendered with tenderness, where a child's best intentions collide with her own imperfect nature.