Cleopatra or the Reformed Little Tyrant

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A part little hussy whose name was Cleopatra, was continually
teasing and commanding her poor brother. So you will not
do what I bid you, mister obstinacy, she would often
say to him, Come, come, sir, obey, or she'll be
worse for you. If Cleopatra's word might be taken for it.

(00:24):
Her brother did everything wrong, but on the contrary, whatever
she thought of doing was the masterpiece of reason and
sound sense. If he proposed any kind of diversion, she
was sure to consider it as dull and a sipet.

(00:44):
But it often happened that she would herself the next
day recommend the same thing, and, having forgotten what she
said of it before, consider it as the most lively
and entertaining. Her brother was obliged to submit to her
unaccountable whims and fancies, or else endure the most disuperreeable

(01:09):
lectures a little female tongue could utter, if ever he
presumed to be so hearty as to reason with her
on her strange conduct, instant destruction to his playthings, with
the inevitable consequence of it. Her parents saw with regret

(01:29):
this strange and tyrannical disposition of their daughter, and in
vain did everything they could think of to break her
of it. Her mother, in particular, continually enforced on her
mind that such children never procured the esteem of others,
and that a girl who set up her own opinion

(01:52):
against that of every one else would soon become intolerable
and insupportable to all her acquaintance. This prudent advice, however,
made no impression on her stubborn heart, and her brother,
wearied out by her priest and Tyranny, began to have

(02:15):
very little affection for her it. One day happened that
a gentleman of a free and open temper dined at
their house. He could not help observing with one a
haughty air she treated her poor brother and indeed every
other person in the room. At first, the woul's politeness

(02:40):
kept him from saying anything, but at last, tired out
with her impertinence, he began addressing his discourse to her
Mamma in the following manner. I was lately in friends,
and as I was fond of being present at the exercises,

(03:02):
I used to go as often as I could to
see their maneuvers on the parade. Nearly in the same
manner as they do here at Saint James's. Among the
soldiers there were many I observed with whiskers, which gave
them a very fierce and soldier like book. Now, had

(03:25):
I a child but your Cleopatra, I would instantly give
her a soldier's reform and put her on a pair
of whiskers, when she might, with rather more propriety than
at present, act the part of a commander. Cleopatra heard

(03:45):
this and stood covered with confusion. She could not help
blushing and was unable to conceal her tears. However, this
reproach perfectly reformed her, and she became sent how unbecoming
was a tyrannizing temper. It has been observed that to

(04:08):
be sensible of our errors is half the work of reformation.
So it happened with Cleopatra, who, with the assistance of
her mother's prudent counsels, became an amiable girl. Her reformation
was a credit to her, and it is much to

(04:32):
be wished that all young ladies, who take no pains
to conquer their passions, would at least imitate Cleopatra, and
wish to avoid being told that a soldier's dress and
a pair of whispers would better become them the nice
Cambric fox and silk slips. Had Cleopatra attended to the

(04:58):
advice of her parents and not have imagined that greatness
consists in impertinence, she would have been happy much sooner
than she was. And of Cleopatra