The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-12-16

going to be good. / know | shall be cross
and angry fifty times day; cant help it"
"Therc is one who can help us all if we
truly desire His help, my children. Let us
ask it now
They knelt, and the mother, with stream
ing eyes, prayed for that assistance which the
great Father of all has kindly promised to
those who sincerely seek his aid.
The children were unusually thoughtful.
and learned their lessons in silence.
At bed time. Mrs. Merwvn had usually
asked her children for kiss; nctines it
was careles>iy given, sometimes not ALWAYS
considered rather as favor from the chill
drcn. This evening she did rot ask them for
kiss, but kindly babe them good night.
The very next morning. this awakened
mother began upon her new plan. She arose
early and vert to her cliIdrcu's room to see
that they were hathcd and rubbed, and to
teach them how best to do it for themselves :
and she required them to be ready for break
fast rnnctuallv at the hour, She excluded
from the table every thing which she con-
sil"red unwholeSoma Some rich. and h'"h-
: seasoned dishes, which had been iavoritcs
were hani>hrd forever, and palmer food. yet
excellent in its kind. was substituted Mrs
Merwvn sent her children ont 10 run ard
play half an hour before going to school, and
the same on their return; she fitted up a
: large square room. with every convenience
:or exercise, when the weather should be
! stormy. She examined into her children
studies. ard reduced their number She pro-
cured the same books and spent two hours 4
day in making herself mistress cf their con-
tents. keeping constantly little ahead of
them IN their lessons. Sh" procured several
books OF references. and learned not only
The texts. but whatever She corld find rcla-
tirC TO it in co,mront!>. Dictionaries and en-
cyr'cpcdiaS and It was surprising 70 see how
the respect of her children increased, when
they found that their morhca knew NOT only
moro than t'cv did themselves. but in n:snv
instances. more than their teachers.
-,
qririnc nothing hut ordinary judgment. and
=.
w.,
est undertaken II was not 50 easy 10 supplv
,,,
looked to some outward. sensual INDULGENCE
as the reward not only of mental cxcrtion
hnt for hcinc GOOD. 1t was not easy for one
: who had ),vi>hcJ her c,rc.scs ;n1;scrimin
= a.c,v. merely to crafty her own feelings. AS
to coax them TO her purcoSc. to give value
in her chldrcn'> ewes 10 a smile. a carc~<. a
word of praise. 10 make them motives and
: rewards for hcr GOOD copduct II was
: not easy to curb the stubborn and lonr-in-
dulrcd will. 10 check The impatient tenn
q per. 70 change rude manners into rcSrccttnl
t poli,cncss And vet it was wonderful to be-
hold the rrocrc>S. even here. 81 muc y is thcrc
+ in rcso!u,e determination. IN sustair;nc an
: rnflarcinc effort.
n The early ri>inr and the cvcnino ,ravcr
Il had not been discontinued and though the
g mother devoted so much more thine than Cor.
IS mcrlv to her children. she found she had
J. more leisure for house occupation, general
c reading and social cniovmcnt. than even tc
e fore. The energy called IN for particula,
purpose. extended Itself into every dcnart
c. mcnt, and gave frmncss and confidence Il
: one who had hitherto been thought rather ;
B" weak woman
r. Her friends marked dcntb and earnest
't ness about her which they had never ohSc:
}" we'd before and she was cra,fc,l to percciy,
P an increase of respect and consideration i,
as all around her.
'r These things, however came later. Gu
n busirc>s is with the first stems of this chang,
Y to show that it is possible to stem an errin
III courSc. TO retracc a mistaken path in the on,
le sct Of l;f. NotwithStandinr the involuntar
It, admission Of Willie and Annie that it woul
| no b.t,or for thcm 10 Lc wcU Governed tbc
r had. both from nature and habit, become to
I'd fond Of bav;no their own wav. readily TO civ
70
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