Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-11-22
Che family Circle.
Patient Continuance in Well Dong.

There, I'm not going to try to be
good any more. 1t IS not one bit Of use
trying. I'm the worst girl in the world,
suppose"
Little Mabel Walker said this, standing
in the parlor window, nodding and shaking
her head with less grace than anger. She
had walked straight across the room to the
bay window, drawn up the curtain with a
Jerk. and stood there evidently in pet
At the last words she quite broke down
dashed away few tears as if veXed al
their appearance, and burst out alresh:
There isn't, [ know, the least use il
irving any longer-I never can
{" Mabel - The voice came from the
corner sofa and the little girl started
turned round and sprang towards the own
er Of the voice with a sudden impulse OF
delight.
Uncle Horace why-why-when did
YOU come they never told me-
~ came in the early train from New
York. dear. and | think Nora only knows
Of my arrival. / was trying to rest here
q little. before breakfast
And I've disturbed you. l am sorry,
uncle Horace, and [ will 20 right out and
let you sleep"
!. No, dear, do not care TO sleep, and
want to talk with you now. Sit down
here, in this little rocker and tell me what
angered my little niece? Mabel hung
her head. and bit her thumb nail in silence
:. 1t Is a solemn thing to resolve to be
bad, dear -
Mabel raised her eyes inquiringly but
dropped them directly, seeming TO compre-
bend his meaning.
Come, dear, tell me all about this
great trouble Of yours. that caused such
bitter words Just now perhaps | can help
you"
| don't think you can, uncle Horace
guess l never caa be good so long a,
Hugh Walker troubles me so.
Hugh your brother Hugh ? Why he
is number one on my list Of good boys 2"
Well, ] don't think a good boy Will
trouble his sister, and Mabel began to
cry.
:. OF course not. Did Hugh trouble you
this morning, dear y"
!. Yes, uncle. I'll tell you. Hugh al
ways troubles me most when l don't feel
well get up every morning and think.
now | will be good to-day, and | kneeI
down and ask God to help me. because
mamma says [ ought always to seek His
help and when | come down stairs Hugh
begins, the first thing.to vex me, if l don t
feel very well. This morning my stomach
felt badly, and my neck acued, but |
thought, / will be pleasant if don't feel
we'll; so [ told Hugh !. good morning a.
CHEEKY as could be and he said in his pro-
voking way. Morning. Miss Quincy
Quence.' Aud [ said am not Miss
Quincy Quence, Hugh Walker and he
threw up his hands and laughed at me, and
| called him hateful thing, and mamma
said, =. o Mabel :" with such a solemn
look that | know she blamed me and
Hugh began singing, Tarts for breakfast,
breakfast, and l went to put my hand
over his mouth TO stop it. and be pushed
me against the table, and then mamma
sent me in here | know 1 am a naughty
girl, but [ shouldn't be if it wasn't for
Hugh, know that"
Uncle Horace was silent a moment, and
Mabel rocked quickly to and fro in her lit
tie chair. Then he turned his eyes fully
upon her, and took her hand in his, say
ing with a touch Of sadness in his tone
q Little Mabel, this Is the way with all
Of Us we like too well to lay our sins up
on others. Now dear, you must do right
though a dozen Hughs trouble you. You
must do right for yourself alone. Now
tell me, dear, it, when this fuu-lovin.
Hugh called you Miss Quincy Quence Just
now, you had only smiled do you think
you would have lost your temper, panied
mamma, and been 50 agitated with wicked
thoughts p
Mable shook her head
And if you had felt quite well, dear,
don't you think you would have smiled p
The little girl nodded slightly.
Then it is not master Hugh after all
that makes you bad :"
Mable stopped rocking, and for a mo-
ment the tears fell fast, and then she said,
still sobbing:
"If it is all my fault, how am ever
going to be better? %
by trying and BY doing"
" do try and"
g All yes, but you must continue IN well
doing, and strengthen yourself by all the
little helps you can fine. We cannot do
right in our own strength, but God has
promised to help US, if we ask Alright. You
started rightly, but [ am sorry to say, did
not, by patient continuance in well doing
triumph over your i'll feelings. IT, instead
ofanswering your brother sharply, you had
turned pleasa ntly away, and taken
draught Of cold water, or a glass Of nice
milk, and then gone into your garden and
looked at the beautiful flowers, [ think
these little things would have helped you
overcome tie irr;tability that you felt on
account of a faint or disordered stomach.
Now | want you to have this little
text with you all the time, to help you in
the family, in your studies, and in your
play BY PATIENT CONTINUANCE N WELL
DOING. Remember, it matters not how
well We may begin; if we do not continue
doing well we cannot succeed Let Us al
ways remember to start right and continue
right and by ana by we shall be beyond
all these pains Of body and sorrows Of
mind"