Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-06-06
gglomth's Column.
EDNA'S TRIAL.


of, and that is, that can mever be good
as long as have to live with Sandy"
"Oh. Edna, think moment,-do not
speak SO; you are blaming your brother
for your own naughtiness r
"Well. he makes me naughty. I'm al
ways worse when he's in the house.
Doesn't that show that I'm not really so
bad :? [ want to he good and keep my
temper, but as soon as Sandy comes
where I am. he is sure to do something
to vex me, and l can't help getting cross
and saying something hateful !"
Come here, my dear )" and the mo-
ther laid down her work with that pleas
ant way which mothers have of showing
that they are willing to give their whole
attention to the case in hand. Drawing
Edna close to her side, she said: 81 will
tell you what it shows: it shows simply
that you are not strong enough to resist
strong temptations. Nothing is easier
for US all than to think ourselves angelic
because we happen to live with people of
easy tempers, or who smooth our way for
us with kindness and love. And I think
it shows something else, too-that you
have not that true sisterly feeling toward
Sandy which should make you bear with
him in spite of his faults and annoy
ances.''
81 don't think he's got a very brotherly
feeling towards me, or he wouldn't treat
me so !''' muttered Edna.
81 don't defend his conduct" replied
her mother. "You know that l have
reproved and punished him for irritating
you; but want you to see plainly that
what he brings out is really IN you, else
he could not bring it out. 1t might be
possible for person to live for years
without doing anything fagrantly bad !:
he ight, on the whole, seem to be quite
good enough; and yet this same person
might in the end do some very dreadful
things, thus showing himself to have
been full of the possibilities of wicked
ness all the time
81 don't think l quite understand you
mamma.
"Well, l will try to make it palmer.
You remember the poor little girl with
spine disease whom took you to see
last winter, and you remember that her
mother was also hump-backed. When
Emmy was born, though she was we'll
formed and straight, yet the doctors
said it was not unlikely that she would
inherit her mothers disease-that is,
that the germ or seed of the disease was
in the baby's blood and would develope
some day, sooner or later. Yet for twelve
years there was no sign of such thing
happening. Emmy grew tall and seem
ed well and strong. But the day cam,
at length when she had fall, bruisine
her back, and then the dreadful disease
which had been lying quiet for years
just waiting for chance to show itself
, made its appearance, and poor Emm.
is helpless for life. Now, you know ;
great many people get very bad fall
without serious injury. They can ever
hurt their backs without spinal com
plant as necessary consequence; Blu
. this case of Emmy's shows that the bal
, seed was in her all the time. The fal
. did not put it there, but only brought /
out. Some other fall, bruise, some i'll
ness, would have been almost sure t
have brought the same result And no,
:. must l apply my illustration, or does
explain itself?"
! Edna looked up with very KNOWN
expression and said: Il see what 20
mean. mamma. l know now that th
!. badness is in me, and if Sandy did nc
start it, somebody else would some da,
cannot be sure I am good until hay
resisted the hardest temptations"
Eyes; trials are not sent to make i
bad, but good-or rather, they are
ID show us how much good and how muc
Sc bad we have in us-how weak we al
= and how strong. Remember Jesus
the wilderness. If temptations had poV
ps er in themselves alone to corrupt, surel
it would seem as if he might almost hay
ed fallen. The devil tried him hard an
is, long, but he found him unconquerable-
II incorruptible. Thomas Kempis ont
lily wrote certain words which l will repe
~ y. to you, hoping you will think of the
the very next time Sandy comes in 20,
i. way. They are true, are they not p
'd "'Occasions do not make man fra
al but they show him what he is -
Neou York Observer.
off AN INTELLIGENT BEAR.-The capita
md of n Graanla1d xubalor b,;1r oox;o,,o