SUPPOSE!
  Suppose, my little lady,     Your doll should break her head,   Could you make it whole by crying     Till your eyes and nose are red?
  And wouldn't it be pleasanter     To treat it as a joke,   And say you're glad 'twas Dolly's,     And not your head that broke?
  Suppose you're dressed for walking,     And the rain comes pouring down,   Will it clear off any sooner     Because you scold and frown?
  And wouldn't it be nicer     For you to smile than pout,   And so make sunshine in the house     When there is none without?
  Suppose your task, my little man,     Is very hard to get,   Will it make it any easier     For you to sit and fret?
  And wouldn't it be wiser     Than waiting, like a dunce,   To go to work in earnest     And learn the thing at once?
  Suppose that some boys have a horse,     And some a coach and pair,   Will it tire you less while walking     To say, "It is n't fair?"
  And would n't it be nobler     To keep your temper sweet,   And in your heart be thankful     You can walk upon your feet?
  And suppose the world don't please you,     Nor the way some people do,   Do you think the whole creation     Will be altered just for you?
  And isn't it, my boy or girl,     The wisest, bravest plan,   Whatever comes, or does n't come,     To do the best you can?
PHOEBE CARY