E. Prentiss

“ If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes. No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.
As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed. If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself. They amused her while she lay on her mamma's lap, by showing her the bright sunshine that came in at the windows, the white curtains, and the ball of gay worsted in the work-basket. ”

“ And how happy you should be if you ever can lend a book or give a flower, or do any kind act for the deaf and dumb boy who never heard his mamma call him "darling!" no matter how many times she may have said it. And if you can ever be what the Bible calls "feet to the lame;" if you run to pick up that little pale girl's ball if she drops it; if you can go up stairs to get her doll when she wants it, would not that be making your own little servants useful and very happy? And if you ever happen to be where there is a blind child, would you not like to lend it your eyes now and then? ”

“ Susy's mamma said no more. She felt sorry to have her dear little daughter in such trouble but there seemed no help for it. She went back to her room; and taking Susy again in her lap, talked gently to her about the dreadful sin of which Thomas had been guilty.
"I never will tell a naughty story," said Susy.
"Don't say you never will. You may be tempted, some time, more than you ever have been. But ask God, who is the God of truth, to keep you from doing it. How thankful you ought to be that you have been taught to pray! For the Bible says that no man can tame the tongue. ”

“ Susy took one more stitch and her needle unthreaded.
"I can't string my needle," said she.
"You must learn," said nurse. "See, this way. And you needn't talk about stringing it, as if it were a bead. Ah! well. I may as well thread it this time. But my! what stitches! Why, dolly will fall through between them."
"I guess I won't learn to sew," said Susy. "It's hard. Here's the needle. I'll put it back in your cush pinion for you."
"My pin cushion, you mean. But I should be ashamed if I were you, not to know how to sew. There was little Mary Jones where I used to live; she sewed like a woman. ”

“ And if she had been without feet, she might have used her eyes, and her ears, and her hands, and her tongue, but when other children jumped and ran and played, Susy must have sat still in her little chair, and felt what a long, long day that is when one can not move.
I dare say you know some little boy who can not hear or talk, or some pale little girl who can not run and play. And if God has been so very good to you as to give you what He has not seen best to give them, how you ought to thank him! ”

“ Susy said one night. "And I wish mamma would kiss them when they've been good." Her mamma smiled, and kissed them, and then Susy folded them together, and knelt down and prayed. And after she had got into bed, she said: "My hands will never be naughty any more. Never strike Robbie, never take away his toys, never touch any body's things."
And then her mamma told her a story about a little girl who stood by her brother's coffin, and taking up the small, cold hand, kissed it, and said: "This little hand never struck me!" ”

“ The finest cambric handkerchief is coarser; God only can make a cover soft enough for the eye.
After Susy was washed and dressed in the morning, and had had her breakfast, her mamma would lay her down upon the bed, and spread a small blanket over her. Then the busy, bright eyes would look up to the wall, and look and look at a small spot of sunshine there, till at last they grew tired, and the soft coverlid would begin to come drooping, drooping down, and Susy would be fast asleep. ”

“ Her mamma caught it in hers, and looked at it gravely, and said: "Naughty little hand!" Then Susy began to cry again and she cried so much that her mamma had to lend her her handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Almost every day the little hand was naughty in this way, but at last Susy's mamma cured it, by always tying a red mitten on it whenever it slapped. It did not like to wear a mitten at all, because then it could not pick up its toys so well.
After Susy had learned not to strike, her little hands began to grow meddlesome, that is, to touch and take things they should not have touched. ”

“ But I thought your eyes and ears were not so good."
"My eyes looked round a good deal," said Susy. "But my ears couldn't do any thing naughty."
"Yes they could, dear Susy, by not listening to what was said. Did they hear any thing at all?" "No, mamma. I was busy, thinking. I thinked about my dollies."
"But we do not go to church to think about dollies. We go to praise God, and hear about Him."
"Big people don't have any dollies," said Susy. ”

“ So Robbie put in his hand, and pulled out, with great labor, a jar of currant jelly.
"That's for mamma," said Susy. "Grandma always sends jelly to her." She put in her hand and took out a small bundle that had "Robbie" printed on it in large letters. On opening it, out rolled a pair of nice warm mittens, which were marked: "For the little hands that so often, and so cheerfully, picked up grandma's ball."
Susy blushed and the tears came into her eyes. She knew the reason there were no mittens for her. ”

“ And when they first go into church they ask God to help them not to think about any thing but Himself, and to hear what is said. For in the Bible it speaks of those who having ears, hear not—and I do not want my little Susy to be one of those."
Susy then went up stairs to the nursery, where she found Robbie asleep in his cradle. She went up to him and putting her mouth close to his ear, shouted, "Robbie! Robbie!"
Robbie opened his eyes, turned over and smiled.
"You naughty, naughty girl!" said his nurse, "to wake your brother up. I'll tell your mamma, and she'll punish you well." ”

“ He told him all those sweet stories from the Bible, how Jesus pitied sick people, and how he cured them, and how many lame men he made to walk, and how many blind to see. So one day after he had been talking so, he had to give Charlie to his nurse while he went out for a time, and Charlie lay with his head on her shoulder, just as he had done on his papa's, till all at once he lifted it up, and said: "Mary did you know that Jesus hadn't any eyes?" ”

“ You must teach your little eyes not to look at things they ought not to see. Didn't you feel, all the time, that it was not quite proper for you to stop and watch in that way? Always make it a rule never to look at any thing, no matter what, if you have even a little bit of a feeling that you ought not. Your eyes are your own, and you must teach them."
"I will, mamma," said Susy. "And I am glad I've got you for a mamma. I'm glad Thomas's mamma isn't mine. She didn't pray to God to make him good ”

“ There lay Robbie with his clothes all off, while Susy was trying to squeeze one of his arms into her doll's night-gown. The patient little fellow held a block fast in one hand, as his comforter under his sorrows, for he really thought he had done something naughty and had to be put to bed.
"Pretty works, I do think!" said nurse. "Just let me call your mamma to see you, that's all."
Susy jumped up and caught nurse by her dress. "You shan't call mamma!" said she. "Robbie is my doll, and I'm putting him to bed. Aren't you, Robbie?" ”

“ But all this time I have only spoken of Susy's hands and feet, and ears, and eyes, and tongue, as being useful to herself, and have not said a word about their doing things for other people. Now it is not likely that God meant any little child should live in this world, where there is so much to do, and do nothing for its papa and mamma, and nothing for Him who has done so much for its happiness and comfort. ”

“ Last night as I lay on the floor playing with my beloved cork, mamma came behind me and unfastened all my clothes, so that time I did not cry. I have two feet that I find very handy to kick with when I am angry, and two hands that pick up my toys when I want to play, and two eyes that show me pictures and other pretty things, and that never get any rest except when I am asleep. And if you ever answer this letter, I have two ears with which I hear it read.
I am a very good baby when I wake in the morning. I lie in bed a good while, playing with my feet, or any thing else I can get hold of. ”

“ But you must not think Susy did not try to grow good, or that she never was good. Her papa and mamma often had a great deal of comfort in seeing how hard she tried to do kind, loving things for them. If she saw her papa look tired, she would often go to him and say, "Dear papa! when I am a big girl I mean to work and let you sit still!" ”

“ Not long after Susy sent her letter, her mamma bought some tiny little shoes and stockings for her. Susy was very much pleased indeed, and at first she would keep untying her shoes and taking them off. But one day when she awoke from her nap, she took hold of the two sides of her cradle, and stood up straight in it. Now she had found out that feet were not made just for playthings, but to stand on. ”

“ Besides that, every time you pick up Robbie's toys for him, you do something for God."
Susy looked puzzled.
"If you can't understand how this can be, just believe it because your mamma tells you so, and by and by, when you are older, you will understand it. God sees every thing you do, and when you leave your own play, and run to do a little favor for Robbie, or papa, or any of us, then He is pleased. When I was kissing Robbie's feet and hands just now, I was praying to God to keep them always pure, and to teach them very early, to work for Him. ”

“ I am fond of this cork, and lie on the floor and play with it, just as a cat plays with a mouse. I have also a half dollar with a hole in it, that my grandmamma gave me; but I always cry when I play with it, for it is so hard it hurts my mouth. I have a great many rags that my mamma has given me. When she cuts out my little frocks, she gives me the pieces that are left, and some are white, some pink, and some blue. You see I am going to wear short frocks pretty soon. But my best playthings are two red sticks that were a part of an old fan your mamma left here. ”

“ O mamma! There's a thimble and scissors, and needle! Now I can sew with my own things. Look, Robbie."
But Robbie was too busy. One of his barrels had broken open, and a host of sugar-plums had rolled out all over the floor.
"O Robbie! give me some sugar-plums, will you?" cried Susy.
"It is torn," said Robbie. "Big men don't load up with sugar-pums."
"It isn't corn," said Susy. ”

“ Susy had another pair of twins for her servants, who knew so little what they were for, that they used to slap and scratch her face. Her mamma said she should have to tie them up if they did so. Indeed, many a little baby has had them all covered up with white rags, to keep them from doing mischief before they were old enough to know better. ”

“ She needs it, I am sure. Such a blow! Why, what a naughty child she must be!"
"Susy says Thomas opened the trunk and told her to hold it open while he looked for candy. And it was heavy, and she let it fall on his head. I think she has spoken the truth. I never knew her to speak any thing else. The marks on Thomas's face look to me, just like those the heavy lid of a trunk would make."
"They look to me like the marks of a stick," said the lady. "But people see things differently. Come, Thomas! eat this nice candy. ”

“ The busy fingers stopped, she slipped down from her chair, and away went the peas, rolling this way and that, about the kitchen floor.
"I wish you'd stay up stairs, where you belong," said Sarah. "See how you've wasted the peas! If I were your mamma, I would not give you any for your dinner."
"I'll pick them up," said Susy. "And mamma said I might shell them." She seemed so sorry that Sarah said it was no matter, she guessed six peas wouldn't be much loss. So Susy went back to the nursery to see about the missing shirt.
"If there isn't Robbie's shirt hanging out of your pocket!" said nurse. ”

“ The first thing was while she was still a baby, when she raised her hand to slap her dear, kind mamma because she was going to wash her. Little babies often do so before they have been taught better. The moment Susy's hand had given the slap, she saw that her mamma's face became grave and displeased. ”

“ She was too happy to eat much, and as soon as she could, she hastened to the window, and seated herself to begin her pleasant work. She had hardly strung a dozen beads when looking down, she saw that they had all fallen from the string. ”

“ Her mamma kissed her, and told her to go up stairs and amuse Robbie, as she had made him lose his nap. So Susy went, and said in a pleasant voice to Nurse:
"I've come to 'muse Robbie because I woke him up," and Nurse smiled and said:
"Well you are a good child when you aren't naughty."
CHAPTER IX.
One day Susy and her mamma and Robbie were sitting alone together in the nursery. Susy was in the corner, with her toys, and Robbie sat on his mamma's lap. Every now and then he put up his little hand to pat her cheek or to play with her hair. ”