Joanna H. Mathews

“ Ashton's stoop the next morning.
But she found that Kate had forgotten her threat, or thought better of it; for she came up and met her as usual. No, not as usual either; for Kate's manner was half hesitating and constrained, as if she were doubtful of the greeting she should receive from Bessie. Her frolicsome spirits seemed to have flown away; and Maggie, looking up to the brilliant black eyes, wondered to see how they had lost their merry light.
Thoughtless and inconsiderate as she was, Kate Maynard was not accustomed to deceit and meanness, and they sat uneasily upon her conscience. ”

“ Poor Maggie! This was more than she had bargained to "bear," the one drop too much in her full cup. She could no longer choke back her tears, but fell into a passion of sobbing and crying which her mother found it impossible for some minutes to quiet. It was only the recollection that her mamma was not to be worried, which at last helped the child to conquer it. And it was Bessie who put her in mind of this; for her sobs had roused her little sister, who, waking and slipping down from the sofa, came running to know what could be the matter with her usually merry, cheerful Maggie. ”

“ Maggie looked up into the laughing face, and answered candidly, "Yes, Miss Kate, I was; but I think I'm over that now."
"Maggie was very good indeed about it, Miss Kate," said Bessie quickly. "Nobody could be better. Mamma was very much pleased with her."
"Maggie is just a great deal too good," said Dora Johnson. "She ought to have left it in the drawer, and not said a word about it. I would have, and good enough for that proudy."
"Dora," said Miss Ashton, "I do not think you would have done a thing like that, would you, my dear?" ”

“ Ashton's grave mouth gave way a little.
"I am not going to scold you, Bessie," she said. "I will never scold any one who truthfully confesses an accident; so I shall say no more about the flower. But what makes you so pettish and unkind to Marcia? You do not behave well to her. Has she done anything to you?"
"No, ma'am, not to me," said Bessie, drying her tears.
"To Maggie or Belle then? I know she is mischievous sometimes, and I will not let her annoy you; but you must not behave so to her." ”

“ Then, her ill-temper getting the upper hand of all her better feelings, she answered sulkily,—
"I don't believe Maggie or Bessie would. I know they are just glad enough."
"O-o-o-o-h! o-o-o-o-h! What a shame!" and such exclamations broke from the other children. But Miss Ashton commanded silence.
"That is a grave charge to bring against any one, Gracie, and especially against those who have been your friends for so long," said the lady. "I am ashamed of you."
And Gracie was ashamed of herself, though she would not acknowledge it; but only pouted the more at Miss Ashton's gentle reproof. ”

“ I did not think the first lesson taught here this morning would be one of politeness, to be learned by myself."
"O Miss Ashton," said Bessie, "I would not be so saucy as to say you were not polite! I only thought perhaps you forgot."
"And so I did, dear; but true politeness should teach us to remember all those little things which may make others comfortable, or put them at their ease; and I am afraid we grown people often forget that children need such attentions as well as those who are older." ”

“ Do you think it is selfish in me, mamma?"
"No, love, not at all. So long as you are willing that the others should have an equal chance with yourself, and take no unfair advantage of them; and that, I am sure, my Maggie would not do."
"No indeed, mamma; I hope I would never be so mean. Then you think it is quite right for me to try for the prize?"
"Yes, dear. God has given to each one of us certain powers or talents which He means us to use for His service and our own improvement. ”

“ I thought a duty was something one ought to do, but did not quite want to do,—like forgiving people when they are unkind to us, or putting away my playthings when I would rather leave them; or—or—trying to have a cheerful mind about going to school, 'cause it's a help to mamma;" and Maggie smiled a wistful, half-tearful little smile, which went straight to the hearts of her mother and grandmother.
"But even a disagreeable duty may bring its own pleasure and satisfaction with it, darling, if we only go about it in the right way," said Mrs. Stanton ”

“ I'd like to know what has come over you so suddenly."
"You can just hush and let me alone," said Bessie, "I'll never bring you a brush again, Fred;" and then she ran out of the room, and up-stairs as fast as she could go.
"Well, did you ever?" exclaimed Fred.
"What can ail her?" said Harry. "She surely did not mind going for the brush?"
"Why, no," answered Fred; "she seemed ready enough; but she came back the next moment in such a fume, and looking scared out of her wits."
"I'm going to see," said Maggie: "she'll tell me;" and she ran after Bessie. ”

“ But you must remember, dear, that our Father's strong and loving care is with us in the one place as well as in the other. When temptation creeps in, you have only to ask His help; and He will give you the strength and grace you need to bid it begone. And if we feel we are likely to be tempted, it must only make us all the more watchful, Maggie."
"Yes, mamma," said Maggie: "we must keep our hands all the more closely on the silver thread of conscience, and look all the more at the golden letters on the guide-posts, must we not?" ”

“ There is no doubt of your gaining the prize for him, if we all promise you our votes, you know."
"You are very wicked and cruel if you do not," said Mary. "How can you ever look the poor fellow in the face again, and remember that you refused to give him a chance of being cured? For, if you will not do this little favour for us, you need not look for the votes from this room."
"We don't ask you to say what is not true," said Kate: "you have only to keep silence, if Mrs. Ashton speaks. ”

“ No, I'd never get it; for I know I should not be the best child in the school. But I think maybe I could earn one of the others, and I will try for both; but most of all I'd rather have the one for composition. If I knew any one who would like to go to the hospital, I'd try for that; but I don't."
"O Maggie," said Bessie, "don't you remember Jemmy Bent?"
"Why, to be sure," said Maggie. "Well, I'm just glad enough Jemmy did not hear me say that. He would think me too unkind to go and forget him. But, any way, I know I'd never earn that prize. ”

“ It was delightful, too, to see how pleased all the schoolgirls, large and small, were to hear of Maggie's good fortune, and to read the letter from May Bessie, which she permitted them all to see.
"Miss Kate," said Maggie, looking up into the laughing eyes which were no longer a terror to her, "it's very kind of you to be so glad for me."
"Do you think so?" said Kate. "I am truly glad for you, Maggie. We are better friends than we used to be, are we not?" ”

“ BESSIE'S PARTY.
"We are going to have a party," said Maggie.
"Who? our mamma?" said Nellie Ransom.
"Why, no," said Maggie: "we, Bessie and I. Next Tuesday is Bessie's birthday, when she will be seven years old; and mamma said we might have a party."
"Oh, how lovely!" said Dora Johnson; "and will you invite me, Maggie?"
"Well, yes, we will: 'cause mamma said we might have all the class," answered Maggie; "but, Dora, you ought not to ask us to invite you."
"Why not?" said Dora.
"Because it is not polite to ask people to invite you to their houses. ”

“ But you might try to be the best that you could."
"What would be the good when there was no chance of the prize?" asked Kate, much amused.
"To please Jesus," said Belle. "Bessie's mamma told us about that that time I lived there while papa was away. She said we must only try to do the thing that was right, 'cause it was right, no matter what people thought of us; not to try to be or to do the best so as to be rewarded."
"Well done, little Belle," said Fanny Berry; "how nicely you have remembered and repeated your lesson!" ”

“ One would be in all kinds of trouble."
"I have not generally found that strict truth and honesty were so apt to bring people into trouble, as the contrary," said Fanny Berry drily, as they entered the schoolroom.
"Well, my darlings," said mamma, as the two bright faces appeared before her, "you do not look as if school were such a sad affair after all."
"Oh no, mamma!" said Maggie; "it is not sad at all, but a very nice affair. We like it very much, and Miss Ashton is so kind, and teaches us so interestingly. ”

“ Miss Ashton is neither cross nor ugly; but Maggie is looking at her and at her school through the spectacles of discontent, which hide all that is good, and make all that is bad appear far, far worse than the reality. Take them off, Maggie, and look at things with your own honest, cheerful, eyes. It may be that the great Teacher above has some lesson for you to learn that you do not know of—some special work for you to do for Him. ”

“ I disobeyed you fee times, Aunt Margaret;" and Belle's voice had a piteous tone in it, as if she were about to burst into a cry again.
"And does my little Belle want to tell me all about it?" asked Mrs. Bradford, throwing down her work, and holding out her arms to the child.
Belle let hat and shoe slip to the ground, and in another moment had scrambled into Mrs. Bradford's lap. Ah, what a comfort it was to feel about her those kind arms, whose dear, loving clasp reminded her of those of her lost mamma! ”

“ The colonel did it himself; and he always does run away when the baby cries."
"Yes," said matter-of-fact Bessie, half unwilling to admit even so much against her hero; "but that does not make him a coward. But, Maggie darling, I couldn't speak about how glad I am that this very lovely surprise has come to you. And I think this is better than if you had the real prize in school."
"Oh yes, a great deal better!" said Maggie. "Mr. Ashton is very good and kind; but then he is not any one of ours, and it's a great deal more pleasure to have a prize from our own May Bessie than from him. ”

“ The girls laughed at the satisfied tone and nod of the head which accompanied these words; but Miss Ashton said, "Oh no, Belle! I shall send Marcia out to pick it up. We must all be just to one another; must we not, Bessie?" and she smiled into the earnest eyes which were looking up into hers, though she had no idea of the struggle which her truthful little scholar had gone through before she could make up her mind that, justice to Gracie was not something very like injustice to her own dear Maggie. ”

“ But Jemmy did not know what grandpapa tried to do, so he was not disappointed. It would be a very happy thing for Jemmy if he could ever be so well as to walk on crutches, for now he has to be wheeled about in his chair, and cannot take one step on his feet."
"And he is such a very good boy, is he?" said Kate, when Bessie, having talked herself out of breath, came to a pause.
"Oh yes!" said the child; "you could not find an excellenter boy anywhere, I'm sure. He's so patient and so happy; and he never frets or is cross, though he has a great deal of pain to bear. ”

“ None of the others heard what she said, but it was easy enough to guess that she was trying to persuade Kate to do right; and Fanny, for once roused to energy, exclaimed,—
"You'll have to stand by us, Kate; you can't tell your own share in the mischief without bringing in the rest, and you've no right to do it. And as for you, Bessie, if you bring us into any trouble with your nonsense, we'll keep you out of our room, and have nothing more to do with you. We won't have a mean little tell-tale here spying and reporting us." ”

“ But Fred went right away and told papa," she added, as a hint to her hearers of the course she thought they ought to take.
"Telling one's papa is a different thing from telling Mrs. Ashton," said Mary. "She will be so furious if she finds out how it happened."
"Ah, that is it!" said Kate: "I would not hesitate a moment to tell her I had broken the clock; but how can I tell her how it came about?"
"And I shall get into trouble too," said Fanny, in her fretful tones. "Girls, what shall we do?"
"Do!" repeated Mary Merton. "There is but one thing to do, and that is to stand by one another. ”

“ If they had been idle or disobedient or untruthful, and so lost all chance of a prize, then indeed I should have been mortified and grieved; but, if they had done their best, I should not feel at all troubled because others had done better."
"And would not papa, mamma?"
"No; he will be quite satisfied if he knows that you have tried to do what is right."
"I'm 'fraid I shouldn't, mamma," said Bessie, drawing a long sigh; "if Gracie has the composition prize, not one will come to Maggie or me; and when I think about it I am quite dis-encouraged." ”

“ Jane was sweeping the nursery, nurse sorting the clean clothes, Mrs. Bradford petting her fretful baby, and Maggie very busy over that prize composition; while Bessie was in her own room, dressing the dolls and putting the baby-house in order; for Belle Powers and Lily Norris were coming to spend the day, and all must be ready for them. So every one was very busy, and that, of course, must be the time for Frankie to get into mischief. ”

“ Stanton. "The children you will meet there are all probably more or less well taught; but you may still find something to do for Jesus. But the work which He gives us is not always that which we have chosen or planned for ourselves. It may be that your task will be only that of which you have just spoken—to learn your lessons well, to be obedient and respectful to Miss Ashton, gentle and patient with your schoolmates; yet all may be done for the love of Jesus, and to His glory and praise. ”

“ God never punishes us for doing His will."
"No, mamma. I do not quite mean that. I s'pose punish was not just the right word; but I mean He lets a great disappointment come to us sometimes 'cause we try to do what we know is right. When I was very young, I used to think He always gave people a reward for doing right; but now I know better than that."
"Suppose you tell me your trouble, dear; and see if I cannot help you to understand it."
"Yes, mamma," said Bessie thoughtfully. "I think I might, for you know about the clock from Maggie, and so I shall not be breaking my promise." ”

“ You are so anxious to have that hospital bed for your lame Jemmy. Promise to say what we all say, and we will all vote that you shall have that prize; and I will coax the four girls who are not here to do the same. They will do it for me."
Bessie knew that this was true, for Kate generally carried things her own way in her room. "Maggie, of course, will vote for you; so will Belle and Lily; and so no one else will have a chance, for that will be more than half the school, and you are sure of the prize. Quick! speak, Bessie! There is no time lose. ”

“ Bessie flushed up angrily, stretched out her hand towards Carrie's slate, and in another moment the drawing would have been wiped from it, when, before Miss Ashton could speak, she drew the hand back, and said in a gentle but grieved voice, "I did it as good as I knew how."
"Yes," said Belle, firing up in defence of her "inseparable," and casting a scornful glance at Carrie's slate; "and her cow is a great deal prettier than yours, Carrie, and she is a great deal better than you." ”

“ Ashton had gone, would be quite impossible. It was twelve o'clock, and two or three nurses were waiting in the cloak-room for their little charges; but they found it hard work to coax them away. Miss Ashton had gone down-stairs with her uncle and mother, kindly giving Maggie a few minutes to talk off her excitement before she called her to her music-lesson, which she knew would meet with small attention just at present.
"Oh, I hope, I hope, I do hope I shall gain a prize!" said Maggie, clapping her hands, jumping about, and uttering each succeeding "hope" with more and more energy. ”

“ Miss Ashton rolled a soft handkerchief around the foot; and, wrapping a shawl over that, Jane took Belle in her arms, and hurried home as fast as Bessie's little feet could keep pace with her. But if Miss Ashton had not much to say, Jane found enough.
"To think of your doing such a thing, Miss Belle!" she said; "to be so naughty, and hurt yourself, and maybe make yourself sick, and give so much trouble to Mrs. Bradford. Now she'll be so worried, and that's very bad for her. You know she was worse the other day when Frankie fell down and cut his head." ”

“ Stanton could not help smiling a little, though she was sorry to hear Maggie's rebellions tone.
"Grandmamma," said Bessie, "do you think our Father has a purpose in having Maggie go to school?"
"Yes, dear. We may always be sure that whatever He orders for us is for some wise and holy purpose of His own. It may be He sees this will be good for Maggie, or He may have some work for her to do for Him."
"But I know I could work and study a great deal better at home with my own mamma and my own Bessie, than I could in a hateful school with a cross, ugly teacher," said Maggie. ”