Various

“ Some people don't divide theirs up; they have manners that are just the same all the time. And this is a much better way, especially if they are a pleasant kind, my dear.
"Some people get their manners at Paris, and some people's mothers tell them to them when they are young. But my dear Maud Anna Belinda, if you want yours to be good and lovely through and through, you must have a good and lovely heart that's full of kindness and best wishes to everybody. ”

“ How they did hate to leave the white school yard when the bell would put an end to the short recesses!
"I think it's a pity we have to be shut up in the schoolhouse all the time and not get any good of it—when it doesn't snow here like this more than once till you're grownup," Mr. Newman heard one little fellow complain.
Their teacher had liked to play in the snow as well as any of them when he was a boy, and he wished that he had not been obliged to ring the school bell and spoil their fun so soon. ”

“ That means that he is kind and gentle to all the creatures that he has anything to do with, to his horse and his cow, to his dog, and even to the tiny kitten that ties itself up into a ball, chasing its own tail. ”

“ So many toys, and yet nobody seemed happy but baby Paul, who was trying to swallow his two little thumbs.
So many toys and yet nobody seemed happy but baby Paul.
In the middle of the circle was a tray with little dishes, and Emma held a tiny cup in her hand, for the children were just finishing a make-believe dinner party that had water and two apples for refreshments.
"Winter parties, when its raining outdoors, aren't much fun," grumbled Emma. ”

“ You have to be alive before you can talk, and walk, and think, and act. You have to be willing before you can do anything, you know, and so we will see what we can do with ourselves, before we try to do much for others. ”

“ One day Lena swept almost the entire floor alone. She was younger than Dorothy, too, but she did her work so poorly that the teacher had to do it over after Lena had gone. Dorothy knew, for she watched, hoping the teacher would tell her to do it.
At last one rainy day there were but a few at school, and those who were there had recently swept the floor. As the teacher glanced around before making the usual appointment, she looked at Dorothy, and Dorothy turned red in the face with excitement. Perhaps the teacher thought the shy little girl was afraid to be called on ”

“ If Maud Anna Belinda did not need Elsie's advice, that is not saying that some of us may not.
—Selected.
"That boy looks like a gentleman," said poor little Harry, looking at that boy's nice clothes and then at his own poor ones.
He got on a street car. Soon he gave up his seat to a woman, and picked up her gloves.
"You're a little gentleman," she said.
You can be a gentleman, no matter how shabby your clothes.
Ralph and Emma and little Paul were sitting in a big circle. ”

“ There's company manners and there's home-folks manners. Some people have very fine company manners, but their home-folks manners are horrid. They make all their smiles in company, and just have frowns and pouts and frets for the family ”

“ But it has pleased our Father to make us what we are, and to give us the power over his other creatures, and for that reason we should be very kind and gentle with them. He wishes us to be merciful, and so we have his promise that those who are merciful shall have mercy shown them, if ever they come to be in need of it. ”

“ When anyone does anything for you, suppose you try to be truly thankful. When anyone teases you, see if you can be patient. If others are cross, see how kind you can be. When others are sour, you must be sweet. ”

“ A mother should be more careful to provide her children with good books than fine clothes; should spend more time in teaching and training them than in decking their bodies for show and display. Mothers, if you are obliged to practice economy, do not commence to save in your children's books and papers ”

“ The girls at Dorothy's school—the little ones as well as the big ones—had to do something that very few schoolgirls have to do nowadays, and that is to sweep the schoolroom—a large room that had to be swept every day after the closing hour. ”

“ Doing, seems to be a hard word with you little maids. Suppose we drop that word and take another. A very great man once said that when we could do nothing, we could still be something, for the sake of other people. ”

“ Snow did not cover the school yard at Hamlet so often as not to cause a great deal of excitement among the boys and girls, especially a deep snow—deep enough for making snowballs and forts and snowmen. ”

“ As early as possible let your children be encouraged to read, and see that they are provided with books and papers adapted to their capacity of mind. Some parents, be it said to their shame, consider money spent in this way as unnecessary or even wasted. A more erroneous idea of economy never existed. Books are great educators. ”

“ While, however, the mind is being trained and improved, care should be taken that the spiritual part is not neglected. While your children are reading books by various authors, have a care that they do not neglect the reading of the Bible, the Book of books. ”

“ In her heart, Leslie thought it was much better, and while Granny Graham ate one of the oranges they both decided that the story of Little White Riding-Hood had a much pleasanter ending than the old one in Leslie's book.
—Written for Dew Drops by Marion Mallette Thornton.
Musical Hespie and Her Play.
Little Hespie, the wood mouse, sang sometimes as long as nine minutes. Her song usually came forth when she was at play, or exercising in some way. One time she became especially delighted because her wheel squeaked when she turned it. You know how pleased a boy is when his hobbyhorse creaks. ”