“Now, dear, suppose that you and I resolve in future to do our very best to make mother strong and well. There are three things which I think will do her more good than all the steel wine in the world. First, let her never say anything twice—what a saving of her strength that would be! Then let us always determine to think of her pleasure before our own. And lastly, in every little thing, let us save her all the trouble that we can. Oh, Lily, let us only consider what a blessing God has given us in such a parent; we cannot love her too much, nor care for her too much, nor too earnestly try to obey that commandment, ‘Honour thy father and thy mother.’ And now, will you forgive me for what I have said?” George added, gently laying his hand upon his sister’s.
Lily threw her arms around his neck. “George, you are a darling!” she exclaimed.
“And so we will be merry again! Come, dry up those eyes, dear Lily; I cannot bear to see you cry.”
Lily smiled through her tears, dried her eyes, and then, taking her work-box from the table, she drew out her beautiful pen-wiper. “Can you guess for whom this is?” said she; “do you think that it will be pretty when it is done?”
“Very pretty indeed,” answered George; “how beautiful the gold looks on the dark blue!”
“It is for a certain brother of mine,” said Lily, with an arch, pleasant smile.
“For a brother who will value it very much—I think that I can answer for that,” replied George.
“I’m going to work it now,” said the little girl, as she passed a thread through my eye.
“Have you nothing else that you wish to do first, dear Lily?”
“No, nothing;—oh, you are looking at that hole in my dress; but I never mend my own clothes.”