"Fenelon tells us to be patient with ourselves, and he is right," Mrs. Grey said, gently, and looking with sympathy at the poor mother's flushed cheeks.
"And now about Julia," cried Mrs. Thayer. "She is naturally a nice child; but she is copying all Esther's ways. And before I forget it, I want to consult you about an incident that occurred just before you came. Julia is very energetic, and one day, when I was out, undertook to put my bureau in order. When I came in and found my room in an uproar—the bed, the floors, the sofa covered with heterogeneous masses of clothing—I was extremely displeased, and seized the child by the arm and marched her angrily out of the room. Whereupon she dropped a courtesy and said, 'Thank you, ma'am. You must have had a nice prayer-meeting!' I afterwards found that she had been preparing a pleasant surprise for me by putting my drawers in order. Ought I to say anything to her about it?"
"Yes, you ought to ask her pardon."
"Ask her pardon! Ask a child's pardon!"
"Why not? She has her individual rights as you have yours."
"But to degrade myself to a child of ten years!"
"To ennoble yourself in her eyes. The degradation was in losing your temper."
"Well—well—well! This home has got to be pulled all to pieces and built up again, if we are to follow your suggestions."
"Pull away," said Mrs. Grey, smiling; "the sooner the better. And now won't you let me see the little nursery people?"
Mrs. Thayer's face cleared as she led the way to baby and his brother, both large for their age.