"Of what use is it to try and govern our children, if we cannot control ourselves?" asked the lady, with a smile.
"If you had Joseph to deal with, you'd find it different. Why, I should consider it almost a miracle if he'd give up as easy as Ida did just now. Well, everybody has their trials; I suppose having unruly children is to be mine."
"It will be a trial, indeed, if they are not taught to control themselves while young. Every year makes them more stubborn, and the lesson more difficult."
"I'm not fond of children as Mary is," said the mother, sighing. "Sometimes I think we don't manage ours right; but it's hard to know what to do."
"Pray to the Lord for strength, my daughter," said grandma, solemnly.
"Mr. Mason, you know; isn't a praying man," she said, trying to hide her emotion by a laugh, "and I've given up trying with Joseph long ago."
[CHAPTER VI.]
JOSEPH'S PASSION.
FOR two or three days, grandma had been much occupied in her room.
When the children ran in to see her, she always received them with a smile; but Berty noticed that she threw a towel over something she had in her lap. It was near the close of the week of their visit before he found out what she was doing; and then it came out that she had made a beautiful ball for him and a doll for Ida.