Lucy from Michigan. Thank you, my dear, for your interesting letter. I think your Band must be a very helpful one. One needs to do something of that sort, in order to realize how rapidly the pennies count up.
Jessie from Nebraska. So you are just a little inclined to "fret." Well, that is a very easy thing to do, and rather a hard thing to stop doing. I hope the badge will do its share in the work. I suspect the motto, however, will be more helpful than anything else. I enjoyed your letter very much.
Maud from Montana. Oh, yes, my dear, far-away Pansy, there are other Blossoms just as far; but if somebody should ask us what we were talking about—how far from where?—what should we tell them? This is such a big world, and the people who live in California think the people who live in Maine are very far away from them, but when I get a letter from a little missionary girl in China, she says, "I wish you did not live so far away from us!" so how shall we count? The truth is, we are all away from home, on a journey; by and by, if we keep the right road, we shall all get home to our Father's house; then no one will be far away.
Horace from New Jersey. My boy, I know all about that habit of yours, what a temptation it is. I am rejoiced to think you are going to conquer it while you are young. One day I went to call on two ladies, sisters, who were both over fifty years old, and don't you think the younger one contradicted the elder in almost every statement she made! If we could have gotten hold of her when she was a little girl, and coaxed her to take a pledge to overcome the habit, she would not be such an ill-bred woman now.
Cora from New Hampshire. We welcome you and "sister Mabel" with great pleasure. There are a great many "hasty tempers" among our Blossoms. The world will certainly be the sweeter because of all the flowers that have decided to speak gentle words instead of hasty ones.
Rose from Pennsylvania. Did the badge help? I wonder what sort of things you "forgot" so much? Poor gold thimble! I wonder where it is hiding? I heard of a boy who forget to mail a letter for his father, and so was the means of his losing ten thousand dollars!
Rodney from Philadelphia. Another "quick" temper! All right, my boy; we have many to keep you company. We welcome "sister Clara" also. An "answer back" is almost certain not to be a "soft" answer; did you ever notice it?
My Dear Pansy:
Do you know I have read you for over three years, and I think you are just splendid! I want a badge to help me overcome the fault of fretting. When things don't go to suit me I am apt to fret. Near this town where I live there are prairie dog-towns, where prairie dogs, owls, and rattlesnakes all live together in one hole! I should think they would fight and kill each other, and I expect they do. I learned that piece from The Pansy, "The Little Quaker Sinner." I think it is real pretty. I like the story about the Deckers best of anything in The Pansy, but I like everything in it. I take the magazine to our school, and the teacher reads the story about Nettie and Jerry, aloud; the scholars all like it so much they can hardly wait until the next chapter comes. I have a brother named Paul. I would like to correspond with some Pansy Blossom; a little girl of about my own age.