R FIFTH.

EDITH'S TRIALS.

"Now, Emilie, what do you think of my life?" said Edith, one day after
she and Fred had had one of their usual squabbles. "What do you think of
Fred _now_?"

"I think, Edith, dear, that I would try and win him over to love and
affection, and not thwart and irritate him as you do. Have you forgotten
old Joe's maxim, 'a soft answer turneth away wrath?' but your grievous
words too often stir up strife. You told me the other day, dear, how
much the conduct of Sarah Murray pleased you; now you may act towards
John and Fred as Sarah did to little Susy."

Edith shook her head. "It is not in me, Emilie, I am afraid."

"No, dear," said Emilie, "you are right, it is not _in_ you."

"Well then what is the use of telling me to do things impossible?"

"I did not say impossible, Edith, did I?"

"No, but you say it is not in me to be gentle and all that, and I dare
say it is not; but you don't get much the better thought of, gentle as
you are. Miss Schomberg. John and Fred don't behave better to you than
they do to me, so far as I see."

"Edith, dear, you set out wrong in your attempts to do right," said
Emily, kindly. "It is not _in_ you; it is not _in_ any one by nature to
be always gentle and kind. It is not in me I know. I was once a very
petulant child, being an only one, and it was but by very slow process
that I learned to govern myself, and I am learning it still."

At this moment Fred came in, bearing in one hand a quantity of paper,
and in another a book with directions for balloon making. "Now Edith,
you are a clever young lady," he began.

"Oh, yes," said Edith, wrathfully, "When it suits you, you can flatter."

"No, but Edith, don't be cross, come! I want you to do me a service. I
want you to cut me out this tissue paper into the shape of this
pattern. I am going to send up a balloon to-morrow, and I can't cut it
out, will you do it for me?"

"Yes, yes," said Emilie, "we will do it together. Oh, come that is a
nice job, Edith dear, I can help you in that," and Emilie cleared away
her own work quick as thought, and asked Fred for particular directions
how it was to be done, all this time trying to hide Edith's
unwillingness to oblige her brother, and making it appear that Edith and
she were of one mind to help him.

Fred, who since the fire-work affair had treated Emilie somewhat rudely,
and had on many occasions annoyed her considerably, looked in
astonishment at Miss Schomber