or things, go a great way even with children. How long did
Mary remember and profit by your sound rating and box on the ear
(still red with the blow) into the bargain? Not over ten minutes;
for when I came down-stairs, she had both hands into your basket
again."

"The little huzzy! It's well for her that I did not catch her at
it!"

"It is well indeed, Sarah, for you would, by your angry and unjust
punishment, have done the little creature a serious injury. Did you
ever explain to her the use of your work-basket and the various
things in it, and make her comprehend how necessary it was to you to
have every thing in order there, just as you placed it?"

"Gracious, William! Do you think I haven't something else to do
besides wasting time in explaining to children the use of every
thing in my work-basket? What good would it do, I wonder?"

"It would do a great deal of good, Sarah, you may rely upon it, and
be a great saving of time into the bargain; for if you made your
children properly comprehend the use of every thing around them, and
how their meddling with certain things was wrong, because it would
incommode you, you would find them far less disposed than now to put
their hands into wrong places. Try it."

"Nonsense! I wonder if I haven't been trying all my life to make
them understand that they were not to meddle with things that didn't
belong to them! And what good has it done?"

"Very little, I must own; for I never saw children who had less
regard to what their mother says than yours have."

This touched Mrs. Elder a little. She didn't mind animadverting upon
the defects of her children, but was ready to stand up in their
defence whenever any one else found fault with them.

"I reckon they are not the worst children in the world," she
replied, rather warmly.

"I should be sorry if they were. But they are not the best either,
by a long way, although naturally as good children as are seen
anywhere. It is your bad management that is spoiling them."

"My management!"

"Frankly, Sarah, I am compelled to affirm that it is. I have been in
your house, now, for three or four months, and must say that I am
surprised that your children are as good as they are. Don't be
angry! Don't be fretted with me as you are with every thing in them
that doesn't please you. I am old enough to hear reason as well as
to talk reason. Let us go back to a point on which I wished to fix
your attention, but from which we digressed