ust take into account
that this is Lillie's first adversity. You may as well make up your
mind not to expect her to be reasonable. It seems to me that we can
make up our minds to bear any thing that we know must come; and you
may as well make up yours, that, for a long time, you will have to
carry Lillie as a burden. But then, you must think that she is your
daughter's mother, and that it is very important for the child that
she should respect and honor her mother. You must treat her with
respect and honor, even in her weaknesses. We all must. We all must
help Lillie as we can to bear this trial, and sympathize with her in
it, unreasonable as she may seem; because, after all, John, it is a
real trial to her."

"I cannot see, for my part," said John, "that she loves any thing."

"The power of loving may be undeveloped in her, John; but it will
come, perhaps, later in life. At all events take this comfort to
yourself,--that, when you are doing your duty by your wife, when you
are holding her in her place in the family, and teaching her child to
respect and honor her, you are putting her in God's school of love. If
we contend with and fly from our duties, simply because they gall
us and burden us, we go against every thing; but if we take them up
bravely, then every thing goes with us. God and good angels and good
men and all good influences are working with us when we are working
for the right. And in this way, John, you may come to happiness; or,
if you do not come to personal happiness, you may come to something
higher and better. You know that you think it nobler to be an honest
man than a rich man; and I am sure that you will think it better to be
a good man than to be a happy one. Now, dear John, it is not I that
say these things, I think; but it seems to me it is what our mother
would say, if she should speak to you from where she is. And then,
dear brother, it will all be over soon, this life-battle; and the only
thing is, to come out victorious."

"Gracie, you are right," said John, rising up: "I see it myself. I
will brace up to my duty. Couldn't you try and pacify Lillie a little,
poor girl? I suppose I have been rough with her."

"Oh, yes, John, I will go up and talk with Lillie, and condole with
her; and perhaps we shall bring her round. And then when my husband
comes home next week, we'll have a family palaver, and he will find
some ways and means of setting this business straight, that it won't
be so ba