with the follies, the unworthiness, the ingratitude of
those one loves--these things are our daily example. For wounds in the
house of our enemies pride may be prepared; wounds in the house of our
friends take human nature by surprise, and GOD only can teach us to
bear them. And with all reverence I think that we may say that ours
have an element of difficulty in which His were wanting. They are
mixed with blame on our own parts."

"That is why you have put that text for me?" said I. My aunt nodded.

I was learning to illuminate, and I took much pride in my room. I
determined to make a text for myself, and to choose a very plain
passage about ill-temper. Mrs. Welment's books supplied me with
plenty. I chose "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," but I
resolved to have the complete text as it stands in the Bible. It
seemed fair to allow myself to remember that anger is not always a
sin, and I thought it useful to remind myself that if by obstinate
ill-temper I got the victory in a quarrel, it was only because the
devil had got the victory over me. So the text ran full length:--"Be
ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
neither give place to the devil." It made a very long scroll, and I
put it up over my window, and fastened it with drawing-pins.

CHAPTER VI.

THEATRICAL PROPERTIES--I PREPARE A PLAY--PHILIP BEGINS TO PREPARE THE
SCENERY--A NEW FRIEND.

Philip was at school during the remainder of the year, but I tried to
put my good resolves in practice with the children, and it made us a
more peaceful household than usual. When Philip came home for the
Christmas holidays we were certainly in very pleasant moods--for an
ill-tempered family.

Our friends allow that some quickness of wits accompanies the
quickness of our tempers. From the days when we were very young our
private theatricals have been famous in our own little neighbourhood.
I was paramount in nursery mummeries, and in the children's charade
parties of the district, for Philip was not very reliable when steady
help was needed; but at school he became stage-manager of the
theatricals there.

I do not know that he learned to act very much better than I, and I
think Alice (who was only twelve) had twice the gift of either of us,
but every half he came back more ingenious than before in matters for
which we had neither the talent nor the tools. He glued together yards
of canvas or calico, and produced scenes and drop-