to spoil Hatty as you do. You all give in to her, however cross
and unreasonable she is, and so her temper gets worse every day.'"

"Well, you are very often cross, you know," returned Bessie truthfully.

"Yes, but I try not to be," replied Hatty, with a little sob. "Tom would
have been cross too if his head and back had ached as mine were aching,
but he always feels well and strong. I think it is cruel of him to say
such things to mother, when he knows how much I have to suffer."

"Tom did not mean to be unkind, Hatty; you are always finding fault
with the poor boy. It is difficult for a young man, who does not know
what an ache means, nor what it is to wake up tired, to realize what
real suffering all your little ailments cause you. Tom is really very
kind and good-natured, only your sharp little speeches irritate him."

"I am always irritating some one," moaned Hatty. "I can't think how any
of you can love me. I often cry myself to sleep, to think how horrid and
disagreeable I have been in the day. I make good resolutions then, but
the next morning I am as bad as ever, and then I think it is no use
trying any more. Last night Tom made me so unhappy that I could not say
my prayers."

"Poor little Hatty!"

"Yes, I know you are sorry for me; you are such a dear that I cannot be
as cross with you as I am with Tom; but, Bessie, I wish you would
comfort me a little; if you would only tell me that I am not so much to
blame."

"We have talked that over a great many times before. You know what I
think, Hatty; you are not to blame for your weakness; that is a trial
laid upon you; but you are to blame if that weakness is so impatiently
borne that it leads you to sin."

"I am sure father thinks that I cannot help my irritability; he will
never let Tom scold me if he is in the room."

"That is because father is so kind, and he knows you have such a hard
time of it, you poor child, and that makes us all so sorry for you; but,
Hatty, you must not let all this love spoil you; we are patient with you
because we know your weakness, but we cannot help you if you do not help
yourself. Don't you recollect what dear Mr. Robertson said in his
sermon? that 'harassed nerves must be striven against, as we strive
against anything that hinders our daily growth in grace.' He said people
were more tolerant of this form of weakness than of any other, and yet
it caused much misery in homes, and he went on to tell us that every
irritable w