THE DANDELIONS.
AFTER a pleasant evening spent in conversation with Grandma Kent and
Mr. and Mrs. Mason, they were just about retiring, when Mrs. Mason
said, with a sigh—
"This is the only time when I can take the least comfort. Joseph is so
hasty in temper, and when he is roused, is so furious, that I live in
constant dread of an outbreak."
Mrs. Kent glanced toward her sister Mary, as if she would say, "How
well I can sympathize with her!"
"I tell my wife," began Mr. Mason, his voice growing angry at the
thought of his unruly boy, "that his passion must be checked, or it
will render him a maniac. Whip him till he will submit."
"I doubt whether whipping is always the best remedy," suggested Mrs.
Kent, mildly.
"You would think differently if you had such a child as Joseph to
manage. Why, he's so strong in his fits of passion, that Amanda can do
nothing with him. If I'm away, she just lets him thrash about till he's
tired."
"Have you ever tried praying with him?" inquired Mary. "I've known that
to work wonders."
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Mr. Mason. "One might as well pray to the wind.
That's just like an old maid."
"Mary has had a good deal of experience with children," said Mrs. Kent,
firmly, "though she is but little past twenty years old. She has a
natural tact in getting along with them."
"Well, she has my consent to pray over Joseph as much as she pleases.
Suppose you begin to-night, while he is asleep;" and Mr. Mason laughed
again.
Grandma had remained quiet through the whole conversation; now she
pressed Mrs. Kent's hand, as an intimation to say no more. So, with
many cordial "goodnights," they parted.
Mary occupied a bed with her mother, and took the earliest opportunity,
in the morning, to talk with her brother about it.
"There is nothing," she said, "but a board partition between her room
and that where the children sleep, so that she is kept awake, by their
quarrels, till a late hour; and then Joseph begins to snarl as soon as
it is light. I can see that the conduct of that boy is wearing her out,
though when I said a word, she only shook her head."
"Is there no other room she can have?" inquired Mr. Kent, eagerly.
"I should think so, when the whole house is hers. Before we go, I want
something to be done about it."
The visit of her children and grandchildren seemed to revive the old
lady, who had been rather feeble for a year. Especially she took
delight in talking with Berty, or hearing him read. The little fellow
loved his grandma, and embraced every opportunity to be attentive,
though his little cousins often laughed at him, and teased him to leave
her and join them in their play.
Ida, too, loved to wait on grandma, to bring her glasses, and place a
cricket for her feet. One day she greatly amused them all by gathering
a bouquet of dandelions, which she insisted were "pretty flowers," and
putting them in a tumbler by grandma's plate.
On this occasion Ida, for the first time during her visit, showed
something of her old temper. She was very sensitive to ridicule, and
when her cousins, and even their mother laughed at her bouquet, she
threw herself on the floor, kicking and screaming with passion.
Without a word Mrs. Kent arose, took Ida firmly by the hand, and led
her to her own chamber. Before they reached it, the child began to be
ashamed.
"I'm sorry, mamma," she said, humbly; "I didn't remember how naughty it
was."
"My dear little daughter, do you know whom you have displeased?"
"Yes, mamma, my good Jesus."
"What ought you to do, then?"
Ida instantly kneeled down and asked God to please forgive her, and
help her not to forgot any more.
It was scarcely ten minutes from the time they left the room till they
returned, the child talking gayly about some dandelion curls her mother
had promised to show her how to make.
"I don't see how you can govern your temper so," began Mrs. Mason, when
the children had gone out to play.
"Of what use is it to try and govern our children, if we cannot control
ourselves?" asked the lady, with a smile.
"If you had Joseph to deal with, you'd find it different. Why, I should
consider it almost a miracle if he'd give up as easy as Ida did just
now. Well, everybody has their trials; I suppose having unruly children
is to be mine."
"It will be a trial, indeed, if they are not taught to control
themselves while young. Every year makes them more stubborn, and the
lesson more difficult."
"I'm not fond of children as Mary is," said the mother, sighing.
"Sometimes I think we don't manage ours right; but it's hard to know
what to do."
"Pray to the Lord for strength, my daughter," said grandma, solemnly.
"Mr. Mason, you know; isn't a praying man," she said, trying to hide
her emotion by a laugh, "and I've given up trying with Joseph long ago."