GOOD RESOLUTIONS.
Winnie was having a confused dream of a little dwarf, armed with a long
column of figures, which he waved threateningly in the air; but as she
advanced to seize them, thinking to use them for her lessons during
the day, the dwarf commenced to grow, and, as she stood amazed and
horror-struck, he attained the height of ten feet or so, and was
still growing when she heard the tinkling of a bell, and a voice said:
"Wizard, avaunt!" At this the giant disappeared, and the whole column of
figures fell on the floor in a confused heap. She stooped to pick them
up, when the bell rang again, this time louder, and she grasped--her
brother Ralph, who was ringing the breakfast bell violently in her ears.
A little vexed, she was going to send him away and turn over for another
nap, when suddenly she remembered her good resolutions of the evening
before, and, to Ralph's surprise, sprang up at once.
Having dressed herself, she turned the bedclothes back to air, and, with
the exception of making her bed, which was done by Norah later in the
day, put everything in her dainty pink room in nice order. Then she sat
down to select her verse, it being the custom of the family for each
to recite some passage from the Bible, about which they afterward had a
little talk. She chose part of the second verse of the sixth chapter of
2d Corinthians: "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."
When the bell rang for the family to gather, Winnie was ready to go down
at once, without hurry or confusion, or being haunted by the thought
that she was but half dressed. If she received no other reward, her
mother's approving smile as her daughter entered, made her feel quite
happy.
Mr. Burton and Jack were not yet down, but came in almost directly.
Her father read for that morning a part of the 107th Psalm, that most
beautiful psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Then they all recited their
verses. The mother had chosen hers from the chapter just read: "For he
satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."
Jack had chosen: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Ralph said, "Suffer
little children," which was his great standby. Mr. Burton had a few
words to say about all of them, but about Winnie's in particular; he
spoke about its spiritual and religions meaning, and went on to say that
it could be applied to all the affairs of life. He spoke of the folly as
well as the sin of procrastination, that great destroyer of so many
good deeds, which become utterly useless if done too late. He said
that duties are like bricks used in building a house; if the foundation
stones were left out, it would be impossible to make any use of those
remaining. After the talk was finished, the family gathered around the
piano, and sang a morning hymn.
Winnie was in very good spirits that morning; an approving conscience is
a great help to cheerfulness and good temper. She cut Ralph's steak for
him, and pleased him very much by begging for one of his dollars, as
she called the tiny cakes which Norah fried for her pet. She amused the
others, also, by giving, in the phraseology of a school-girl of to-day,
a graphic account of the way she imagined the redoubtable Captain Molly
acted at the Battle of Monmouth.
Everything seemed to go well with her, and at half past eight she had
her books in her arms, ready to take a leisurely stroll to school,
although the unfinished problems still troubled her.
When she entered her room, three or four of the girls rushed up to
her with: "Come on into the dressing-room, Win; we're going to have a
meeting of the B. S. S."
"Oh, I can't, girls!" said Winnie, it must be confessed very faintly,
"I've two more problems to work, and I'll just have time to do them
before the bell rings, and during the first study bell."
"Oh, bother the problems!" said Miriam Douglass, striking an attitude.
"Let them go! What are problems, compared with the important business of
the B. S. S.?"
But Winnie, collecting all her mental strength, and remembering her "I'm
bound to" of the night before, resolutely drew back, saying, "I can't,
girls; for I've a giant to kill."
The girls looked at her in amaze.
"A giant to kill! You look as if you'd kill a dozen, single-handed, you
midge!" laughed tall Miriam, for Winnie was the youngest and smallest
girl in the class. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I can't stop to tell you now," said Winnie, "for if I do, I'll lose the
first blow; but I'll tell you about it at recess."
"All right, since you're determined," said Fannie Allen; "and I say,
girls, let's postpone our meeting till then."
"Agreed!" said the others; and each one, as they separated, went to
her own seat and busied herself at some study, so quickly does a little
leaven leaven the whole.
When recess came, Winnie explained to the three girls, and Miriam
Douglass laughed at her and teased her not a little; but somehow no one
minded Miriam's teasing, she was so bright and good-natured with it all.
"I suppose," said Miriam, munching her last piece of butterscotch--for
be it known that the mysterious initials, about which the other girls of
the class were "dancing crazy with curiosity," as Miriam said, signified
"Butter Scotch Society"--"you'll be wanting us to give up the B. S. S.
with all its sweet delights, and go about the world with drawn swords,
and 'front like Jove, to threaten or command,' neither giving nor
receiving quarter. I can see myself now, as I exclaim, 'Base spirit,
beware, lest with this trusty sword I hew thee in pieces!'" And she
flourished her ruler with such spirit that the girls all applauded.
Just then, however, the bell rang for the close of recess, and they were
obliged to go to their recitations.
Thanks to Winnie's determination, and her vigorous use of the study
bells, she received a perfect mark in all her lessons for the day, but
she went home in the afternoon tired and jaded from the hard work.
She found her mother in the sitting-room, sewing, and said, as she threw
down her books, "Now, mamma, I want to make my confession, and also
to thank you for allowing me to work last night. I know you have often
spoken to me about my bad habit of putting everything off till the last
minute, and it is almost always because I get hold of a story book and
cannot lay it down. Yesterday it was 'The Giant Killer,' and I was
so interested in Fides' battle with Giant Hate, that I forgot I was
neglecting my own faults to watch him conquer his. But now I'm going
to begin killing my own giants, and I'll commence with my worst,
procrastination; for indeed, as Miss Brownlow is always telling us,
it is the thief of time. And I want you to watch me and help me. As
to-morrow will be Saturday, I want to get every one of my lessons for
Monday, so that I can use the Monday study bells for Tuesday's lessons;
then I can always get through in the afternoon."
"I think that will be a very good plan, Winnie; you will then feel at
ease each day about the work for the succeeding one, and an absence of
worry will keep your mental faculties in good condition, so that you can
do much more work with less strain of mind or body. And it will leave
your evenings for reading or such other recreation as may occur from
time to time, for you know I do not believe in all work and no play. I
want to run down to Shillito's now to do a little shopping, and I hope
you will be able, while I am gone, to resist your favorite temptation,
for I really believe that many of our temptations are favorites."
As soon as Mrs. Burton, taking Ralph with her, had gone, Winnie settled
herself resolutely to work at her problems. She had just become quite
interested in finding out the "population of a certain village," which
increased a certain per cent, the first year, etc., when the bell rang,
and answering the call, she found Miriam Douglass. Here was a dilemma.
But she said:
"Miriam, I'm just at work on my problems for Monday. Come right in, and
we'll work them together."
"Oh, Winnie, we'll have all day to-morrow to get our lessons. Do let's
have a good time to-day."
"I promised mamma that I would do all my lessons before Monday, but,
of course, Miriam, if you don't wish to, I'll stop. I do think, though,
that we'll enjoy ourselves just as well if we do this work."
"All right, Winnie, go ahead," said Miriam laughing. "I guess my brain
can stand it if yours can."
The two girls applied themselves so well, Miriam being particularly
bright in arithmetic, that by the time Mrs. Burton returned, they not
only had the whole set of problems solved, but neatly copied and ready
to "hand in."
Mrs. Burton herself helped them with their analysis in grammar, and
that being Miriam's great stumbling block, she was delighted with the
assistance. She accepted Mrs. Burton's invitation to stay to supper,
after which, Mr. Burton and Jack both being out, Winnie's mother
proposed that the girls should take turns reading aloud to her from the
book Winnie had been telling them about.
Both girls had been well taught, and it was a pleasure to listen to
their fresh, well modulated voices. Miriam, though far less imaginative
than Winnifred, enjoyed the book very much, and said, half in fun:
"Why can't we turn our B. S. S. into a club to fight our giants? We
might then be a help instead of a drawback to each other, as I know we
are now, for we're always upsetting each other's attempts to do right."
"I think that is a very good idea," said Mrs. Burton. "Union and
organization are such powers in this world, that I do not see why they
should not help four little girls to do right. You might have social
meetings occasionally to report progress, and you could have a good time
beside. Talk it over on Monday with Gretta and Fannie, and if you want
help, come to me."
"Oh, Mrs. Burton, you always do think of the nicest things! That's just
what we will do, and we'll report a week from to-night. But now it is
time for me to go."
As Miriam lived only a square away, Mrs. Burton and Winnie walked over
with her, and on their return Winnie went to bed happy and contented.
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