"There was once a gentleman (Audubon) in America," said his mother, "who
was very fond of studying birds. He would go out in the woods to watch
them, and he also made sketches of them, and worked so hard that he had
nearly a thousand of these drawings, which, of course, he valued very
much. One time he was going away from home for some months, and before
he went he collected all his precious drawings together, put them
carefully in a wooden box, and gave them to a relative to take care of
until he came back.
"The time went by and he returned, and soon after asked for the box
containing his treasures. The box was there, but what do you think? Two
rats had found their way into it, and had made a home there for their
young ones, and the beautiful drawings were all gnawed until nothing was
left but tiny scraps of paper. You can guess how dreadfully disappointed
the poor man would feel. But he tells us that in a few days he went out
to the woods and began his drawings again as gaily as if nothing had
happened; and he was pleased to think that he might now make better
drawings than before. It was nearly three years before he had made up
for what the rats had eaten. This man must have possessed the precious
jewel of patience. Do you not think so?"
"What is patience, mother?" asked Walter.
"The little Scotch girl said it meant 'wait a wee, and no weary,'" said
his mother; "and I think that is a very good meaning. It is like saying
that we must wait, and do the work over again, if necessary, without
getting vexed or worried."
Patience is a good "stone" to have in the Temple of Character.
(Blackboard.)
Patience means:--
Wait, and not Weary.