WHEREIN ARE SHOWN THE DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF LOVE AND GOODNESS FROM THOSE
ATTENDING ANGER, STRIFE, AND WICKEDNESS: WITH THE LIFE OF MISS JENNY
PEACE.
After Miss Jenny had completed the good work of making all her
companions friends, she drew them round her in a little arbour, in that
very garden which had been the scene of their strife, and consequently
of their misery; and then spoke to them the following speech; which
she delivered in so mild a voice, that it was sufficient to charm her
hearers into attention, and to persuade them to be led by her advice,
and to follow her example in the paths of goodness.
‘My dear friends and schoolfellows, you cannot imagine the happiness it
gives me to see you thus all so heartily reconciled. You will find
the joyful fruits of it. Nothing can show so much sense as thus to own
yourselves in fault; for could anything have been so foolish as to spend
all your time in misery, rather than at once to make use of the power
you have of making yourselves happy? Now if you will use as many
endeavours to love as you have hitherto done to hate each other, you
will find that every one amongst you, whenever you have anything given
you, will have double, nay, I may say eight times (as there are eight of
you) the pleasure, in considering that your companions are happy. What
is the end of quarrels, but that everyone is fretted and vexed, and
no one gains anything! Whereas by endeavouring to please and love each
other, the end is happiness to ourselves, and joy to everyone around us.
I am sure, if you will speak the truth, none of you have been so easy
since you quarrelled, as you are now you are reconciled. Answer me
honestly, if this is not truth.’
Here Miss Jenny was silent, and waited for an answer. But the poor
girls, who had in them the seeds of goodwill to each other, although
those seeds were choked and overrun with the weeds of envy and pride;
as in a garden the finest strawberries will be spoiled by rank weeds, if
care is not taken to root them out; these poor girls, I say, now struck
with the force of truth, and sorry for what they had done, let drop some
tears, which trickled down their cheeks, and were signs of meekness,
and sorrow for their fault. Not like those tears which burst from their
swollen eyes, when anger and hatred choked their words, and their proud
hearts laboured with stubbornness and folly; when their skins reddened,
and all their features were changed and distorted by the violence of
passion, which made them frightful to the beholders, and miserable
to themselves;-- No! Far other cause had they now for tears, and far
different were the tears they shed; their eyes, melted with sorrow for
their faults, let fall some drops, as tokens of their repentance; but,
as soon as they could recover themselves to speak, they all with one
voice cried out, ‘Indeed, Miss Jenny, we are sorry for our fault, and
will follow your advice; which we now see is owing to your goodness.’
Miss Jenny now produced a basket of apples, which she had purchased out
of the little pocket-money she was allowed, in order to prove, that the
same things may be a pleasure or a pain, according as the persons to
whom they are given are good or bad.
These she placed in the midst of her companions, and desired them to
eat, and enjoy themselves; and now they were so changed, that each
helped her next neighbour before she would touch any for herself; and
the moment they were grown thus good natured and friendly, they were as
well-bred, and as polite, as it is possible to describe.
Miss Jenny’s joy was inexpressible, that she had caused this happy
change; nor less was the joy of her companions, who now began to
taste pleasures, from which their animosity to each other had hitherto
debarred them. They all sat looking pleased on their companions; their
faces borrowed beauty from the calmness and goodness of their minds;
and all those ugly frowns, and all that ill-natured sourness, which when
they were angry and cross were but too plain in their faces, were now
entirely fled; jessamine and honeysuckles surrounded their seats, and
played round their heads, of which they gathered nosegays to present
each other with. They now enjoyed all the pleasure and happiness that
attend those who are innocent and good.
Miss Jenny, with her heart overflowing with joy at this happy change,
said, ‘Now, my dear companions, that you may be convinced what I have
said and done was not occasioned by any desire of proving myself wiser
than you, as Miss Sukey hinted while she was yet in her anger, I will,
if you please, relate to you the history of my past life; by which you
will see in what manner I came by this way of thinking; and as you will
perceive it was chiefly owing to the instructions of a kind mamma, you
may all likewise reap the same advantage under good Mrs. Teachum, if
you will obey her commands, and attend to her precepts. And after I have
given you the particulars of my life, I must beg that every one of you
will, some day or other, when you have reflected upon it, declare all
that you can remember of your own; for, should you not be able to relate
anything worth remembering as an example, yet there is nothing more
likely to amend the future part of anyone’s life, than the recollecting
and confessing the faults of the past.’
All our little company highly approved of Miss Jenny’s proposal, and
promised, in their turns, to relate their own lives; and Miss Polly
Suckling cried out, ‘Yes indeed, Miss Jenny, I’ll tell all when it comes
to my turn; so pray begin, for I long to hear what you did, when you was
no bigger than I am now.’ Miss Jenny then kissed little Polly, and said
she would instantly begin.
But as in the reading of any one’s story, it is an additional pleasure
to have some acquaintance with their persons; and as I delight in giving
my little readers every pleasure that is in my power; I shall endeavour,
as justly as I can, by description, to set before their eyes the picture
of this good young creature: and in the same of every one of our young
company, as they begin their lives.