"And now about Julia," cried Mrs. Thayer. "She is naturally a nice child; but she is copying all Esther's ways. And before I forget it, I want to consult you about an incident that occurred just before you came. Julia is very energetic, and one day, when I was out, undertook to put my bureau in order. When I came in and found my room in an uproar--the bed, the floors, the sofa covered with heterogeneous masses of clothing--I was extremely displeased, and seized the child by the arm and marched her angrily out of the room. Whereupon she dropped a courtesy and said, 'Thank you, ma'am. You must have had a nice prayer-meeting!' I afterwards found that she had been preparing a pleasant surprise for me by putting my drawers in order. Ought I to say anything to her about it?" "Yes, you ought to ask her pardon." "Ask her pardon! Ask a child's pardon!" "Why not? She has her individual rights as you have yours." "But to degrade myself to a child of ten years!" "To ennoble yourself in her eyes. The degradation was in losing your temper." "Well--well--_well!_ This home has got to be pulled all to pieces and built up again, if we are to follow your suggestions." "Pull away," said Mrs. Grey, smiling; "the sooner the better. And now won't you let me see the little nursery people?" Mrs. Thayer's face cleared as she led the way to baby and his brother, both large for their age. "What splendid boys!" exclaimed Mrs. Grey. "Are they not? And the others were just as fine, apparently." Mrs. Grey took the baby from his nurse's arms and kissed it. "I should think this room would be a city of refuge, with these innocent creatures in it," she said. "Yes; doesn't it _rest_ one to see little children before they are spoiled?" "You speak as if spoiling was inseparable from development; as if life were intended to be all retrograde." "Oh, I thought I should find you ladies here," said Mr. Thayer, entering the room. "Suppose we adjourn to the library." "Let me take Mrs. Grey to my room first, to see the children's portraits." Mr. Thayer assented, and they all proceeded thither. Bob, Esther, and Julia had been grouped together and beautifully painted by an artistic hand. "I never saw a finer face than Bob's," said Mrs. Grey, "nor sweeter ones than those of the girls; it is hard indeed to think such children can turn out ill." "Yes," said Mrs. Thayer, "I little thought when these portraits were painted, how Bob was going to break my heart, and Esther refuse to obey." "Mrs. Grey," asked Mr. Thayer, abruptly, "do you think that children properly trained, invariably turn out well?" "There are exceptions to all rules. Some children seem to enter the world with such low tendencies that no amount of wise training avails to uplift them. But no case is hopeless that can be carried to God." "I want to ask one question more. Do you find us, as parents, exceptionally full of mistakes, and our children exceptionally bad?"