"But, papa," she said presently, "you see it's no use with her. I
b'lieve she's the wickedest girl that ever lived, and I don't believe
there's any thing bad she wouldn't do if she had a chance. She took
Baby Annie's chair to-day; and when baby didn't know any better, and
cried for it, Mabel wouldn't give it to her. I think I'll just make up
my mind to leave her be all the rest of her life, and make b'lieve she
isn't my cousin. I wish she stayed to Boston or else to Europe."
"For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good," said Mr.
Powers, softly.
Belle gave another long, despairing sigh, and laid her head back
against her father's shoulder; but she made no more attempt to excuse
herself or to blame her cousin.
"I will not say that you had not some thought of doing good to Mabel,"
said Mr. Powers; "but you began wrong, Belle. I think you did not have
very kind feelings in your heart, and that you looked only at what was
naughty and perverse in her; and so your picture was not pleasant, and
only made her angry. You and Maggie and Bessie understand and love one
another, and so you take it pleasantly and patiently when one among you
tries this way of helping another in what is right. But I hardly think
that any one of you three, good friends as you are, would have been
very much pleased to have had such a picture made of you."
Belle sat thoughtful a moment, and then answered,--
"Well, no, papa, I don't b'lieve I would have liked it, if Maggie or
Bessie had made a proverb-picture about me slapping Daphne, or being in
a passion, or doing any of those very naughty things I used to do so
much. But, papa, don't you think my patience about Mabel must be 'most
used up?"
"See here," said Mr. Powers, drawing toward him a large Bible which
lay near, and turning over the leaves till he found the words he
wanted,--"see here, dear, listen to these words: 'Charity suffereth
long and is kind, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, beareth all
things, believeth all things, hopeth all things.' I am afraid my little
Belle has not that kind of charity towards her cousin."
"Charity, papa?" said Belle: "charity means giving money and things to
beggars and poor people, doesn't it?"
"Charity here means love," said Mr. Powers,--"love to God and to man,
that love which makes us want to work for Jesus by being gentle and
patient with the faults of others; which will not let us be made angry
by little things; which is not ready to think harm of our friends and
playmates; love which believes and hopes that even those who are very
wrong and naughty may be made better, and which teaches us to take the
pleasantest way of doing this, not showing others their faults in a
manner to pain or anger them, but trying to show them the better way by
an example of kindness and gentleness."
"Um--m--m, no, papa," said Belle, thoughtfully, when her father ceased
speaking: "I don't think I have much of that kind of love-charity to
Mabel,--no, I don't b'lieve I have."