The Project Gutenberg eBook ofLittle Susy's Little Servants

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofLittle Susy's Little ServantsThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Little Susy's Little ServantsAuthor: E. PrentissRelease date: August 26, 2011 [eBook #37219]Most recently updated: January 8, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Mary Meehan and The Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by TheInternet Archive)*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE SUSY'S LITTLE SERVANTS ***

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Little Susy's Little ServantsAuthor: E. PrentissRelease date: August 26, 2011 [eBook #37219]Most recently updated: January 8, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Mary Meehan and The Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by TheInternet Archive)

Title: Little Susy's Little Servants

Author: E. Prentiss

Release date: August 26, 2011 [eBook #37219]Most recently updated: January 8, 2021

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Mary Meehan and The Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by TheInternet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE SUSY'S LITTLE SERVANTS ***

FIRST SERIES.

NEW YORK:ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY,38 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET.

CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.CHAPTER VI.CHAPTER VII.CHAPTER VIII.CHAPTER IX.CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER I.CHAPTER II.CHAPTER III.CHAPTER IV.CHAPTER V.CHAPTER VI.CHAPTER VII.CHAPTER VIII.CHAPTER IX.

As Little Susy had a kind mamma to take care of her, you will, perhaps, wonder why God gave her also, a great many servants of her own. He gave her so many, that you might spend your whole life in reading about them. But I shall tell you of only a very few, and then you can ask your mamma to talk to you about the others. For the little servants Susy had, you have, too.

At first she did not know what they were for, or where they were. They did not know, either, and so they were useless. Two of them were black, and so much alike that you could not tell one from the other. Susy kept them shut up most of the time, so that nobody could see them. When her aunts and cousins came to see Susy, they would say: "I should think she might letussee them!" and would go away quite disappointed. These black servants were bright little things, and they soon learned to amuse Susy a great deal. One of the first things they did for her was to let her see the fire; and that she thought very beautiful.

Susy had another pair of twins for her servants, who knew so little what they were for, that they used to slap and scratch her face. Her mamma said she should have to tie them up if they did so. Indeed, many a little baby has had them all covered up with white rags, to keep them from doing mischief before they were old enough to know better. But though they did not know how to behave, they were very pretty, tiny little things, and when Susy's papa knelt down and took one of them on his hand, and kissed it, and wondered at it, and said what a funny wee morsel it was, why, it looked, to be sure, like a pretty rose-leaf, or any thing else soft, and pink, you can think of.

Susy had another pair of twins, that she took no notice of for some months. They did not learn how to wait upon her so soon as some of the others did. They were restless little fat things, seldom still a moment, and about all they knew was how to kick holes in blue and white socks.

Susy had still another pair of twins, not very pretty, but very useful, for without them she never could have heard her mamma sing, or her papa whistle; or the shovel and tongs fall down and make such a charming noise; nor the pussy-cat say 'mew!' nor the doggy say 'bow wow!'

She had one more little servant that she kept out of sight all the time. All it was good for at first, was to help her get a great many breakfasts, and dinners, and suppers every day. But it became good for a great deal more, after a while.

But if I go on in this way, I am afraid you will get puzzled, you are such a little creature. So if you will guess the names of these servants of Susy, I will give you three guesses. And if you do not guess right the third time, you will have to peep into the glass, when you will see most of your own; I mean those I have been talking about.

Well! did you look at yourself in the glass? If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes. No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed. If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself. They amused her while she lay on her mamma's lap, by showing her the bright sunshine that came in at the windows, the white curtains, and the ball of gay worsted in the work-basket. When she was turned over, her face downwards, to have her frock tied, they showed her the carpet, so as to keep her from crying. When they were tired, Susy had a soft coverlid with a beautiful fringe, that she could draw down over them, and then they could rest all night. God made this coverlid on purpose. The finest cambric handkerchief is coarser; God only can make a cover soft enough for the eye.

After Susy was washed and dressed in the morning, and had had her breakfast, her mamma would lay her down upon the bed, and spread a small blanket over her. Then the busy, bright eyes would look up to the wall, and look and look at a small spot of sunshine there, till at last they grew tired, and the soft coverlid would begin to come drooping, drooping down, and Susy would be fast asleep. Or in the midst of the dark night, if she woke up and did not know what else to do, she could look at the night-lamp that sat on the floor in the corner, and wonder what it was, and how far off.

Every thing in the world was new to Susy, and as she grew older and her eyes grew stronger, they kept showing her all sorts of pretty things, and made the time pass away very quickly indeed. How pleased Susy was the first time they showed her the sweet smile of love with which her mamma looked at her! She would have jumped for joy if she had been big enough.

But while her two eyes were so busy in doing all they could to amuse her, her two ears were not idle, and one day when she was yet a very little baby, she heard a pleasant sound of bells ringing for church, that was as sweet as music. She looked surprised, and listened, and listened, and threw up her arms and smiled. After that, if she cried when she was washed, some body would rattle the tongs and shovel, or make some such queer noise, and she would stop crying to hear it. So then I suppose her ears were very glad, and now they could help her pass her time much more pleasantly than before; for they could help her hear her mamma sing, and what sort of a sound keys make when they jingle together, and all that. Susy was astonished at every thing she heard for she never had been where there were such wonderful noises before. And when Sarah put coals on the fire, Susy would start, and perhaps think it was an earthquake unless her mamma smiled, as much as to say: "Don't be frightened, darling!"

So what with her eyes, and her ears, and her soft red tongue to get dinner with, Susy was a very happy baby, growing fatter and stronger and wiser every day.

But one morning, when she was ten weeks old, Susy began to play with a plaything. What do you think it was? Why, her own little hand! She felt of it, lifted it up and looked at it, tasted of it, and admired it very much. A grave judge, sitting on his bench, and looking as wise as Solomon, could hardly look graver or wiser than Susy did when she first found out she had two little hands. How she turned them over, and tangled up the tiny fingers, and twisted and doubled them! Now she thought she had found out what those little things were for, that had been doing nothing but slap and scratch and grow fat. Why, they were to play with, to be sure! And she never would have to cry for them or get up to look for them, for there they were, always close by, and so nice and soft! So Susy played with her hands, and cooed to them, and told them stories in Greek, or Latin, or Dutch, nobody knows, and was quite cheery and happy.

Her mamma was very much pleased to see Susy playing with her hands, and after a time she offered her a little piece of paper. Susy looked at it and wanted to take it. But her hands did not know how; all they were good for was to play with each other. But they wanted to learn to hold things for Susy, and tried very hard, every day, until at last they did learn to hold her rattle for her, and then an orange, and then a bunch of keys. Nice little servants! Don't you think so? And by this time Susy made a great discovery. She found out that she had two feet of her own, and thought it would be a good plan to get one of them into her mouth. She worked very hard, before she succeeded, and was such a busy little baby that she could hardly spare time to eat her breakfast. I suppose she thought all those fat little feet were made for, was just for her to play with; just as she had thought about her hands.

Perhaps you would like to see a letter that Susy wrote to her little cousin about these times. I rather think she must have got her mamma, or some body, to write it for her.

My Dear Cousin:Since I last wrote you, I have grown a good deal, for I am now six months old. I can not sit alone yet, for when I try, I fall over sideways. But with a pillow behind me, I can sit up very well, and play with my toys. I have an old basket half full of playthings, about which I will tell you. First I have an ivory ring, with a blue string in it; but I don't think much of that. Then I have a large glass stopper that came out of a vinegar cruet. Thirdly I have two spools tied together, and fastened to them, some how, is a whole piece of tape that I snatched out of my mamma's basket, and sucked till she said it was good for nothing, and I might as well keep it. Fourthly I have a cork that used to be in a bottle of something sweet, for it tastes very good: I am fond of this cork, and lie on the floor and play with it, just as a cat plays with a mouse. I have also a half dollar with a hole in it, that my grandmamma gave me; but I always cry when I play with it, for it is so hard it hurts my mouth. I have a great many rags that my mamma has given me. When she cuts out my little frocks, she gives me the pieces that are left, and some are white, some pink, and some blue. You see I am going to wear short frocks pretty soon. But my best playthings are two red sticks that were a part of an old fan your mamma left here. The other day I was lying on the floor, and I thought I would see how far I could get one of them down my throat. When I had pushed it a good way, I began to cry. My mamma caught me up and pulled it out, but my throat bled and was sore, so I guess I won't push it in so far, next time.Sometimes I go and pay a visit to our old cat and her three kittens. I talk to them as loud as I can, but they do not seem to understand what I say. And they don't like it when I try to put them in my mouth.I am sorry to say that as I increase in wisdom I grow in naughtiness. I always cry all the time mamma is washing and dressing me, and am very angry with her, for I don't like to be washed. And the moment I see her take out my basket at night, so as to undress me and put me to bed, I scream with all my might, and never stop till I feel something soft in my mouth. Last night as I lay on the floor playing with my beloved cork, mamma came behind me and unfastened all my clothes, so that time I did not cry. I have two feet that I find very handy to kick with when I am angry, and two hands that pick up my toys when I want to play, and two eyes that show me pictures and other pretty things, and that never get any rest except when I am asleep. And if you ever answer this letter, I have two ears with which I hear it read.I am a very good baby when I wake in the morning. I lie in bed a good while, playing with my feet, or any thing else I can get hold of. Sometimes I untie mamma's cap strings and sometimes I scratch and pull her cheeks and chin. Very often I almost pull papa's nose off his face, for I don't know what he wants of it when he is fast asleep. Doesn't this remind you of old times, three or four years ago, when you were a baby? If you ever come here I shall not know what to do to amuse you, for I can not talk. I should scratch your face and pull your hair, and put my fingers in your eyes; I don't know any better, I am such a little baby. I am very tired now, and must bid you good by; but one of these days I will write you another letter.Your little cousin,Susy.

My Dear Cousin:

Since I last wrote you, I have grown a good deal, for I am now six months old. I can not sit alone yet, for when I try, I fall over sideways. But with a pillow behind me, I can sit up very well, and play with my toys. I have an old basket half full of playthings, about which I will tell you. First I have an ivory ring, with a blue string in it; but I don't think much of that. Then I have a large glass stopper that came out of a vinegar cruet. Thirdly I have two spools tied together, and fastened to them, some how, is a whole piece of tape that I snatched out of my mamma's basket, and sucked till she said it was good for nothing, and I might as well keep it. Fourthly I have a cork that used to be in a bottle of something sweet, for it tastes very good: I am fond of this cork, and lie on the floor and play with it, just as a cat plays with a mouse. I have also a half dollar with a hole in it, that my grandmamma gave me; but I always cry when I play with it, for it is so hard it hurts my mouth. I have a great many rags that my mamma has given me. When she cuts out my little frocks, she gives me the pieces that are left, and some are white, some pink, and some blue. You see I am going to wear short frocks pretty soon. But my best playthings are two red sticks that were a part of an old fan your mamma left here. The other day I was lying on the floor, and I thought I would see how far I could get one of them down my throat. When I had pushed it a good way, I began to cry. My mamma caught me up and pulled it out, but my throat bled and was sore, so I guess I won't push it in so far, next time.

Sometimes I go and pay a visit to our old cat and her three kittens. I talk to them as loud as I can, but they do not seem to understand what I say. And they don't like it when I try to put them in my mouth.

I am sorry to say that as I increase in wisdom I grow in naughtiness. I always cry all the time mamma is washing and dressing me, and am very angry with her, for I don't like to be washed. And the moment I see her take out my basket at night, so as to undress me and put me to bed, I scream with all my might, and never stop till I feel something soft in my mouth. Last night as I lay on the floor playing with my beloved cork, mamma came behind me and unfastened all my clothes, so that time I did not cry. I have two feet that I find very handy to kick with when I am angry, and two hands that pick up my toys when I want to play, and two eyes that show me pictures and other pretty things, and that never get any rest except when I am asleep. And if you ever answer this letter, I have two ears with which I hear it read.

I am a very good baby when I wake in the morning. I lie in bed a good while, playing with my feet, or any thing else I can get hold of. Sometimes I untie mamma's cap strings and sometimes I scratch and pull her cheeks and chin. Very often I almost pull papa's nose off his face, for I don't know what he wants of it when he is fast asleep. Doesn't this remind you of old times, three or four years ago, when you were a baby? If you ever come here I shall not know what to do to amuse you, for I can not talk. I should scratch your face and pull your hair, and put my fingers in your eyes; I don't know any better, I am such a little baby. I am very tired now, and must bid you good by; but one of these days I will write you another letter.

Your little cousin,Susy.

Not long after Susy sent her letter, her mamma bought some tiny little shoes and stockings for her. Susy was very much pleased indeed, and at first she would keep untying her shoes and taking them off. But one day when she awoke from her nap, she took hold of the two sides of her cradle, and stood up straight in it. Now she had found out that feet were not made just for playthings, but to stand on. She was so glad! She kept taking hold of the chairs, and her mamma's dress, or the legs of the table, so as to pull herself up on to her feet, and pretty soon she would stand at a chair with her toys, and play by the hour, and if the chair moved a little, from her leaning against it, her feet would move too, first one, then the other, learning how to walk. How delighted every body was when one day Susy got up in the middle of the floor, and ran across the room! It would be hard to tell which laughed most—Susy, or her papa or her mamma.

Now Susy had learned how to use all her little servants, except her tongue. And you must know that her mamma had been giving her lessons on that subject every day. That is, she kept coaxing and begging her to say, "papa;" and I don't know how many hundred times a day she cried out to Susy, "Saypapa!" But Susy did not say papa, and all the private lessons were in vain. But one evening, when she had the toothache and could not sleep she stretched forth her hand and said "book," to her mamma's great delight, who thought there was no doubt her baby was going to be very fond of books indeed. Now Susy had found out that her tongue was very useful, for her mamma gave her the book she had asked for; so she soon learned to say a great many other words.

Did you ever think before, how long it takes a baby to learn how to use the little eyes and hands and feet, God has been so good as to give it? If you watch your baby brother or sister, you will see how awkward it is at first about using its hands; and do not you remember how eager you were to hear it speak its first word, and to see it trot about on its own little feet?

But all this time I have only spoken of Susy's hands and feet, and ears, and eyes, and tongue, as being useful to herself, and have not said a word about their doing things for other people. Now it is not likely that God meant any little child should live in this world, where there is so much to do, and do nothing for its papa and mamma, and nothing for Him who has done so much for its happiness and comfort. And he is so kind, and loves so to please those who love Him, that long before Susy was old enough to know it, He taught her small baby hands to begin some of the sweetest work He made them to do. When, in the midst of a sleepless night in which Susy's mamma watched over, and sang to, and cared for her, she had such a reward, such precious payment for all her fatigue and labor, that a queen might have envied her. What do you think it was? Why, it was feeling Susy's little hand pat and caress her face in the dark night, or lie folded lovingly in her own, or clinging fast to her neck with all the strength a baby can use. Then a thrill of joy would rush through her mamma's heart, and she would forget every thing the world has in it of trouble, and thank God for giving her a baby to live and to work for, and a baby to love and comfort her in return.

So day after day passed, and one or another of Susy's little servants was always busy in doing something for her pleasure. Either her hands played with pretty toys, or her eyes looked at beautiful pictures and kind, loving faces of dear friends, or her ears listened to sweet music or amusing stories, or her feet carried her up and down, here and there and everywhere. If she had had no eyes, she could have used her hands, but she could not have seen the toys they held. If she had had no ears, she could never have heard her mamma's voice, nor ever learned to talk or to sing. If she had had no hands, she could have walked about, and looked at pretty things, but she could have touched no toy, held no dear dolly, caressed and patted no little kitty. And if she had been without feet, she might have used her eyes, and her ears, and her hands, and her tongue, but when other children jumped and ran and played, Susy must have sat still in her little chair, and felt what a long, long day that is when one can not move.

I dare say you know some little boy who can not hear or talk, or some pale little girl who can not run and play. And if God has been so very good to you as to give you what He has not seen best to give them, how you ought to thank him! And how happy you should be if you ever can lend a book or give a flower, or do any kind act for the deaf and dumb boy who never heard his mamma call him "darling!" no matter how many times she may have said it. And if you can ever be what the Bible calls "feet to the lame;" if you run to pick up that little pale girl's ball if she drops it; if you can go up stairs to get her doll when she wants it, would not that be making your own little servants useful and very happy? And if you ever happen to be where there is a blind child, would you not like to lend it your eyes now and then? And as you can not do that, you would surely love to take it by the hand and lead it about; and when you are old enough to read you would read pretty stories to it? There was once a dear little boy not much more than two years old, who became very ill. His head ached so that he did not love to play or run about. He liked to have his papa or mamma carry him round the room, and then when his poor head did not ache too hard, they would talk to him and tell him stories. One day his papa said to his mamma: "I do not believe our little Charlie will ever get well. I think that Jesus will soon take him up to heaven. And I mean to talk to him a great deal about Jesus, so that the moment he gets to heaven he will be happy to be near such a dear, kind Friend." So Charlie's papa often took his poor little boy in his arms, and let him lay his head on his shoulder, while he walked gently up and down talking about Christ. He told him all those sweet stories from the Bible, how Jesus pitied sick people, and how he cured them, and how many lame men he made to walk, and how many blind to see. So one day after he had been talking so, he had to give Charlie to his nurse while he went out for a time, and Charlie lay with his head on her shoulder, just as he had done on his papa's, till all at once he lifted it up, and said: "Mary did you know that Jesus hadn't any eyes?"

"Oh! yes, Jesus had eyes," said Mary.

"He had some once, but He gave them to a poor blind man," said Charlie.

You see Charlie was such a little boy that he thought when his papa told him that Jesus gave eyes to a blind man, that he had to give him his own.

Little Charlie is in heaven now and has been there a great many years. And he has long known more about the goodness of God than any body who still lives in this world. And if he could speak to you, he would tell you that it is better to be without eyes and hands and feet, than not to love Him who was willing rather to die than that you should not know and love Him.

I have spoken of some of the good things Susy's little servants could do, and I am sorry to have to say that she sometimes let them do naughty ones.

The first thing was while she was still a baby, when she raised her hand to slap her dear, kind mamma because she was going to wash her. Little babies often do so before they have been taught better. The moment Susy's hand had given the slap, she saw that her mamma's face became grave and displeased. Then Susy was sorry, and she made haste to kiss the place she had hurt, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. But pretty soon, when something else vexed her, she lifted her little hand, and was going to strike with it. Her mamma caught it in hers, and looked at it gravely, and said: "Naughty little hand!" Then Susy began to cry again and she cried so much that her mamma had to lend her her handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Almost every day the little hand was naughty in this way, but at last Susy's mamma cured it, by always tying a red mitten on it whenever it slapped. It did not like to wear a mitten at all, because then it could not pick up its toys so well.

After Susy had learned not to strike, her little hands began to grow meddlesome, that is, to touch and take things they should not have touched. One day they tore the newspaper all to pieces. Once they cut off all her hair, as far as they could reach it. One of them got into the sugar-bowl and took three lumps of sugar. And once, when they were in the country, and there was a wash-stand in the room, Susy tried to open the drawer, and pulled the wash-stand over, broke the pitcher, spilled the water, and frightened every body very much indeed.

All these things made a deal of trouble. Susy's mamma had to keep all the time teaching her that she must not do so. It took her a great while to teach Susy that there were some things she must not touch.

And when the busy little hands began to learn what they were taught, then the little feet began to get into trouble. One day before Susy was old enough to go up and down stairs by herself, her mamma had visitors, and Susy kept talking and talking at such a rate that at last nobody else could be heard. So her mamma took her into the hall and seated her on the lowest stair, where Susy was fond of sitting, and said to her: "My little Susy must sit here a while because she does not mind mamma and stop talking." Pretty soon she heard a little voice cry out, "Mamma! aren't you afraid your little girl will fall down stairs?" and on running to see what that meant, there was Susy sitting on the top stair, smiling and looking very happy to think she had played such a trick. And not long after, the two truant feet carried Susy out into the street, among the carts and horses, and if God had not taken care of her, she would certainty have been killed. And another time Susy climbed up and was just going to put one foot out of the window, when her mamma caught her by her dress, and pulled her back. I suppose you did just such things when you were a baby, and your mamma might amuse you by telling you about it.

Susy was not so mischievous as some children are, and when she was three years old, and had learned what she might do, and what she must not, her mamma could leave her all alone in the parlor, with a few toys, and be quite sure that she would touch nothing she had been forbidden to touch, nor climb up into dangerous places, nor take any dangerous thing. The scissors might lie on the table, and the sharp knife open by her side; the good little hands would not touch them. Nor would the obedient little feet now take Susy near the fire where she could so easily have been burned. If Susypromisedto do a thing, she always did it, and so her mamma often let her play by herself in the parlor, when up in the nursery Robbie had not yet learned not to get away all her toys.

When Susy first learned to walk, she was so pleased to find that she could run about, that she liked very much to run to get things for her papa or mamma. She felt herself almost a young lady when she found she could lift one of papa's boots and carry it to him; and how pleased she was when her mamma sent her to get her work-basket! When Robbie was dressed she liked to stand by, and hold the pins, and she even thought she could brush his hair, and tie his frocks, if they would let her try.

But as she grew older, and stronger, and wiser, and so better able to run for mamma, or to wait upon her papa, Susy grew selfish. If her mamma said, "Susy bring me my work," Susy would say, "In a minute, mamma!" and go on playing. Or she would ask, "Must I bring it?" or, "Mayn't I wait till I have finis'ed my house?" And if her papa said, "Doesn't my little Susy want to rub papa's head?" she would be likely to give it one or two little rubs, and then run off to play again.

A great many ways were tried to cure Susy of these faults. One of the best was never to allow her to do a little favor after she had objected to do it. When her mamma asked her to run and get a book for her, if Susy looked fretful, or went slowly, or said, "Oh! dear!" then her papa would say, "Stop, Susy, you can not go. Nobody shall wait on dear mamma who looks and speaks so!" and then he would go for the book himself, and Susy would feel so ashamed! And as soon as Robbie was able to usehisfeet and hands, Susy learned from his behavior to try to obey quickly and cheerfully; for no matter how busy Robbie was, he alwayssmiledwhen papa called him to get things for him, and if Susy did not jump the very moment she was spoken to, Robbie would get it first, and then he would have a sweet kiss and a loving smile, as his reward.

But you must not think Susy did not try to grow good, or that she neverwasgood. Her papa and mamma often had a great deal of comfort in seeing how hard she tried to do kind, loving things for them. If she saw her papa look tired, she would often go to him and say, "Dear papa! when I am a big girl I mean to work and letyousit still!" and, "May I rub your head? May I get your slippers?" And when her mamma saw her feeling and behaving so sweetly, she did not forget to tell her when she went to bed, how much pleasure it had given her.

"My little hands have been good hands to-day," Susy said one night. "And I wish mamma would kiss them when they've been good." Her mamma smiled, and kissed them, and then Susy folded them together, and knelt down and prayed. And after she had got into bed, she said: "My hands will never be naughty any more. Never strike Robbie, never take away his toys, never touch any body's things."

And then her mamma told her a story about a little girl who stood by her brother's coffin, and taking up the small, cold hand, kissed it, and said: "This little hand never struck me!" Susy lay still, and thought and thought a good while, after hearing this story.

"Mamma!" said she, at last, "Iwilltry to be good. And then perhaps when I am dead, you will 'member me, and you can take hold of my little hand, and say, 'This little hand wasn't always a good little hand, but ittriedto be good, and sometimes it patted and loved me.'" Then Susy put up her hand, and caressed her mamma's cheek, and kept saying, "Dear mamma! kind mamma!" till she fell asleep.

"Mamma!" said Susy, one day as they were walking home from church, "there is a little girl in my class at Sunday-school, who loves me dearly. She always hugs my hands and hugs them."

Her mamma smiled, and said, "Then I hope you 'hugged' hers too."

"I was afraid to," said Susy.

"Then that little girl was disappointed, I dare say. You should have let her see that you were grateful to her for loving you."

"I turned my head away round—so—" said Susy.

"Instead of that you should have smiled, and looked kindly at her, as much as to say, I like to have you love me, and I love you, too."

Susy looked down, and smiled. "I was afraid to," she said again.

They walked along together in silence for some time. At last Susy quite forgot what they had been talking about, and began to think what a pleasant day it was, and how sweet and fresh the air felt, and how nice it was to walk with her dear papa and mamma, and while she thought thus, she clasped the hand she held, more firmly and lovingly. Her mamma, however, took no notice of this, and turned her head away.

Susy felt hurt.

"Mamma does not love me a bit," thought she, and she was going to draw away her hand.

Her mamma looked down and smiled and said playfully: "Oh! I felt your little, loving squeeze, but I was afraid to take any notice of it."

Susy smiled too. She never forgot this little lesson, and it was useful to her as long as she lived.

Children should not only learn to observe little tokens of love, but to be grateful for them.

"Mamma, was I a good girl in church?" said Susy, when they reached home.

"Yes, pretty good. But I must tell you something about a dear little boy, whose life you shall read, as soon as you are old enough. When asked if there were many children at Sunday-school, he said: 'I don't know, for when I am there, I never dare to look round.' Now your little hands were very good in church; and so were your little feet. But I thought your eyes and ears were not so good."

"My eyes looked round a good deal," said Susy. "But my earscouldn'tdo any thing naughty."

"Yes they could, dear Susy, by not listening to what was said. Did they hear any thing at all?" "No, mamma. I was busy, thinking. I thinked about my dollies."

"But we do not go to church to think about dollies. We go to praise God, and hear about Him."

"Big people don't have any dollies," said Susy.

"But they have other things that they like as well. And when they first go into church they ask God to help them not to think about any thing but Himself, and to hear what is said. For in the Bible it speaks of those who having ears, hear not—and I do not want my little Susy to be one of those."

Susy then went up stairs to the nursery, where she found Robbie asleep in his cradle. She went up to him and putting her mouth close to his ear, shouted, "Robbie! Robbie!"

Robbie opened his eyes, turned over and smiled.

"You naughty, naughty girl!" said his nurse, "to wake your brother up. I'll tell your mamma, and she'll punish you well."

"I didn't mean to wake him up," said Susy. "I only wanted to see if he was one of those who having ears, hear not. And I guess he isn't, he wakes up so easy."

"I'll tell your mamma the very first thing. He will be just as cross as two sticks. Just as I had got him to sleep! It is too bad!"

Susy looked quite puzzled to know what she had done. She ran down to her mamma, and told her all about it.

"Was I naughty, mamma?" she asked.

"Yes, I think you were. For you know how often I have told you there must be no noise when Robbie was asleep. And then it was wrong to use God's holy words to play with."

Susy sighed. "Oh! dear!" said she. "First my ears are naughty, and then my tongue. But they are sorry, mamma."

Her mamma kissed her, and told her to go up stairs and amuse Robbie, as she had made him lose his nap. So Susy went, and said in a pleasant voice to Nurse:

"I've come to 'muse Robbie because I woke him up," and Nurse smiled and said:

"Well youarea good child when you aren't naughty."

One day Susy and her mamma and Robbie were sitting alone together in the nursery. Susy was in the corner, with her toys, and Robbie sat on his mamma's lap. Every now and then he put up his little hand to pat her cheek or to play with her hair. His bare white foot was nestled in her hand, and more than once she leaned over and kissed it. After a time Susy got up and came and stood by them.

"You love Robbie dearly, don't you mamma?" she asked.

"Yes, darling—dearly. And I love my little Susy just as well."

"You wouldn't like to kissmylittle foot," said Susy.

"I used to kiss it when it was a little baby foot, and wasn't covered up with a shoe. But it would be rather funny for me to take off its shoe and stocking so as to kiss it when there is this nice, round cheek, all handy."

Susy laughed; and kneeling down she took Robbie's foot in her hand, kissed it, laid it on her neck and cheek, and talked to it as if it were a doll.

"Some body said Robbie's hands were whiter than mine," said she.

"That is nothing," said her mamma. "The question is not whether Susy's hands are white, but whether they do all they can for God."

"They are too little to do any thing for God," said Susy in a mournful voice.

"Why no, indeed, Jesus said that whoever gave a cup of cold water in his name, that is, for His sake, should not lose his reward. And you can do as much as that, I am sure. Besides that, every time you pick up Robbie's toys for him, you do something for God."

Susy looked puzzled.

"If you can't understand how this can be, just believe it because your mamma tells you so, and by and by, when you are older, you will understand it. God sees every thing you do, and when you leave your own play, and run to do a little favor for Robbie, or papa, or any of us, then He is pleased. When I was kissing Robbie's feet and hands just now, I was praying to God to keep them always pure, and to teach them very early, to work for Him. And so I often did for yours when you were a baby, and do now, every day."

Susy was pleased to hear this, and she tried to think of something she could do. Her papa came in just then, feeling very tired, and hoping to find mamma at leisure to rub and comb his head.

"Isn't Robbie well?" he asked.

"Not very well," said his mamma, "and I am trying to keep him quiet, hoping he may fall asleep. But I have one hand to rub your head with, if that will do."

"Oh! let me rub papa's head," said Susy, in a joyful voice. "Lie on the sofa, papa, and I'll rub it!"

So papa threw himself down, and Susy pushed a chair up to the bureau, and climbed up for the brush and comb, and though she tangled his hair and pulled it dreadfully, papa let her work at his poor head, till Robbie fell asleep, and mamma could come to the rescue. Susy felt very happy, and she whispered to her mamma:

"I love you, dear mamma, and I like God, too."

She felt very sweet and happy, and looking about to see if there were any thing else she could do, she saw a fly on Robbie's face. She ran quickly, and drove it away.

"Little fly! do you think you are going to have Robbie's face for your dinner?" said she. "No, indeed! I shall sit here, and drive you away. And you can go home and tell your mother there is a great big giant named Susy, sitting by the cradle, and you are afraid to try to eat Robbie's face."

The fly, on hearing this, flew away, and Susy sat so still that all at once she fell over, fast asleep. Then her mamma came softly and tucked a pillow under her head, threw a cradle quilt over her, and left her to enjoy a sweet sleep.

"But Satan finds some mischief stillFor idle hands to do."

"Susy, dear, don't you feel well?" asked her mamma, seeing Susy sitting idly on the carpet.

"Yes, mamma, I feel well, but I don't know what to do. I wish you would tell me what to do."

"Well, you may go down and shell peas," said her mamma.

"I don't want to shell peas," said Susy. "I shelled a bushel yesterday."

"Oh! no, not a bushel. Not much more than a cup full," said nurse.

"Then you may hold a skein of silk for me to wind."

"I don't want to work, I want to play," said Susy.

Her mamma was called down to see visitors, and Susy remained sitting on the floor, in not very good humor.

"Oh! dear. I wish I had something to do!" said she. "I wonder how Robbie would do for a doll? I guess I'll try and see."

So she crept over softly to the corner where Robbie sat playing with his blocks, and where she was out of nurse's sight, and began to unbutton his frock.

By and by, judging by the silence that something wrong was going on, nurse got up and went to look. There lay Robbie with his clothes all off, while Susy was trying to squeeze one of his arms into her doll's night-gown. The patient little fellow held a block fast in one hand, as his comforter under his sorrows, for he really thought he had done something naughty and had to be put to bed.

"Pretty works, I do think!" said nurse. "Just let me call your mamma to see you, that's all."

Susy jumped up and caught nurse by her dress. "You shan't call mamma!" said she. "Robbie is my doll, and I'm putting him to bed. Aren't you, Robbie?"

Nurse only answered by snatching him up and kissing him.

"I do believe he would let you cut his head off, if you wanted to," said she. "Susy is a naughty girl, and her mamma will whip her."

"Naughty dirl, mamma s'ap!" repeated Robbie, showing with his little hands how mamma would do.

"If you had gone down like a good girl, and shelled peas," said nurse, "you wouldn't have got into mischief. Where is the other stocking? On your doll's arm? Bring it to me this minute. And what have you done with Robbie's shirt? He will catch his death sitting here with nothing on. Well! we'll see what his mamma will say!"

By this time Susy was convinced she had done something really dreadful. So she went softly down stairs and began to shell peas as fast as she could. Her little thoughts were very busy.

"I guess mamma won't care. I was only playing. And I will shell alotof peas. I wish I knowed where I put Robbie's shirt. I guess I put it under the bed. But if he doesn't have it on, he'll catch cold." The busy fingers stopped, she slipped down from her chair, and away went the peas, rolling this way and that, about the kitchen floor.

"I wish you'd stay up stairs, where you belong," said Sarah. "See how you've wasted the peas! If I were your mamma, I would not give you any for your dinner."

"I'll pick them up," said Susy. "And mamma said I might shell them." She seemed so sorry that Sarah said it was no matter, she guessed six peas wouldn't be much loss. So Susy went back to the nursery to see about the missing shirt.

"If there isn't Robbie's shirt hanging out of your pocket!" said nurse. "I declare! I never saw such a child. Well! you wait till your mamma hears of this!" As she spoke in an angry voice, Susy saw a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, that quite cheered her disconsolate little heart.

"I didn't mean to be naughty," said she. "I did not know what else to do. And I never will do so any more for a thousand years. Won't you forgive me?"

"Oh! yes, I'll forgive you. And I'll teach you a hymn, besides, about idle hands."

How doth the little busy beeImprove each shining hour;And gather honey all the day,From every opening flower!How skilfully she builds her cell,How neat she spreads the wax!And labors hard to store it wellWith the sweet food she makes.In works of labor or of skill,I would be busy too;For Satan finds some mischief still,For idle hands to do.In books, or work, or healthful play,Let my first years be passed;That I may give for every daySome good account at last.

How doth the little busy beeImprove each shining hour;And gather honey all the day,From every opening flower!

How skilfully she builds her cell,How neat she spreads the wax!And labors hard to store it wellWith the sweet food she makes.

In works of labor or of skill,I would be busy too;For Satan finds some mischief still,For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,Let my first years be passed;That I may give for every daySome good account at last.

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