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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Susy's Teacher Aunt Patience


It was now the turn of Aunt Patience. Her book had covers wrought by her own hands, in grave and gay colors well mingled together.

“When I first came here,” said she, “Susy used to cry a great deal whenever she was hurt or punished. When she was sick she was very hard to please. When she sat down to learn to sew and to read and to write, she would break her thread in anger, or throw her book on the floor, or declare she never could learn. But now she has left off crying when she is hurt, and tries to bear the pain quietly. When she is sick she does not fret or complain, but takes her medicine without a word. When she is sewing she does not twitch her thread into knots, and when she is writing she writes slowly and carefully. I have rocked her to sleep a thousand times. I have been shut up in the closet with her again and again. And I hope I have done her some good and taught her some useful lessons.”

“Indeed you have, Aunt Patience!” said Susy’s papa. “But Susy is not yet perfect. We shall need you six years longer.”

~ From "Little Susy's Six Teachers"

[We never cease needing lessons from Aunt Patience. ~ mr.]

Friday, March 16, 2012

Goodbye Charley

Katy's heartfelt reply to Charley after he readily accepted her gracious release from their engagement due to her illness: 

"MR. UNDERHILL:  Sir—The scales have fallen from my eyes, and I see you at last just as you are. Since my note to you on Sunday last I have had a consultation of physicians, and they all agree that my disease is not of an alarming character and that I shall soon recover. But I thank God that before it was too late, you have been revealed to me just as you are—a heartless, selfish, shallow creature, unworthy of the love of a true-hearted woman, unworthy even of you own self-respect. I gave you an opportunity to withdraw from our engagement in full faith, loving you so truly that I was ready to go trembling to my grave alone if you shrank from sustaining me to it. But I see now that I did not dream for one moment that you would take me at my word and leave me to my fate. I thought I loved a man and could lean on him when strength failed me. I know now that I loved a mere creature of my imagination. Take back your letters; I loathe the sight of them. Take back the ring and find, if you can, a woman who will never be sick, never out of spirits, and who never will die. KATHERINE MORTIMER"

[Recorded in her entry of January 1, 1834. May our daughters be wise and recognize a "Charley" if he should make an attempt at their hearts, before  the fact and not after, as in the case of Katy. May they listen to the sound advice of their mothers, which she unfortunately failed to do. ~ mr]

Saturday, March 10, 2012

At Jesus' Feet



There is a spot where tempted souls
May find a dear retreat:
They fly from sin and self, and lie
At Jesus' feet.

In vain upon their heads, the storms
Of life may rudely beat,
Grief cannot harm the soul that lies
At Jesus feet.

My soul, upon life's dizzy heights
Beware to take thy seat,
Leave not the valley, but abide
At Jesus feet.

~ from Golden Hours: Heart-Hymns of the Christian Life