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.]

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]

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

Susy's Teacher Mr. Ought

Then Mr. Ought drew forth his book. It had silver covers, and its leaves were of the most delicate tissue.

I have taught little Susy to be good," said he. "Never to touch what is not hers. Never to speak a word that is not true. Never to have a thought she would not like the great and holy God to see. If I stay six years longer I can teach her a great deal more, for she begins now to understand my faintest whisper. She is such a little girl as I love to live with."

Then Susy turned rosy-red with pleasure, and her papa and mamma got up and shook hands with Mr. Ought, and begged him never, never to leave their darling child as long as she lived.

[We could all benefit from having Mr. Ought stay with our children, as well as with ourselves now couldn't we? ~ mr]

Rock of Ages

The Sands of Time

Susy's Teacher Miss Joy

Then Miss Joy took up her book with its rainbow covers, and tried to read. But she laughed so heartily all the time, and her leaves kept flying out of her hands at such a rate that it was not possible to understand what she was saying.

It was all about clapping hands, and running races, and picking flowers, and having a good time. Everybody laughed just because she laughed, and Susy's papa could hardly keep his face grave long enough to say: "You have done more good than tongue can tell. You have made her just such a merry, happy, laughing little creature as I wanted her to be. You must certainly stay six years longer."

[Well, we certainly all need a Miss Joy in our lives, and certainly children do. But also we know, of course, that she can not be expected to be the only teacher our children will have. ~ mr]