AGGY'S LESSON. 381

 forget her pain with kind words and above, to bear her trial,-which, I grant,
 tempting fruit; but as the weeks go by, seems hard and mysterious to us, now,-
 new things will claim your attention. don't forget that you stand in equal need
 Then will come a lesson to you, in 'pa- of both, that the daily lessons He sends
 tient continuance in well-doing,' in self- to you may be faithfully learned, and
 forgetfulness, in perseverance,-all the humbly, prayerfully practiced."
 harder to learn, because of the health and How poky and horrid wouldd be to
 happiness which are yours, and which live that way said Kitty, as Uncle Ben
 open so many avenues of pleasure to left them.
 tempt you from duty. Do you under- No,-not exactly so," rejoined Aggy,
 stand me, Aggy ? only a little sober-and tiresome, may
 Yes, Uncle; I told Kitty when it got be. It seemed so hard, when we were
to be an old story, people would forget studying our lessons at school, you
Mary; but I'll try not to." know, to sit still and prose over the dry
 "And you, Kitty," cor.tinued Uncle words we don't half understand, but
Ben, "are apt to be vain and self-confi- when we came to graduate how glad we
dent,-to like to be flattered,-" were that Professor Knowles made us so
 Kitty's face grew flushed and angry, thorough in all we'd been over. And so,
and Aggy came to the rescue. Kitty, I do suppose we shall wish we'd
 "There's a great deal to make us both thought more about the lessons and not
giddy and self-conceited, Uncle. We are so much about the fun and good times,
both called smart, we can dress all we when we go up to God's great Examina-
please, and when anything is going on tion-day. And you know, too, that we
we're sure to be-wanted in it." are never quite so happy when we've
 "Yes, yes ; and there is one lesson been silly and vain and selfish."
right before you-a hard one to learn, Well, don't preach any more; Uncle
too. You know what Agur prayed for, Ben is bad enough, and you'll grow to be
and how he said, 'Lest I be full and just like him, before you're sixteen."
deny Thee.' When we are full of pleas- I wish I could; for he practices even
ures, and success, and this world's goods, better than he preaches," rejoined Aggy
we are so apt to deny God the love of good-naturedly.
otr6 hearts, the service of our hands. How well somebody did practice the
To learn Christ,-his humility and obedi- lesson learned that morning, Mary Deck-
ence, his charity and meekness, in the er could have told you, months after-
midst of prosperity, is a harder lesson, wards, lying on her bed of pain, learning
believe me, than to learn patience and her lesson of patience and submission,
submission in pain and affliction. So while Aggy, sitting beside her, day after
while you pray that poor Mary may have day, sought no less, by patient continu-
grace and strength from the dear Father ance in well-doing, to please the Master.