72 The Story of the Hnamiltons.

same puzzles and scrapes, and wanting you
to help me out of them very much;" and she
smiled lovingly at her brother.
 "Puzzles and scrapes ? That sounds in-
viting, truly Let me hear more about them
and I will see what can be done."
 Oh, it's only the same old story," said
Grace, sighing heavily. "I am always getting
cross and discontented; the least thing puts
me out of temper-a word, or look even;
and directly I feel myself getting so, that
makes me worse."
 "The knowledge that you are out of
temper ?"
 "Yes. I can't think how it is. I hate
feeling cross, and yet I do very, very often.
And then I am so wickedly discontented;
everybody seems better and happier than I
am. Edith is always bright and cheerful, so,
of course, mamma and everybody are fonder of
her; she never seems to have such bad feel-
ings. What can make me different to other
people ?"
 "I don't think you are different to other
people, Grace. Most of us have, more or less,
such struggles to go through."
 Have they ?" exclaimed she, in astonish-
ment ; "have you, Gilbert ?"