CHAPTER V.

THE DANDELIONS.

AFTER a pleasant evening spent in conversation with Grandma Kent and Mr. and Mrs. Mason, they were just about retiring, when Mrs. Mason said, with a sigh—

"This is the only time when I can take the least comfort. Joseph is so hasty in temper, and when he is roused, is so furious, that I live in constant dread of an outbreak."

Mrs. Kent glanced toward her sister Mary, as if she would say, "How well I can sympathize with her!"

"I tell my wife," began Mr. Mason, his voice growing angry at the thought of his unruly boy, "that his passion must be checked, or it will render him a maniac. Whip him till he will submit."

"I doubt whether whipping is always the best remedy," suggested Mrs. Kent, mildly.

"You would think differently if you had such a child as Joseph to manage. Why, he's so strong in his fits of passion, that Amanda can do nothing with him. If I'm away, she just lets him thrash about till he's tired."

"Have you ever tried praying with him?" inquired Mary. "I've known that to work wonders."

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Mr. Mason. "One might as well pray to the wind. That's just like an old maid."

"Mary has had a good deal of experience with children," said Mrs. Kent, firmly, "though she is but little past twenty years old. She has a natural tact in getting along with them."

"Well, she has my consent to pray over Joseph as much as she pleases. Suppose you begin to-night, while he is asleep;" and Mr. Mason laughed again.

Grandma had remained quiet through the whole conversation; now she pressed Mrs. Kent's hand, as an intimation to say no more. So, with many cordial "goodnights," they parted.

Mary occupied a bed with her mother, and took the earliest opportunity, in the morning, to talk with her brother about it.

"There is nothing," she said, "but a board partition between her room and that where the children sleep, so that she is kept awake, by their quarrels, till a late hour; and then Joseph begins to snarl as soon as it is light. I can see that the conduct of that boy is wearing her out, though when I said a word, she only shook her head."

"Is there no other room she can have?" inquired Mr. Kent, eagerly.

"I should think so, when the whole house is hers. Before we go, I want something to be done about it."

The visit of her children and grandchildren seemed to revive the old lady, who had been rather feeble for a year. Especially she took delight in talking with Berty, or hearing him read. The little fellow loved his grandma, and embraced every opportunity to be attentive, though his little cousins often laughed at him, and teased him to leave her and join them in their play.

Ida, too, loved to wait on grandma, to bring her glasses, and place a cricket for her feet. One day she greatly amused them all by gathering a bouquet of dandelions, which she insisted were "pretty flowers," and putting them in a tumbler by grandma's plate.

On this occasion Ida, for the first time during her visit, showed something of her old temper. She was very sensitive to ridicule, and when her cousins, and even their mother laughed at her bouquet, she threw herself on the floor, kicking and screaming with passion.

Without a word Mrs. Kent arose, took Ida firmly by the hand, and led her to her own chamber. Before they reached it, the child began to be ashamed.

"I'm sorry, mamma," she said, humbly; "I didn't remember how naughty it was."

"My dear little daughter, do you know whom you have displeased?"

"Yes, mamma, my good Jesus."

"What ought you to do, then?"

Ida instantly kneeled down and asked God to please forgive her, and help her not to forgot any more.

It was scarcely ten minutes from the time they left the room till they returned, the child talking gayly about some dandelion curls her mother had promised to show her how to make.

"I don't see how you can govern your temper so," began Mrs. Mason, when the children had gone out to play.

"Of what use is it to try and govern our children, if we cannot control ourselves?" asked the lady, with a smile.

"If you had Joseph to deal with, you'd find it different. Why, I should consider it almost a miracle if he'd give up as easy as Ida did just now. Well, everybody has their trials; I suppose having unruly children is to be mine."

"It will be a trial, indeed, if they are not taught to control themselves while young. Every year makes them more stubborn, and the lesson more difficult."

"I'm not fond of children as Mary is," said the mother, sighing. "Sometimes I think we don't manage ours right; but it's hard to know what to do."

"Pray to the Lord for strength, my daughter," said grandma, solemnly.

"Mr. Mason, you know; isn't a praying man," she said, trying to hide her emotion by a laugh, "and I've given up trying with Joseph long ago."