CHAPTER I.

MAURICE'S SPELLING LESSON.

"THERE'S the breakfast bell, Maurice."

The little fellow was sitting on the floor, trying to the knot in his shoe, which he had twitched off in haste the before. He looked up as Nurse spoke, with an impatient scowl.

Presently his mamma came from her room and seeing him still undressed, exclaimed,—

"What, Maurice! Not ready yet?"

"I can't untie my shoe, mamma."

She took up the shoe, glanced at the knot, and smiled as she let it fall again.

"I don't think you've tried, my dear. It isn't a hard knot."

"I did try ever so much; but it wouldn't come out of the tangle."

"Shall I do it for him?" asked Nurse, who had almost spoiled the boy by indulgence.

"No, Hannah. He must learn to be patient in conquering these little difficulties, else how will he ever get through the great ones, he will certainly meet in life."

"Come, Maurice, I'm quite ashamed that a boy nearly five years old should sit moping on the floor, when one minute of patient effort would untie your shoe. Nurse, has Cook carried in the coffee and muffins yet?"

"Oh, mamma! Are there muffins for breakfast?"

"Not for tardy boys, certainly. However, I will allow you five minutes to finish your dressing; and as Nurse has given you your bath, and curled your hair, you can easily be ready, if you try."

Maurice caught up his shoe in a hurry, began to twitch and pull; looked as if he was going to cry, but with a sudden thought bent his whole energies to the work, and laughed aloud when it was accomplished.

"I'm glad you didn't help me, Hannah," he exclaimed, joyfully. "I can pull knots out now, just as easy."

"To be sure you can," she answered, giving him a kiss, and hurrying him away to be in time for his favorite muffins.

A few hours later he sat in his little study-chair, his spelling-book open before him, while he was gazing at the cat trying to catch her own tail.

"See, mamma!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Isn't puss silly to run round that way?"

"I have nothing to do with kitty now. She is not in my school," replied the lady, with a smile. "I suppose you can say your lesson very perfectly, as you have time to watch cats."

Maurice blushed and caught up his book.

"F-o-l-l-y, folly," he spelled, in a whisper, then stopped again.

"Mamma, what's the use of learning to spell so many words?"

"Some other time I will explain that," she answered, pleasantly.

"H-o-l-l-y, holly," he went on. "Is that holly that grows on trees?"

"Yes, my dear, it is a small tree or rather shrub."

"I can say my lesson now, mamma." He held out the book.

"Can you spell the word patience?"

"That isn't in my lesson."

"I'm afraid not."

"Why do you say afraid, mamma?"

"Because I want very much that you should learn the meaning of the word; and then perhaps you would try to practise it. Now spell after me, p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e."

"It's hard to remember," he said, with a blush.

"Now for the meaning, Maurice. This morning it meant, 'try, try again to untie your shoe.' Now it means 'study over and over your lesson, not allowing yourself to be weary or diverted from your book, until you have learned it thoroughly.' The Bible speaks of 'patient continuance in well-doing,' and tells us to 'let patience have her perfect work.'"

"I am sorry to say, Maurice, that you are sadly wanting in patience and—"

"Mamma, I did get out the knot," exclaimed the boy, his cheeks crimsoning.

"Yes, at last you applied yourself to the business; if you had done that at first you would have prevented the reproof your papa gave you for tardiness, which he so much dislikes."

Without another word, Maurice set himself to his task with a will. Over and over again he whispered the words, his finger patiently following down the column. Not even when kitty, tired of her play, came to him with a plaintive "meow," did he turn his eyes from his book.

"Well done, Maurice!" exclaimed his mother, who had been watching him with a smile. "I may as well get out the memorandum-book, for I'm sure of having to put down the word perfect this morning."

He stood erect before her, his hands folded behind his back. He had conquered his lesson and was very happy in the thought that he had conquered himself. It was no matter now, whether his mamma went straight on with the words, or commenced at the bottom of the line, or whether she skipped about, he was sure of every syllable.

"It's a pleasure to hear such a lesson as that," said the lady.

"I'm going to be patient all the time, mamma," he cried, jumping up and down. "Now I'm going to get my geography."

Every lesson that morning was well learned, and the boy who usually dragged away the whole day at his studies, to his mother's great annoyance, now fairly earned the right to a long recess.

All in the family, from Cook in the kitchen, to Tom the stable-boy, knew by Maurice's bright, happy face, that something unusual had happened, and rejoiced with him in his efforts to learn patience.