“Edith, dear, you set out wrong in your attempts to do right,” said Emily, kindly.  “It is not in you; it is not in any one by nature to be always gentle and kind.  It is not in me I know.  I was once a very petulant child, being an only one, and it was but by very slow process that I learned to govern myself, and I am learning it still.”

At this moment Fred came in, bearing in one hand a quantity of paper, and in another a book with directions for balloon making.  “Now Edith, you are a clever young lady,” he began.

“Oh, yes,” said Edith, wrathfully, “When it suits you, you can flatter.”

“No, but Edith, don’t be cross, come!  I want you to do me a service.  I want you to cut me out this tissue paper into the shape of this pattern.  I am going to send up a balloon to-morrow, and I can’t cut it out, will you do it for me?”

“Yes, yes,” said Emilie, “we will do it together.  Oh, come that is a nice job, Edith dear, I can help you in that,” and Emilie cleared away her own work quick as thought, and asked Fred for particular directions how it was to be done, all this time trying to hide Edith’s unwillingness to oblige her brother, and making it appear that Edith and she were of one mind to help him.

Fred, who since the fire-work affair had treated Emilie somewhat rudely, and had on many occasions annoyed her considerably, looked in astonishment at Miss Schomberg.  She saw his surprise and understood it.  “Fred,” said she frankly, “I know what you are thinking of, but let us be friends.  Give me the gratification of helping you to this pleasure, since I hindered you of the other.  You won’t be too proud, will you, to have my help?”

Fred coloured.  “Miss Schomberg,” said he, “I don’t deserve it of you, I beg your pardon;” and thus they were reconciled.

Oh, it is not often in great things that we are called upon to show that we love our neighbour as ourselves.  It is in the daily, hourly, exercise of little domestic virtues, that they who truly love God may be distinguished from those who love him not.  It was not because Emilie was naturally amiable or naturally good that she was thus able to show this loving and forgiving spirit.  She loved God, and love to him actuated her; she thus adorned the doctrine of her Saviour in all things.  Young reader there is no such thing as a religion of words and feelings alone, it must be a religion of acts; a life of warfare against the sins that most easily beset you; a mortification of selfishness and pride, and a humble acknowledgment, when you have done your very best, that you are only unprofitable servants.  Had you heard Emilie communing with her own heart, you would have heard no self gratulation.  She was far from perfect even in the sight of man; in the sight of God she knew that in many things she offended.

It is not a perfect character that I would present to you in Emilie Schomberg; but one who with all the weakness and imperfection of human nature, made the will of God her rule and delight.  This is not natural, it is the habit of mind of those only who are created anew, new creatures in Christ Jesus.