hen she could just
as well help herself. In this she proved firm. The consequence was,
an entire change in Hannah's deportment towards her, and a cheerful
performance by her of every thing she asked her to do. This could
not but be observed by her mother, and it induced her to modify, to
some extent, her way of treating her servants. The result was
salutary, and now she has far less trouble with them than she ever
had in her life. All, she finds, are not so worthless as she had
deemed them.

CHAPTER XXXI.

A MOTHER'S DUTY.

I CLOSE my volume of rambling sketches, with a chapter more didactic
and serious. The duties of the housekeeper and mother, usually unite
in the same person; but difficult and perplexing as is the former
relation, how light and easy are all its claims compared with those
of the latter. Among my readers are many mothers--Let us for a
little while hold counsel together.

To the mind of a mother, who loves her children, no subject can have
so deep an interest as that which has respect to the well being of
her offspring. Young mothers, especially, feel the need, the great
need of the hints and helps to be derived from others' experience.
To them, the duty of rightly guiding, forming and developing the
young mind is altogether a new one; at every step they feel their
incompetence, and are troubled at their want of success. A young
married friend, the mother of two active little boys, said to me,
one day, earnestly,

"Oh! I think, sometimes, that I would give the world if I only could
see clearly what was my duty towards my children. I try to guide
them aright--I try to keep them from all improper influences--but
rank weeds continually spring up with the flowers I have planted.
How shall I extirpate these, without injuring the others?"

How many a young mother thus thinks and feels. It is indeed a great
responsibility that rests upon her. With the most constant and
careful attention, she will find the task of keeping out the weeds a
hard one; but let her not become weary or discouraged. The enemy is
ever seeking to sow tares amid her wheat, and he will do it if she
sleep at her post. Constant care, good precept, and, above all, good
example, will do much. The gardener whose eye is ever over, and
whose hand is ever busy in his garden, accomplishes much; the
measure of his success may be seen if the eye rest for but a moment
on the garden of his neighbor, the sluggard. Even if a weed springs