ife.

The good old country nurse is stern but kind, and gives her children
hard lessons, which tax body and brain, but never fail to bring a great
reward. She sends them on long journeys, facing the piercing winter
winds, but rewards them when the journey is over with rosy cheeks and
contented mind, and an appetite that is worth going miles to see; and
although she makes her children work long hours, until their muscles
ache, she gives them, for reward, sweet sleep and pleasant dreams; and
sometimes there are the sweet surprises along life's highway; the
sudden song of birds or burst of sunshine; the glory of the sunrise,
and sunset, and the flash of bluebirds' wings across the road, and the
smell of the good green earth.

Happy is the child who learns earth's wisdom from the good old country
nurse, who does better than she promises, and always "makes her
children mind"!

CHAPTER XII

THE WAR AGAINST GLOOM

Not for all sunshine, dear Lord, do we pray--
We know such a prayer would be vain;
But that strength may be ours to keep right on our way,
Never minding the rain!

It is a great thing to be young, when every vein throbs with energy and
life, when the rhythm of life beats its measures into our hearts and
calls upon us to keep step with Joy and Gladness, as we march
confidently down the white road which leads to the Land of our Desire.
God made every young thing to be happy. He put joy and harmony into
every little creature's heart. Who ever saw a kitten with a grouch?
Or a little puppy who was a pessimist? But you have seen sad children
a-plenty, and we are not blaming the Almighty for that either. God's
plans have been all right, but they have been badly interfered with by
human beings.

When a young colt gallops around the corral, kicking and capering and
making a good bit of a nuisance of himself, the old horses watch him
sympathetically, and very tolerantly. They never say; "It is well for
you that you can be so happy--you'll have your troubles soon enough.
Childhood is your happiest time--you do well to enjoy it, for there's
plenty of trouble ahead of you!"

Horses never talk this way. This is a distinctively human way of
depressing the young. People do it from a morbid sense of duty. They
feel that mirth and laughter are foreign to our nature, and should be
curbed as something almost wicked.

"It's a fine day, today!" we admit grudgingly, "but, look out! We'll
pay up f