128

[Illustration: THREADING THE NEEDLE.]

THREADING THE NEEDLE.

"[Illustration: W]HERE is Lucy all this while?" asked Mrs. Ludlow of
Anna, the maid.

"I left her five minutes ago, trying to thread a needle," replied Anna.

"She is a long while about it," said Mrs. Ludlow. "Send her to me."

When Lucy entered the room, her mother asked her what she had been
about; and Lucy replied, "I have been teaching myself to thread a
needle."

"But you have been a long time about it," said mother.

"I will tell you why," continued Lucy. "When I went to walk with papa
yesterday, he saw me get over a stone-wall, which I did rather clumsily:
so he said, 'A thing that is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Let
me teach you how to get over a wall quickly and gracefully.'"

"So he gave you a lesson in getting over walls, did he?"

"Yes, mother: he kept me at it at least half an hour; and now I can get
over a wall as quickly and well as any boy."

"But what has getting over walls to do with threading a needle?"

"Only this: I thought I would apply papa's rule, and learn to do well
what I was trying to do. So I have been threading and unthreading the
needle, till now I can thread it easily."

"You have done well to heed your father's advice," said Mrs. Ludlow. "If
you do not see the importance of it now, you will see it often in your
life as you grow older."

It was not many months before Lucy comprehended how wise her father had
been in training his little girl. She was gathering violets in a field
one day, when she heard a trampling sound, and, looking round, saw a
fierce bull plunging and twisting himself about, and all the time
drawing nearer and nearer to her. Suddenly he made a rush towards her in
a straight line.

Not far off was a high stone-wall. It would once have seemed to Lucy a
hopeless attempt to try to get over it before the bull could reach her;
but now she felt confident she could do it: and she did it bravely.
Confidence in her ability to do it kept off all fear; and she did not
even tremble.

The bull came up, and roared lustily when he found she had escaped, and
was on the other side of the wall. But Lucy turned to him, and said,
"Keep your temper, old fellow! This child's father taught her how to get
over a stone-wall in double-quick time. You must learn to scale a wall
yourself, if you hope to catch _her_."

"Boo-oo-oo!" roared the bull, prancing up and down, but not knowing how