santly at her? could she "forbear" all
unkindness, even in thought? Not yet! Daisy felt very miserable and very
much ashamed of herself, even while her anger was in abiding strength
and vigour.
She went on, reading through the whole chapter; not because she had not
enough already to think about, but because she did not feel that she
could obey it. Some of the chapter she did not quite understand; but she
went on reading, all the same, till she came to the last verse. That
went through and through Daisy's heart, and her eyes filled so full that
by the time she got to the end of it she could not see to read at all.
These were the words:
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
That quite broke Daisy's heart. She rolled herself over upon her open
Bible, so as to hide her face in her pillow, and there Daisy had a good
cry. _She_ standing out about a little thing, when Jesus was willing to
forgive such loads and loads of naughtiness in her! Daisy would have no
friendship with her resentment any more. She turned her back upon it,
and fled from it, and sought eagerly that help by which, as she had told
Dr. Sandford, it might be overcome. And she had said right. He who is
called Jesus because be saves his people from their sins, will not leave
anybody under their power who heartily trusts in him for deliverance
from them.
Daisy received several visits that day, but they were all flying visits;
everybody was busy. However they put to the proof the state of her
feeling towards several persons. The next day the first person she saw
was the doctor.
"How do you do, Daisy? Ready to go down stairs to-day?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have you got the better of your anger?"
"Yes, sir."
"Pray, at what hour did your indignation take flight?" said the doctor,
looking at the gentle little face before him.
"I think--about three hours after you were here yesterday," said Daisy
soberly. The doctor looked at her, and his gravity gave way, so far at
least as to let the corners of his lips curl away from some very white
teeth. Dr. Sandford rarely laughed. And there was nothing mocking about
his smile now, though I have used the word "curl;" it was merely what
Daisy considered a very intelligent and very benign curve of the mouth.
Indeed she liked it very much.
"Have you seen the offending party since that time, Daisy?"
"Yes, sir."
"And did you feel no
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