THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
knew she lamented my volatile disposition; and crying afresh, I said to her, 'O, mamma, do you think that all my life I shall never do any good at all?'
'If you try in your own strength, I scarcely think you will. Certainly you will do no good which will be acceptable to God.'
'Did I try in my own strength to-day?'
'What do you think, Orris? I leave it to you to decide.'
'I am afraid I did.'
'I am afraid so too; but you must not cry and sob in this way. Let this morning's experience show you how open you are to temptation. To let it make you think you shall never yield to such temptation again is the worst thing you can do; you need help from above; seek it, my dear child, otherwise all your good resolutions will come to nothing.'
'And if I do seek it, mamma?'
'Then, weak as you are, you will certainly be able to accomplish something. It is impossible for me to take away your volatile disposition, and make you thoughtful and steady; but "with God all things are possible."'
'It is a great pity that at the very moment when I want to think about right things, and good things, all sorts of nonsense comes into my head. Grandpapa says I am just like a whirligig; and, besides, that I can never help laughing when I ought not, and I am always having lessons set me for running about and making such a noise when baby is asleep.'
'My dear child, you must not be discontented, these are certainly disadvantages; they will give you
