The contrast between both of our feelings now and what they were in the morning, was very great.  I felt happier for having acted justly and with due self-control; and my little girl, though troubled on account of the accident, had not the extra burden of my displeasure to bear.

“Better, far better,” said I to myself, as I sat and reflected upon the incidents just related—­“better, far better is it, in all our relations in life, to maintain a calm exterior, and on no account speak harshly to those who are below us.  Angry words make double wounds.  They hurt those whom they are addressed, while they leave a sting behind them.  Above all, should we guard against a moody temper.  Whenever we permit any thing to fret our minds, we are not in a state to exercise due self-control, and if temptation comes then we are sure to fall.”

TROUBLE WITH SERVANTS

“Oh, dear Mrs. Graham!” said my neighbour Mrs. Jones to me one day, “what shall I do for good help?  I am almost worried out of my senses.  I wish somebody would invent a machine to cook, wash, scrub, and do housework in general.  What a blessing it would be!  As for the whole tribe of flesh and blood domestics, they are not worth their salt.”

“They are all poorly educated,” I replied, “and we cannot expect much of them.  Most of them have nearly every thing to learn when they come into our houses, and are bad scholars into the bargain.  But we must have patience.  I find it my only resource.”

“Patience!” ejaculated Mrs. Jones, warmly.  It would require more patience than Job ever possessed to get along with some of them.”

“And yet,” said I, “we accomplish little or nothing by impatience.  At least such is my experience.”

“I don’t know, ma’am,” replied Mrs. Jones.  “If you go to being gentle and easy with them, if you don’t follow them up at every point, you will soon have affairs in a pretty condition!  They don’t care a fig for your comfort nor interest—­not they!  In fact, more than half of them would, a thousand times, rather make things disagreeable for you than otherwise.”

“I know they are a great trial, sometimes,” I answered, not feeling at liberty to say to my (sic) visiter all I thought.  “But we must endeavour to bear it the best we can.  That is my rule; and I find, in the long run, that I get on much better when I repress all exhibition of annoyance at their carelessness, short-comings, neglect, or positive misdeeds, than I do when I let them see that I am annoyed, or exhibit the slightest angry feeling.”

Not long after this, we accepted an invitation to take tea with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and I then had an opportunity of seeing how she conducted herself towards her domestics.  I was in no way surprised, afterwards, that she found difficulty in getting along with servants.

Soon after my husband and myself went in, and while we were sitting in the parlour, Mrs. Jones had occasion to call a servant.  I noticed that, when she rung the bell, she did so with a quick jerk; and I could perceive a tone of authority in the ting-a-ling of the bell, the sound of which was distinctly heard.  Nearly two minutes passed before the servant made her appearance, in which time the bell received a more vigorous jerk.  At last she entered, looking flushed and hurried.