'Albinia, this is not right. It is not thankful or trustful. No, do
not cry, but listen to me. Your child is as likely to do well as any
child in the world, but nothing is so likely to do him harm as your
want of composure.'
'I tell myself so,' said Albinia, 'but there is no helping it.'
'Yes, there is. Make it your duty to keep yourself still, and not be
troubled about what may or may not happen, but be glad of the present
pleasure.'
'Don't you think I am?' said Albinia, half smiling; 'so glad, that I
grow frightened at myself, and--' As if fain to leave the subject,
she added, 'And it is what you don't understand, Maurice, but he
can't be the first to Edmund as he is to me--never--and when I get
almost jealous for him, I think of Gilbert and the girls--and oh!
there is so much to do for them--they want a mother so much--and
Winifred wont let me see them, or tell me about them!'
She had grown piteous and incoherent, and a glance from Winifred told
him, 'this is always the way.'
'My dear,' he said, 'you will never be fit to attend to them if you
do not use this present time rightly. You may hurt your health, and
still more certainly, you will go to work fretfully and impetuously.
If you have a busy life, the more reason to learn to be tranquil.
Calm is forced on you now, and if you give way to useless nervous
brooding over the work you are obliged to lay aside for a time, you
have no right to hope that you will either have judgment or temper
for your tasks.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142