My mother's counsel to me before leaving home,
recurring to my mind, often prevented the impatient and irritable
thought from finding expression in words; and before the winter was
over, I found, what every one has found who tried the experiment, that
there is scarcely a nature so cold and unfeeling as to withstand the
charm of continued kindness. The last remaining feeling of animosity on
the part of my aunt died out when my mother sent me a letter containing
a small sum of pocket-money, and, without saying a word of my intention
to any one, I expended this money in the purchase of a brooch, as a
present to my aunt. The article was neither large nor showy, but was
uncommonly neat and tasteful. It was an emerald in a setting of fine
gold, and of considerable value; in fact, to buy it I was obliged to
empty my purse of the last cent it contained. When, with a diffident
manner, I presented the gift, asking my aunt to accept it for a
keepsake, as well as a token of my gratitude for her kindness, a truly
happy expression came over her usually rather stern countenance.
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