You yourself have encouraged Lillie to live very much like a little humming-bird." "Well, I thought," said John, "that she would in time develop into something better." "Well, there lies your mistake; you expected too much.

The work of years is not to be undone in a moment; and you must take into account that this is Lillie's first adversity.

You may as well make up your mind not to expect her to be reasonable.

It seems to me that we can make up our minds to bear any thing that we know must come; and you may as well make up yours, that, for a long time, you will have to carry Lillie as a burden.

But then, you must think that she is your daughter's mother, and that it is very important for the child that she should respect and honor her mother.