SUSAN AND HEE BIETH- 
 
 DAY. 
 
 SusAi^ is a little girl, and is hom^ 
 nearly ten years old. She was 
 always a kind and pleasant child, 
 except that she once had a very 
 sad fault. "When she could have 
 her own way, her^ face looked 
 
2 SUSAN AKD nEE BIRTH-DAY. 
 
 bright and liappy ; but when she 
 could not, she showed a sullen 
 and naughty temper. 
 
 It was Susan's ninth birth-day, 
 in the month of June. She had 
 looked forward with great delight 
 to this time for many weeks,^ for 
 her kind parents had promised 
 her that she should have some of 
 her young friends for company 
 on that day. As there is a beauti- 
 ful park about two miles from her 
 father's house, it was planned 
 that Susan and her visitors should 
 go about three o'clock, and take 
 with them the tea-things, and 
 have a very happy time of it 
 under the shade of the trees. 
 No wonder that she had set her 
 heart upon this treat. It was to 
 be her par^y, aid on her birth- 
 day. The ride, and the feast, and 
 
SUSAK AND HER BIIlTn-DAT. 3 
 
 the romp, were all pleasant tc 
 think of. 
 
 Susan thought the day was a 
 long time coming, but at last it did 
 come. But it came with a storm 
 of rain. It was cold and cloudy 
 the day before, and in the night 
 it began to rain. And when the 
 little girl arose on the morning 
 of her birfch-day, the rain was 
 falling in a slow, steady way, 
 which promised to last all day 
 loner, 
 
 Susan was angry at the ram. 
 She said it always rained when 
 she wanted to go anywhere. 
 Then she began to pout, and 
 grow sullen. She did not wish 
 anybody to speak to her, or to 
 speak to any one. She went up 
 stairs after breakfast, and sat 
 down on a chair by the windovr 
 
4 SUSAN AND HEE BIETH-DAT. 
 
 and locked out at the ram, with 
 swollen eyes, flushed cheeks, and 
 a stubborn heart. Her motlier 
 went up to her, and tried to 
 comfort her by saying that it 
 might be pleasant on the morrow, 
 and she should then have her 
 oarty, and keep the birth-day ; 
 Sut she was too sullen and re- 
 pining to be satisfied with such a 
 way of getting over her trouble. 
 In the course of the morning 
 Susan's father asked for his 
 daughter. He had a pretty 
 birth-day gift in his pocket to 
 give to her. But when he was 
 told that she had shut herself in 
 her room in the sulks, he went 
 up stairs. He then sat down 
 and talked to her very calmly 
 and seriously. He showed how 
 
 11 
 
8AH AFB HER BIETH-DAY. S 
 
 wicked it was to cherish angry 
 thoughts and sullen feelings, and 
 that they would make her un- 
 happy in herself, and unlovely in 
 the eyes of others. " And now, 
 Susan,' ' said he, "I do not ask if 
 you are sorry, for I fear you are 
 not. You still murmur at the 
 3rovidence of God, and are angry 
 because you cannot have your 
 own way. Tour conduct is sin- 
 ful, and must be punished. And 
 you shall be punished by letting 
 you have your own way. You 
 have chosen to come up into your 
 own room, and have nothing to 
 do with the rest of the family, 
 who would be glad to enjoy the 
 day in-doors with you. We 
 would have tried to please jou ; 
 you might have been with us, and 
 
6 SUSAN a:n'd hee birth-day. 
 
 you could have had the party of 
 little friends some other day. 
 But as you have chosen to be ill- 
 tempered and sullen, sit here by 
 yourself. Tour dinner and tea 
 shall be sent up to you, and you 
 can go to bed in the evening; 
 but I hope not till you have 
 repented of your sins. If you 
 feel in a better temper to-morrow 
 morning you can come down 
 stairs : if you do not, stay here 
 till I send for you." Susan's 
 father then told her to kneel 
 down with him while he prayed 
 that God would give his Holy 
 Spirit to change the heart of his 
 stubborn child, that she might 
 be sorry for her sins, and look by 
 faith to Jesus Christ to take 
 away their guilt. 
 
SUSAN AND BEE BIllTH-DAT. 7 
 
 Susan was struck with sur- 
 irise. She supposed that she 
 lad a right to feel just as she 
 Dleased ; but now she was taught 
 :;hat sinful feelings are oifeusive 
 to Grod, and that they showed 
 her heart was wrong. Instead of 
 being humoured and coaxed as 
 she expected, she was punished. 
 
 It was a long, sad birth-day for 
 Susan ; but before night she 
 began to think of what her 
 father had said to her, and she 
 saw she had been very wicked in 
 sinning against God, who had 
 sent the rain. She then knelt 
 down by herself, and wept as she 
 asked (xod to forgive her for the 
 sake of Jesus Christ. After she 
 had prayed, instead of idly look- 
 ing out of the window at th^f 
 rain, she got her sewing, ana 
 
8 SUSAN AND HEE BIRTH-DAT. 
 
 went to work. In the evening 
 also she read a little book, and 
 a chapter in the New Testament, 
 
 At breakfast next morning, 
 Susan went into the breakfast- 
 parlou]*, in a very humble manner, 
 jet with a smiling face. She 
 kissed her parents and said, ^^Do 
 please, forgive me, ana I will not 
 be so naughty again.'* 
 
 In a few days after this, Susan 
 had a party of her young com- 
 panions : it was a very fine day, 
 and they were all quite happy to- 
 gether in the park. Since that 
 time, Susan has not forgotten to 
 pray to God for his grace to keep 
 her from a sullen and bad spirit. 
 We are pleased to add that aU 
 Susan's friends say she is now 
 quite an altered girl. 
 
 Beixiauiin Pardon, Printer, Paternoster Row. 
 
se-^ 
 
 
 tv 
 
 v., 
 

 
 
 
 A HUMBLE MIND. 
 
 Since I am a little child, 
 Humble I should be and mild ; 
 Always ready to be taught, 
 And to do the things I ought. 
 
 When I cannot have my way, 
 I must no ill-will display, 
 But must learn to bend my will, 
 And be kind and gentle still. 
 
 Pride and anger I must shun, 
 Nor be rude to any one ; 
 Evil tempers must not rise, 
 To offend God's holy eyes. 
 
 Lord, thy help and grace I seek, 
 Make me humble, modest, meek ; 
 Poor in spirit may I be, 
 And submit myself to thee. 
 
 
 
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