122 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



times he takes that opportunity of giving a little 

 gentle reproof; for he is so considerate of our 

 small feelings, that he seldom exposes any one 

 publicly in th*e family circle, knowing that half 

 the good is destroyed by the mortification. 



I was up remarkably early this morning, and 

 went to the library before breakfast, expecting to 

 be commended a little for my improvement in 

 early rising. After our morning greetings, my 

 uncle did commend me very kindly, and said 

 that the pleasure of seeing me in the library 

 was doubled by the satisfaction it gave him to 

 find that I had such power over myself. I was 

 beginning to exult a little inwardly at this, when 

 he added, " But now, Bertha, as there are few 

 pleasures without alloy, I must cloud this praise 

 a little by doing what I dislike by finding fault." 



You may suppose, dear Mamma, what a damp 

 this cast on me for a moment ; but I knew that 

 he never chides without reason, he is so mild ; 

 and he never mistakes one's conduct, he is so 

 just: so I brightened up again, and anxiously 

 listened. 



" The fault, my dear Bertha, which I have 

 to mention, is one that I have observed ever 

 since you have been here and it is, in my opi- 

 nion, so important, that I can no longer wait 

 for your own good sense to perceive it ; for 

 habit strengthens at a rapid pace. A general 

 want of neatness is the fault to which I allude. 



