Our Gift

upon which I wished to say a few words to you. Can you think what it is?"

"I cannot," said Mary. "Nor I either," said Clara; "certainly, I see no harm in the words we uttered."

"True," responded Mrs. Spaulding, "there was no harm. It was not the words you spoke, but the tone in which they were spoken, that attracted my attention; as if you were glad to be able to point out somebody to whom the reproof could be applied. This failing is a common one, and our Savior may have had it in view, when he said to his followers, on the mount, 'Cast out the beam from thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye.' My object now, my dear children, is to caution you against a failing, which is almost universal, namely, of seeing distinctly and reproving faults in others, while we appear to be quite unconscious that we ourselves are in the practice of the same or worse defects.

"This blemish develops itself in a variety of ways. The pastor preaches an excell