"I was to you," her mamma continued, "in the affair of the cake,endeavoring to fulfil this my duty, but you rebelled against mydiscretion, and would covet more than was right. You _helpedyourself_, you gorged your stomach. You were cross and peevish,and ill, and when the medicine had relieved you, as it was designed,you, without reflection, sallied forth and suffocated the littlebirds. You could not feed them as the _mother_ would. You couldnot find in the air and on the ground the little insects, and tinyworms and little grains which were their proper food, and you shouldhave left it to their own mother to fill their opened mouths._She_ would have made no mistake either in the quality orquantity _convenient_ for them."

"0," Mary exclaimed, "how that reminds me of the scripture in Proverbsxxx. 8: 'Feed me with food _convenient_ for me.'"

"Yes, my dear tiny child, it really is a scripture of great importance and occasionallydoes it impress my mind in combination with the other I mentioned,Ps. lxxxi. 10: '0pen thy mouth wide, and _I_ will fill it,' intheir spiritual application, when I am providing for you, anddividing out your portions, and considering what diet is most suitedto your constitution, and limiting the quantity of dainty or richluxuries not _convenient_ for you. I am also frequently led toapply it to myself, and to offer my petition to the Lord that he willgraciously judge for me, both temporally and spiritually to_fill_ my mouth, and feed me with food _convenient_ for me."