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 excellent sermon, wherein is contained some allusion to faults which
ought to be corrected.
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