Chapter XXI: Modesty

50. The Violet.

Two friends were walking along a country road, and as they went on one said: "I do believe there are violets somewhere on this bank, the air smells so sweet". The other lady replied that she did not see any; but, looking carefully, they at last found the leaves, and there, hiding away among them, was the little sweet violet, with its delicious scent.

Why does the little violet hide away? Because she is =modest=, which means that she does not like to =boast=, or make a display of her pretty petals and sweet perfume. =Modest= people do not like to talk of kind, noble or clever things they may have done; they prefer to =hide= their good deeds, and in this they are like the violet.

51. Modesty in Dress.

There is another way in which children can be modest--they can be modest about dress. A child's dress is not so long as that of a grown-up person, because children want to romp and play about, but a =modest= child always likes its dress to cover it nicely, and will take care that no buttons are unfastened.

One evening some children were playing about on the hearthrug, when one of them, a little girl named Jessie, jumped up quite suddenly, and, with a blushing face, ran out of the room. The governess followed to see what was the matter, and Jessie told her in a whisper that she was =so= ashamed, because in romping about her dress had gone above her knees.

Some people might say that Jessie was =too= modest, but I do not think so; a nice little girl will always like to keep her knees covered.

In America the children have much longer dresses than in our country, and they would think little girls very rude who were not as careful as Jessie.

You will think for yourselves of many other ways in which children can be modest. It is a good rule never to do =anything= that we would be ashamed for teacher or mother to see.