you, without reflection, sallied forth and suffocated the little
birds. You could not feed them as the _mother_ would. You could
not find in the air and on the ground the little insects, and small
worms and little grains which were their proper food, and you should
have left it to their own mother to fill their opened mouths.
_She_ would have made no mistake either in the quality or
quantity _convenient_ for them."

"O," Mary said, "how that reminds me of the scripture in Proverbs
xxx. 8: 'Feed me with food _convenient_ for me.'"

"Yes, my dear girl, it's a scripture of great importance and often
does it impress my mind in combination with the other I mentioned,
Ps. lxxxi. 10: 'Open thy mouth wide, and _I_ will fill it,' in
their spiritual application, when I am providing for you, and
dividing out your portions, and considering what diet is most suited
to your constitution, and limiting the quantity of dainty or rich
luxuries not _convenient_ for you. I am also frequently led to
apply it to myself, and to offer my petition to the Lord that he will
graciously judge for me, both temporally and spiritually to
_fill_ my mouth, and feed me with food _convenient_ for me."

"I think too, mamma, that there is some meaning belonging to this in
our Lord's teaching us to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread,'
Matt. vi. 11."

"Assuredly, my dear child, and I am rejoiced to find you are led by
this subject to compare spiritual things with spiritual.

"You see how the word of God interprets itself, and we are taught to