The Pearl of Peace

An unkind report about a school dress sets Sallie Munson against her cousin Cynthia. Matilda has exaggerated the remarks, and her taste for gossip threatens the peace of their small circle. Harriet Maynard, called Hatty, supplies a different example through her cheerful manner and concern for her friends. Sallie admires Hatty's happiness, especially because her home brings poverty and responsibilities of its own.

Madeline Leslie gives this children's story a practical moral focus, following the effects of words and tempers from the walk home into family life. Matilda's effort to improve begins with small acts: offering to sew, entertaining the baby and speaking pleasantly to the boys. Biblical guidance and family prayer connect these daily tasks with the duty to make peace. Readers interested in older children's fiction will find a story that treats kindness as a habit to practise, with household work and school friendships providing its tests.