e. 'Here,' said my
mother, 'you were many a time shut up by me in order to make you a
good girl. Now you are old enough to know yourself when it is the
right time for you to be shut up here, in order that you may grow
good. I advise you, at such times, to come here and stay till you
have conquered the bad spirit, and can come out with a firm
resolution to do better. I shall never put you in the closet again,
but I shall trust, Alice, that you will put yourself in, at all
proper times.' I well remember putting my arms around my mother's
neck and kissing her for joy, but I said not a word. My heart was
too full of love, and gratitude, and pleasure to speak. After my
parents left me in the closet, in my own chair, now all my own, I
sat still some minutes thinking what I should do with my great
possession, how I should improve my great blessing. The thought of
my mother's loving trust in me affected me very much. I resolved I
would not disappoint her. I resolved that, whenever I found myself
doing wrong, I would come to my closet, shut myself in, and pray
there for strength to cure my faults. I then counted them all over
as far as I knew them, and resolved to get rid of them all. I was
too happy to think of the difficulty in the way of doing this, but
my self-confidence was soon rebuked. After looking over all the
books, and putting my fingers upon every thing in my little kingdom,
and dancing up and down with delight, I followed my father and
mother down stairs to see the presents for the other children. Such
was my state of exaltation that when my little sister came, full of
joy, to me, with her new doll, I turned contemptuously away from
her, and sneered at it, and said, 'Who wants to look at a doll? My
New Year's gift is the best; it is worth yours and the boys' all put
together.' Never shall I forget the grieved, disappointed look of my
little sister as she said, 'Why, Alice, I thought you would be so
glad to see my doll,'--and never shall I forget the silent rebuke of
my mother's gentle eye, as she looked at me sadly. I felt it all. I
could not stand it. I ran up to my closet; I turned the key as I
closed the door. I fell on my knees and poured forth to my Father in
heaven the first TRUE prayer I ever remember to have uttered. I
prayed for forgiveness of my unkindness, I prayed for strength to
conquer my many faults.

That day I did not sin again. I played with Fanny's doll. I did all
that I could to make every one