they are sorry for having offended, and ready to obey."

He led her to the easy-chair by the fireside, which she had just
vacated, and seating himself therein, drew her to a seat upon his knee.

"Papa, I'm so sorry, so very sorry for my badness, so ashamed of not
being obedient to such a dear, kind father," she said, low and
tremulously, blushing painfully as she spoke. "Please, I want you to
punish me well for it."

"Have I not already done so, daughter?" he asked. "I doubt if this has
been a happy day to you."

"Oh, no, indeed, papa! I soon repented of my badness and looked
everywhere for you to tell you how sorry I was and ask you to forgive
me. But you were gone and so I had to wait, and the day has seemed as if
it would never end, though I've been trying to do everything I thought
you would bid me do if you were here."

"Then I think I need add no further punishment," he said, softly
caressing her hair and cheek with his hand.

"But please I want you to, because I deserve it and ought to be made to
pay for such badness; and I'm afraid if I'm not, I'll just be bad again
soon."

"Well, daughter," he replied, "we will leave that question open to
consideration. I see you have books here on the table, and we will now
attend to the recitations."

Her recitations were quite perfect, and he gave the deserved meed of
praise, appointed the tasks for the next day, then drawing her to his
knee again, said: "It does not seem to me necessary, daughter, to
inflict any further punishment for the wrong-doings of this morning. You
are sorry for them, and do not intend to offend in the same way again?"

"Yes, I am sorry, papa, and I don't mean to behave so any more; still,
I'd feel more comfortable, and surer of not being just as bad again in a
few days or weeks, if you'd punish me. So please do."

"Very well, then, I will give you an extra task or two," he said, taking
up her Latin grammar, "I will give you twice the usual lesson in this.
Then, not as a punishment, but for your good, I want you to search out
all the texts you can find in God's Holy Word about the sinfulness of
anger and pride and the duty of confessing our faults, not only to him,
but to those whom we have injured by them."

Opening the Family Bible which lay on the table close at hand, "Here is
one in Proverbs," he said. "'He that covereth his sins shall not
prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy."'

Then turning to the Ne