must be obeyed, however
unwelcome to me or to you."

"Yes, papa; and--and I--I--'most want you to whip me for hurting the
baby so. I suppose nobody believes I'm sorry, but I am. I could beat
myself for it, though I didn't know it was the baby pulling at my skirt.
I thought it was Rosie's dog."

"It is not exactly for hurting the baby," he said; "if you had done that
by accident, I should never think of punishing you for it: but for the
fury of passion that betrayed you into doing it, I must punish you very
severely.

"I shudder to think what you may come to, if I let you go on indulging
your fiery, ungovernable temper: yes, and to think what it has already
brought you to," he added, with a heavy sigh.

"You can never enter heaven unless you gain the victory over that, as
well as every other sin: and, my daughter, there are but two places to
choose from as our eternal home,--heaven and hell; and I must use every
effort to deliver your soul from going to that last--dreadful place!"

He rose, stepped to the window where her little riding-whip still lay,
came back to her; and for the next few minutes she forgot mental
distress in sharp, physical pain, as the stinging, though not heavy,
blows fell thick and fast on her thinly covered back and shoulders.

She writhed and sobbed under them, but neither screamed, nor pleaded for
mercy.

When he had finished, he sat down again, and drew the weeping, writhing
child in between his knees, put his arm about her in tender, fatherly
fashion, and made her lay her head on his shoulder; but he said not a
word. Perhaps his heart was too full for speech.

Presently Lulu's arm crept round his neck. "Papa," she sobbed, "I--I do
love you, and I--I'm glad you wouldn't let me run away,--and that you
try to save me from losing my soul. But oh, I _can't_ be good! I wish, I
_wish_ I _could!_" she ended, with a bitter, despairing cry.

He was much moved.

"We will kneel down, and ask God to help you, my poor, dear child," he
said.

He did so, making her kneel beside him, while, with his arm still about
her, he poured out a prayer so earnest and tender, so exactly describing
her feelings and her needs, that she could join in it with all her
heart. He prayed like one talking to his Father and Friend, who he knew
was both able and willing to do great things for him and his.

When they had risen from their knees, she lifted her eyes to his face
with a timid, pleading look.

He underst