lew Laura. At any other time she would
have thought it capital fun, but now she was frightened out of her wits,
and tore away at the very top of her speed. The whole party of ladies
and gentlemen stood laughing, and applauding, to see how fast they both
cleared the ground, while Laura, seeing the garden gate still wide open,
hoped she might be able to dart in, and close it, but alas! when she
arrived within four steps of the threshold, feeling almost certain of
escape, Captain Digby seized hold of her pink frock behind. It instantly
began tearing, so she had great hopes of leaving the piece in his hand
and getting off; but he was too clever for that, as he grasped hold of
her long sash, which was floating far out behind, and led Laura a
prisoner before the whole company.

When Lady Harriet discovered that this was really Laura advancing, her
head hanging down, her hair streaming about her ears, and her face like
a full moon, she could scarcely credit her own eyes, and held her hands
up with astonishment, while uncle David shrugged his shoulders, till
they almost met over his head, but not a word was said on either side
until they got home, when Lady Harriet at last broke the awful silence
by saying,

"My dear girl! you must, of course, be severely punished for this act of
disobedience, and it is not so much on account of feeling angry at your
misconduct that I mean to correct you, but because I love you, and wish
to make you behave better in future. Parents are appointed by God to
govern their children as he governs us, not carelessly indulging their
faults, but wisely correcting them, for we are told that our Great
Father in heaven chastens those whom he loves, and only afflicts us for
great and wise purposes. I have suffered many sorrows in the world, but
they always made me better in the end, and whatever discipline you meet
with from me, or from that Great Being who loves you still more than I
do, let it teach you to consider your ways, to repent of your
wilfulness, and to pray that you may be enabled to act more properly in
future."

"Yes, grandmama," replied Laura, with tears in her eyes, "I am quite
willing to be punished, for it was very wrong indeed to make you so
vexed and ashamed, by disobeying your orders."

"Then here is a long task which you must study before dinner, as a
penalty for trespassing bounds. It is a beautiful poem on the death of
Sir John Moore, which every school-girl can repeat, but being