she went about, saying,

"Where is that little rogue? He came to get away one of my picture-books
for nothing. He wanted to be paid for bearing happiness patiently. The
rogue! I'll pinch him if I can only find him."

So saying, Mary Anna went and sat down to supper, and soon after Caleb
came and took his seat too; Mary Anna roguishly shaking her finger at
him all the time. He had to hold his hand over his mouth to keep from
laughing aloud.

Perhaps some of the readers of this book may smile at Caleb's idea of
his merit in having been a pleasant boy all day, when he felt vexed and
unsubmissive in the only case which brought him any trial; but it is so
with almost all children, and some grown persons too. A great deal of
the goodness upon which we all pride ourselves, is only the quiescence
of bad propensities in the absence of temptation and trial.

CHAPTER XII.

THE WALK.

Outside of the window in Madam Rachel's bedroom, where the children used
to sit and talk with her just before going to bed, there was a little
platform, with a plain roof over it, supported by small square posts,
altogether forming a sort of portico. Below this window there were two
doors, opening from the middle out each way, so that when the window was
raised, and the doors were opened, a person could walk in and out. There
were seats in the portico, and there was a wild grape-vine growing upon
a plain trellis, on each side. In front of the portico was one of the
broad walks of the garden, for on this side the garden extended up to
the house. At least there was no fence between, though there was a
small plot of green grass next to the house; and next to that came the
trees and flowers.

One pleasant evening Dwight and Caleb were playing on this grass,
waiting for Madam Rachel to come and call them in to the sofa. It was
about eight o'clock, but it was not dark. The western sky still looked
bright; for though the sun had gone down, so that it could no longer
shine upon the trees and houses, it still shone upon the clouds and
atmosphere above, and made them look bright.

Presently Madam Rachel came, and stood at the window.

"Where's David?" said she.

"Out in the garden," said Dwight, "and mother," he continued, "I wish
you would walk in the garden to-night."

At first, Madam Rachel said she thought she could not very well that
evening, for she had a difficult text to talk about; but the boys
promised to walk along quietly, and