water."

"Yes, mother," said Dwight, looking up at once, very eagerly; "you told
him never to go near the bank; and yet he went, and so he fell in."

"But I could not help it," said Caleb.

"Why, yes, mother, he certainly could help it; for he walked there
himself of his own accord."

"Very well; that is the question for us to consider; but, first, we must
all be in a proper state of mind to consider it, or else it will do us
no good. Now, Dwight, I am going to ask you a question, and I want to
have you answer it honestly:--Which way do you wish to have this
question, about Caleb's disobedience, decided?"

"Why,--I don't know," said Dwight.

"Suppose I should come to the conclusion that Caleb did right, and
should prove it by arguments, should you feel a little glad, or a little
sorry?"

Dwight hung his head, and seemed somewhat confused, but said,
doubtfully, that he did not know.

"Now, I think, myself," said his mother, "that you have a secret wish to
have it appear that Caleb is guilty of disobedience. You said he
disobeyed, at first, from unkind feelings, which you seemed to feel
towards him at the moment; and now, I suppose, you wish to adhere to it,
so as to get the victory. Now, honestly, isn't it so?"

Dwight did not answer at first. He looked somewhat ashamed. Presently,
however, he concluded, that it was best to be frank and honest; so he
looked up and acknowledged that it was so.

"Yes," said his mother; "and while you are under the influence of such a
prejudice, it would do no good for us to discuss the subject, for you
would not be convinced; so you had better give it up."

Madam Rachel saw, while she was speaking, that Dwight did not look
sullen and dissatisfied, but good-natured and pleasant; and so she knew
that he had concluded to listen, candidly, to what she had to say.

"I think that Caleb was not to blame at all," said Madam Rachel, "for
two reasons. One is, that he was probably overwhelmed with terror. To be
sure, as you say, the cow did not push him. He walked himself,--yet
still he was _impelled_ as strongly as if he had been pushed, though in
a different manner."

"Then there is another reason why Caleb is innocent of any disobedience.
When I told him that he must not go to the high banks, I did not mean
that he _never_ must go, _in any case whatever_."

"I thought you _said_ he never must," said David.

"I presume I did say so, and I made no exceptions; but still some
except