ill be ruined."

"He needs all our forbearance," Mrs. Howland ventured to remark, "as
well as our care and solicitude."

"Forbearance! I have no forbearance toward wrong, Esther. You have
forborne until the child is beyond your control."

"Not entirely," was meekly answered, as the mother's eyes drooped to
the floor.

At this moment a servant, who had been sent for the child, came in
with him. A few doors away lived another child, about the same age,
of whom little Andrew was very fond, and whose companionship he
sought on every occasion. Against the father of this child Mr.
Howland had imbibed a strong prejudice, which was permitted to
extend itself to his family. Rigid and uncompromising in everything,
he had observed that Andrew was frequently in company with the child
of this neighbor, and felt impelled to lay a prohibition on their
intercourse. But Andrew, a light-hearted, high-spirited boy, who
inherited from his father a strong will, was by no means inclined to
yield a ready obedience in this particular. He loved his little
companion, and never was happier than when in her society.
Naturally, therefore, he sought it on every occasion, and when the
positive interdiction of their intercourse came, the child felt that
a duty was imposed upon him that was impossible of fulfillment.
Young as he was, he could endure punishment, but not give up his
little friend. Advantage was therefore taken of every opportunity to
be with her that offered. Punishments of various kinds were
inflicted, but they acted only as temporary restraints.

As to this little girl herself, let it be understood, Mr. Howland
had no personal objection. He had never seen anything that was wrong
in her, and had never heard a word of evil spoken against her. The
simple, yet all-embracing defect that appertained to her was his
dislike of her father; and this dislike had its chief foundation in
a wrong estimate of his character, the result of his own narrow
prejudices. Somewhat hastily, we will admit, did Mr. Howland utter
the word that was to separate the little friends, and the word was
half-repented of as soon as spoken. But once uttered, it was a law
to which he required the most implicit obedience. He thought not of
the wrong the separation might do his child; he thought only of
enforcing obedience--of breaking a stubborn will. Obedience in
children was, in his eyes, everything--and he visited, with the
sternest displeasure, every deviation th