sobbed; "and I love
you dearly, dearly; I know I've not been acting like it lately, but I
do, and just as much now as before. Oh, papa, you don't know how hard it
is for me to be good!"

"I think I do," he said; "for I am naturally quite as bad as you are,
having a violent temper, which would most certainly have been my ruin
had I not been forced to learn to control it; indeed I fear it is from
me you get your temper.

"I had a good Christian mother," he went on, "who was very faithful in
her efforts to train her children up aright. My fits of passion gave her
great concern and anxiety. I can see now how troubled and distressed she
used to look.

"Usually she would shut me up in a room by myself until I had had time
to cool down, then come to me, talk very seriously and kindly of the
danger and sinfulness of such indulgence of temper, telling me there was
no knowing what dreadful deed I might some day be led to commit in my
fury, if I did not learn to rule my own spirit; and that therefore for
my own sake she must punish me to teach me self-control. She would then
chastise me, often quite severely, and leave me to myself again to
reflect upon the matter. Thus she finally succeeded in so convincing me
of the great guilt and danger of giving rein to my fiery temper and the
necessity of gaining the mastery over it, that I fought hard to do so,
and with God's help have, I think, gained the victory.

"It is the remembrance of all this, and how thankful I am to my mother
now for her faithfulness, that has determined me to be equally faithful
to my own dear little daughter, though unfortunately I lack the
opportunity for the same constant watchfulness over my children."

"Oh, papa, if you only could be with us all the time!" she sighed. "But
I never thought you had a temper. I've seen some people fly at their
naughty children in a great passion and beat them hard; I should think
if you had such a bad temper as you say, you'd have treated me so many a
time."

"Very likely I should if your grandmother had not taught me to control
it," he said; "you may thank her that you have as good a father as you
have."

"I think I have the best in the world," she said, putting her arm round
his neck; "and now that it's all over, papa, I'm glad you did punish me
just so hard; for I don't feel half so mean, because it seems as if I
have sort of paid for my naughtiness toward you."

"Yes, toward me; the account is settled between us;