om, as Mr. Dinsmore and all the others greeted her with the
usual pleasant "Good-morning."

Reconciled to her husband and smiled upon by all the rest of the family,
she grew quite happy.

In saying she was not to be driven, but would do anything for love and
coaxing, she had spoken truly; and now her great desire was to do
something to please Edward.

She had been rather remiss in her studies of late, and though he had
administered no reproof, she knew that he felt discouraged over it. She
determined to surprise him on his return with carefully prepared lessons.

After giving due attention to them, she spent hours at the piano learning
a song he admired and had lately bought for her, saying he thought it
suited to her voice, and wanted to hear her play and sing it.

"What a dear, industrious little woman," Elsie said, meeting her in the
hall as she left the music-room, and bestowing upon her a motherly smile
and caress. "I know whom you are trying so hard to please, and if he does
not show appreciation of your efforts, I shall think him unworthy of so
good a little wife."

Zoe colored with pleasure. "O mamma," she said, "though I have been cross
and wilful sometimes, I would do anything in the world to please my
husband when he is loving and kind to me. But do you know, I can't bear to
be driven. I won't; if anybody tries it with me, it just rouses all that
is evil in me."

"Well, dear, I don't think any one in this house wants to drive you,"
Elsie said, repeating her caress, "not even your husband; though he is,
perhaps, a trifle masterful by nature. You and he will need to take the
two bears into your counsels," she added sportively.

"Two bears, mamma?" and Zoe looked up in surprise and perplexity.

"Yes, dear; bear and forbear, as the poet sings--

"'The kindest and the happiest pair
Will find occasion to forbear,
And something every day they live
To pity and perhaps forgive.'"

Zoe went slowly up to her own rooms and sat down to meditate upon her
mother-in-law's words.

"'Bear and forbear.' Well, when Edward reproves me as if he were my father
instead of my husband, and talks about what he will and won't allow, I
must bear with him, I suppose; and when I want to answer back that I'm my
own mistress and not under his control, I must forbear and deny myself the
pleasure. Hard for me to do, but then it isn't to be all on one side; and
if he will only forbear lecturing me in the