n reading
for more than an hour, when, happening to look at her he noticed that her
eyes were very bright, and her cheeks flushed, as if with fever. He
suddenly closed the book, and laid his finger on her pulse.

"Oh! papa, please go on," she begged; "I am so much interested."

"No, daughter, your pulse is very quick, and I fear this book is entirely
too exciting for you at present--so I shall not read you any more of it
to-day," he said, laying it aside.

"Oh! papa, I want to hear it so much; do please read a _little_ more, or
else let me have the book myself," she pleaded in a coaxing tone.

"My little daughter must not forget old lessons," he replied very
gravely.

She turned away her head with almost a pout on her lip, and her eyes full
of tears.

He did not reprove her, though, as he once would have done; but seeming
not to notice her ill-humor, exerted himself to soothe and amuse her, by
talking in a cheerful strain of other matters; and in a very few moments
all traces of it had disappeared, and she was answering him in her usual
pleasant tone.

They had both been silent for several minutes, when she said, "Please,
papa, put your head close down to me, I want to say something to you."

He complied, and putting her little arm around his neck, she said, in a
very humble tone, "Dear papa, I was very naughty and cross just now; and
I think I have been cross several times lately; and you have been so good
and kind not to reprove or punish me, as I deserved. Please, papa,
forgive me; I am very sorry, and I will try to be a better girl."

He kissed her very tenderly.

"I do forgive you freely, my little one," he said, "I know it seemed hard
to give up the story just there, but it was for your good, and you must
try always to believe that papa knows best. You are very precious to your
father's heart, Elsie, but I am not going to _spoil_ my little girl
because I love her so dearly; nor because I have been so near losing
her."

His voice trembled as he pronounced the last words, and for a moment
emotion kept him silent. Then he went on again.

"I shall never again bid you do violence to your conscience, my daughter,
but to all the commands which I _do_ lay upon you I shall still expect
and require the same ready and cheerful obedience that I have heretofore.
It is my duty to require, and yours to yield it."

"Yes, papa, I know it is," she said with a little sigh, "but, it is very
difficult sometimes to keep