ot all the King's army and navy can't make the
smallest bit of a child obey them if he won't. You can tell a child
what's right and punish him if he does wrong, but you can't make him do
what you want, like you can drive a nail into a board. I'll warrant
you've told him he's been a bad boy and put you both about, and scared
everybody.'

'Yes, I told him,' said Angel, lifting her face, 'but, Martha, I don't
know if he minded.'

'He'll mind by-and-bye, if he didn't then, Miss Angelica, and be worse
vexed to think he's hurt you than to have nigh broken his neck.'

Angel looked gravely up at her.'

'Martha,' she said simply, 'you are always so good to us, and you know
we have to be everything to Godfrey, and we have no one else to ask, so
you will tell me what you think. Of course we want Godfrey to obey us
for love--it would break my heart if he didn't love us--but still he
must be punished if he does wrong, and there is no one else to do it.
Sha'n't we find it very hard to make him care for us, and yet treat him
rightly and wisely?'

Martha Rogers sat down again in the chair where she had been stitching
the lavender bags, but she did not take up her work. She smoothed her
large apron down thoughtfully once or twice and then she began to speak
slowly, looking beyond Angel out of the window.

'You'll pardon me, Miss Angelica, I'm only just one that's been a child
myself and seen myself over again in my own children, but this is how
it seems to me. I think when we're bits of boys and girls, before
we've learnt much of how other folks do things, the Lord gives us a
very good notion of what's fair and right, and we look to see older
folks have the same. When I was a young wife, Miss Angel, and Patty
yonder was in her cradle, my grannie, that brought me up, said much the
same thing to me. "Martha," says she, "yon little lass'll meet a many
unfair things, and a many contrairy things to puzzle her before she's a
grown woman; don't let her meet 'em in her mother, my dear. Let her
have some one she can hold on to, and reckon on to blame her when she's
wrong and praise her when she's right. If she breaks your best jug by
accident don't go for to scold her, but if she takes a bit of sugar on
the sly ye may take the birch to her." If young master's like most of
the little lads I've known, Miss Angel, he'll put them first that loves
him well enough to put what's fair before what's pleasant for him or
for them.'

'But