His mother watched him from time to time, and when she saw that he was
good-humored again, she said to his father,

"Rollo seems to be picking his berries very pleasantly. I rather think
he is sorry for his conduct."

"Yes, I see he is getting _good-humored_ again, but I am afraid he is
not truly penitent. It is easier _forget_ a sin, than to be sorry for
it. It is very easy, however, for us to ascertain."

"How can we ascertain?" asked his mother.

"Why, if you should go and ask him about it, if he is really penitent,
he will be troubled most to think of his disobedience in going; into the
bad company; but if he is not penitent, he will not think of that, but
only go to scolding about the bad boys."

"That is true," said she. "I have a great mind to go and try him."

Rollo's father thought it would be a good plan, and she, accordingly,
walked along towards Rollo slowly, gathering berries as she went.

Rollo saw her coming, and said, "Here is mother, Lucy; let us go and
give her our berries."

So saying, he carried his basket up to her very pleasantly, and said,
"Here, mother; see, here are all these berries I have been picking for
you."

"Ah," said she, "did you pick all these for me?"

"E--h--no," said he; "not all; Lucy gave me some."

"Well, Lucy, I am very much obliged to you, and I am glad to see that
you, Rollo, are pleasant again; I am sorry you went and got into
difficulty with those boys."

"They came and took away my berries," said he, "and struck me--that
great ugly Jim."

The feelings of vexation and anger against the bad boys began to rise
again in Rollo's mind, the moment he began to talk about them, and he
was just going to cry. His mother stopped him, saying,

"You need not tell me about him any more. I see how it is."

"How what is?" said Rollo.

"How it is about your being sorry. Your father told me that, if you were
truly penitent for what happened about those boys, I should find you,
when I came to talk with you about it, grieved for _your own_ fault, and
if you were not penitent, you would only be angry at _theirs_. I see
which it is."

Rollo was silent a moment. He felt the truth and justice of the
distinction; but, like all boys who are not sorry for the wrong they
have done, he could not resist the temptation to try to justify himself
by throwing the blame on others. So he began to tell her something more
about "that cross old Jim," but she interrupted him, and told him