ne?"

Jessie wept violently, and was silent, for her heart was too full of
emotion, to coin its thoughts into words. Mrs. Carlton, like a sensible
mother, said nothing until the floods of Jessie's grief passed away. Then
smoothing her head with her hand, she spoke in tones, so soft and
lute-like, that they sounded like sweet music in Jessie's ears, and said:

"Tell me, my dear, what troubles you so much?"

Thus soothed, Jessie raised her head, and said:

"I want Pa and Uncle Morris to hear, too."

Mr. Carlton laid aside his book, smiled, and said:

"I'm all attention, Jessie."

Uncle Morris drew his chair close to Jessie, patted her head, and said:

"That's right, my little puss, make a clean breast of it. Confession is
the pipe through which the great Father conducts the guilt of his little
ones, when, for his Son's sake, he buries it in the fountain of
forgetfulness."

Thus encouraged, Jessie gave a full account of how she came to hide in the
little cave with Emily. When she had finished her story, Uncle Morris
said--

"Ah, I see, the little wizard has been busy again. I'm sure it was he who
helped Emily to tempt my little puss. An _impulse_ acted upon you, Jessie,
and, without thinking, you hid in the cave, which was not a very grave
fault in itself; but, as most little faults will do, it led you to commit
a really serious evil; as you say, by pretending not to hear yourself
called, you _acted a lie_, which was a sin against God. You also filled
your party with alarm about you, which gave them great pain of mind. That
was an offence against them, because it was your duty to do all in your
power to afford them pleasure. The hawk did, indeed, catch my chicken on
the day that she was pleased. Do you understand my proverb, now, Jessie?"

"Yes, Uncle, but what shall I do?"

"Do, my child? There is only one way by which any of us can escape from
the chains of evil. Confess your _sin_ to God, ask his forgiveness for the
Great Shepherd's sake, and apologize to your friends for giving them
pain."

Jessie said she would do both of these things. Then her heart turned to
her cousin, and she said--

"But what shall I say to Emily?"

"Just tell her your own thoughts and feelings about the matter, my child.
Maybe, she will be led to see the wrong of her own conduct, and you may
yet be to her what your brother Guy has been to Richard Duncan."

After making this remark Uncle Morris took the old Family Bible and rea