, right over the middle of the brook. Emily was standing at the
water's edge, screaming, and begging him to come back.

"Stop your screaming, you coward, or I'll lick you till you are dumb,"
shouted the wilful boy, shaking his fist at his sister, as Walter and the
two girls came up, on the other side of the brook.

Emily seeing them approach, called out to Walter, and said:

"Do make him come off that dreadful log, will you?"

"I'd like to see anybody _make_ me come off," said Charlie. As he spoke,
he turned round to see who had come. In doing this his foot slipped, and
losing his balance, he fell backwards into the brook.

The girls both screamed, for they were in great terror. Walter, however,
laughed heartily, and said:

"Don't be frightened! The water isn't deep enough to drown the little
fury. I hope it's cold enough to cool his courage, though."

As he spoke, Walter rolled up his pants, and then kicking off his boots,
he waded into the brook and led Charlie ashore. The little fellow
spluttered and shivered, but said nothing. The water had cooled his
courage, and for the present, his ugliness had all subsided. They led him
back to Glen Morris as quickly as possible, to get a change of clothes.

This mishap broke up their plan of dining and spending the afternoon with
Carrie Sherwood. Thus the selfishness of the two cousins, again robbed
both themselves and their friends of a promised pleasure. As for poor
little Jessie, she drew down her face and looked very sad, as she put her
quilt into the basket, when the bell rung for dinner. Sighing deeply she
said half-aloud,

"Conquered again. It _is_ no use. The little wizard _is_ my master, and I
won't try to resist him any more. What's the use of trying?"

"Tut, tut, tut! No use in trying, eh? Who says so?"

Jessie looked up, and her eyes met the pleasant smile of Uncle Morris, who
had entered the room, in his usual quiet way, unobserved by the dispirited
girl. She gave him back no answering smile, but drooping her head, stood
silently before him. Seeing her sadness and knowing the cause, Uncle
Morris said:

"Jessie, will you please be a school-ma'am for a moment, and let me recite
my lesson to you?"

Jessie smiled a faint smile, but said nothing.

"Well, silence gives consent, I suppose. So I will recite my lesson. It is
a fable and runs thus:

"Two robin redbreasts built their nests
Within a hollow tree;