"You are very welcome, my darling," he said, drawing her to a seat upon
his knee.

"If you hadn't done it, papa, or if you had spoken sternly to me, as
grandpa Dinsmore would have done in your place, I'd have been in a great
passion in a minute. I was feeling like just picking up my slate, and
dashing it to pieces against the corner of the desk."

"How grieved I should have been had you done so!" he said; "very, very
sorry for your wrong-doing, and that I should have to keep my word in
regard to the punishment to be meted out for such conduct."

"Yes, papa," she murmured, hanging her head, and blushing deeply.

"Would breaking the slate have helped you?" he asked with grave
seriousness.

"Oh, no, papa! you cannot suppose I'm so foolish as to think it would."

"Was it the fault of the slate that you had such difficulty with your
examples?"

"Why, no, papa, of course not."

"Then, was it not extremely foolish, as well as wrong, to want to break
it just because of your want of success with your ciphering?"

"Yes, sir," she reluctantly admitted.

He went on, "Anger is great folly. The Bible says, 'Be not hasty in thy