"I am glad you remember so well what I tell you. Now as we cannot
tell whether flowers have souls or not, we will believe that all
their sweetness passes into ours."

"But if I should kill a serpent?"

"You must cover the evil with good."

"But, papa, people come to our house all full of evil things, like
serpents. Don't they have enough good to cover them, or why do I
feel them so plain?"

"I fear not; or, rather, their goodness has not been cultivated and
made large enough to absorb the evil. We must go home now, or Aunt
Susan will be waiting for us."

The three walked home together, in harmony with nature and
themselves. They found their dinner waiting, and the simple meal
neatly prepared, was graced with a vase of beautiful flowers.






CHAPTER IV.