large thorn in the side of one foot, which pained her sadly. The girls
laughed at her fright, and one rude boy ran out, shouting, at the top of
his voice,--

"Hallo, boys! hallo! Annie Allis has come to school barefooted."

Poor, foolish child! what would she have given if she had only obeyed her
mother!

The little white feet swelled and ached all the day long. Annie had hardly
ever felt so much pain in all her life, and there was nobody to pity her.
But the pain in her feet was nothing to the pain in her heart. How could
she meet her dear mother, after having so wickedly disobeyed her? At length
school was out. Slowly and painfully she walked homeward. As she approached
the house she shook with pain and dread. Down in the little grove at her
right hand she saw Susie and Mary with the dear little baby, and they
beckoned her to come to them; but she could not. Oh, how could the guilty
child look into the clear, sweet eyes of that innocent one, with such a
load of sin and disobedience on her heart?

Softly--just like a _thief_--she stole round the house, as she thought,
unobserved. She sat down on the little green mound beside the rain-barrel,
and reached behind it. Suddenly she started back as if a serpent had stung
her. Again she reached quite around the barrel, as far as she could stretch
her little arms; but nothing was there. Then she peered carefully into the
place; but no shoes were to be found. It is plain now,--quite plain. What
shall be done? Some one has taken the shoes away! Overpowered entirely, she
bursts into a passionate fit of crying. Who is it that approaches the
erring child and so kindly and tenderly inquires,--