Lulu did not speak for a moment.  She was fighting a battle with herself; conscience on the one hand and love of approbation on the other were having a great struggle within her breast.  She valued Mrs. Leland’s good opinion and was loath to lose it.

But she was worthy of her father’s glad encomium, “However many and serious her faults may be, she is at least honest and truthful,” and could not accept praise which she knew was wholly undeserved.

“You mistake, Aunt Elsie,” she said with an effort, hanging her head in shame, while her cheek flushed hotly; “I am not here for being good, but for being naughty—­missing my lesson and answering Grandpa Dinsmore impertinently when he reproved me for it.”

“I grieve to hear it, my dear child,” Elsie returned in a truly sorrowful tone.  “I had hoped you were getting quite the better of your temper and inclination to defy lawful authority.  But do not be discouraged from trying again to conquer your faults.  Every one of us has an evil nature and many spiritual foes to fight against; yet if we fight manfully, looking to Jesus for help and strength, we shall assuredly gain the victory at last; coming off more than conquerors through Him who loved us and died to save us from sin and death.”

“You can never think well of me again, Aunt Elsie?” Lulu said, half in assertion, half inquiringly.

“I certainly hope to, Lulu,” was the kind reply “Your honest avowal is greatly to your credit; I see that you are above the meanness of falsehood and taking undeserved praise; that seems to me a very hopeful sign, deeply ungrateful as was your conduct toward my dear, good grandfather, who has been so kind to you and yours.  Do you not think it so yourself, now that your passion has had time to cool?”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied Lulu, again hanging her head and blushing.  “I don’t mean to behave so any more.”

Then after a moment’s silence, “Aunt Elsie, I don’t believe anybody has any idea how hard it is for me to be good.”

“Don’t you think other people find it hard, too, my poor child?” Elsie asked gently.  “They also have evil natures.”

“I’m sure,” said Lulu, “that Max and Grace don’t have half as hard work to be patient and sweet-tempered as I do.  I often wish I’d been made good like Grace; and I don’t see why I wasn’t.  And there’s Rosie; she doesn’t ever seem to want to be wilful, or tempted at all to get into a passion.”

“Perhaps, Lulu, she is as strongly tempted to some other sin as you are to wilfulness and passion, and perhaps falls before temptation as often.  We cannot read each other’s hearts; one cannot know how much another resists—­can only see the failures and not the struggles to avoid them.

“But how comforting to know that God, our heavenly Father, sees and knows it all; that He pities our weakness and proneness to sin!  How precious are His promises of help in time of trial, if we look to Him for it, at the same time using all our own strength in the struggle!”