His tone was one of tender solicitude, and accompanied with a caress, as he took her hand and drew her towards him.

“Oh, papa!” she sobbed, laying her head on the pillow beside him, “please do not ask me to read that book to-day.”

He did not reply for a moment, and when he did, Elsie was startled by the change in his tone; it was so exceedingly stern and severe.

“Elsie,” he said, “I do not ask you to read that book, I command you to do it, and what is more, I intend to be obeyed.  Sit down at once and begin, and let me have no more of this perverseness.”

“Dear papa,” she answered in low, pleading, trembling tones, “I do not, indeed, I do not want to be perverse and disobedient, but I cannot break the Sabbath-day. Please, papa, let me finish it to-morrow.”

“Elsie!” said he, in a tone a little less severe, but quite as determined, “I see that you think that because you gained your point in relation to that song that you will always be allowed to do as you like in such matters; but you are mistaken; I am determined to be obeyed this time.  I would not by any means bid you do anything I considered wrong, but I can see no harm whatever in reading that book to-day; and certainly I, who have lived so much longer, am far more capable of judging in these matters than a little girl of your age.  Why, my daughter, I have seen ministers reading worse books than that on the Sabbath.”

“But, papa,” she replied timidly, “you know the Bible says:  ’They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise;’ and are we not just to do whatever God commands, without stopping to ask what other people do or say? for don’t even the best people very often do wrong?”

“Very well; find me a text that says you are not to read such a book as this on the Sabbath, and I will let you wait until to-morrow.”

Elsie hesitated.  “I cannot find one that says just that, papa,” she said, “but there is one that says we are not to think our own thoughts, nor speak our own words on the Sabbath; and does not that mean worldly thoughts and words? and is not that book full of such things, and only of such?”

“Nonsense!” he exclaimed, impatiently, “let me hear no more of such stuff! you are entirely too young and childish to attempt to reason on such subjects.  Your place is simply to obey; are you going to do it?”

“Oh, papa!” she murmured, almost under her breath, “I cannot.”

“Elsie,” said he, in a tone of great anger, “I should certainly be greatly tempted to whip you into submission, had I the strength to do it.”

Elsie answered only by her tears and sobs.

There was silence for a moment, and then her father said:  “Elsie, I expect from my daughter entire, unquestioning obedience, and until you are ready to render it, I shall cease to treat you as my child.  I shall banish you from my presence, and my affections.  This is the alternative I set before you.  I will give you ten minutes to consider it.  At the end of that time, if you are ready to obey me, well and good—­if not, you will leave this room, not to enter it again until you are ready to acknowledge your fault, ask forgiveness, and promise implicit obedience in the future.”