“Usually she would shut me up in a room by myself until I had had time to cool down, then come to me, talk very seriously and kindly of the danger and sinfulness of such indulgence of temper, telling me there was no knowing what dreadful deed I might some day be led to commit in my fury, if I did not learn to rule my own spirit; and that therefore for my own sake she must punish me to teach me self-control.  She would then chastise me, often quite severely, and leave me to myself again to reflect upon the matter.  Thus she finally succeeded in so convincing me of the great guilt and danger of giving rein to my fiery temper and the necessity of gaining the mastery over it, that I fought hard to do so, and with God’s help have, I think, gained the victory.

“It is the remembrance of all this, and how thankful I am to my mother now for her faithfulness, that has determined me to be equally faithful to my own dear little daughter, though unfortunately I lack the opportunity for the same constant watchfulness over my children.”

“Oh, papa, if you only could be with us all the time!” she sighed.  “But I never thought you had a temper.  I’ve seen some people fly at their naughty children in a great passion and beat them hard; I should think if you had such a bad temper as you say, you’d have treated me so many a time.”

“Very likely I should if your grandmother had not taught me to control it,” he said; “you may thank her that you have as good a father as you have.”

“I think I have the best in the world,” she said, putting her arm round his neck; “and now that it’s all over, papa, I’m glad you did punish me just so hard; for I don’t feel half so mean, because it seems as if I have sort of paid for my naughtiness toward you.”

“Yes, toward me; the account is settled between us; but remember that you cannot so atone for your sin against God; nothing but the blood of Christ can avail to blot out that account against you, and you must ask to be forgiven for His sake alone.  We will kneel down and ask it now.”

Violet glanced again and again toward the cottages on the bluff, wondering and a trifle impatient at her husband’s long delay, but at length saw him approaching, leading Lulu by the hand.

There was unusual gravity, amounting almost to sternness, in his face, and Lulu’s wore a more subdued expression than she had ever seen upon it, while traces of tears were evident upon her cheeks,

“He has been talking very seriously to her in regard to the ill-temper she has shown during the past few days,” Violet said to herself.  “Poor wayward child!  I hope she will take the lesson to heart, and give him less trouble and anxiety in future.”

He kept Lulu close at his side all the evening, and she seemed well content to stay there, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist, while she listened silently to the talk going on around her or to the booming of the waves upon the beach not many yards away.