“It has been a bad day with me.  I didn’t look over my lessons before school, as I ought to have done, but went out in the grounds instead.  While I was there, I broke a rule.  Grandpa Dinsmore reproved me and called me in.  I went up to the school-room.  Grandma Elsie said I was late and must be more punctual, and I gave her a saucy answer.  She wouldn’t hear my lessons, and I was cross and wouldn’t study, and wasn’t ready for Grandpa Dinsmore, and was saucy to him.  So I had to stay up there in the school-room and learn my lesson over and eat my dinner there by myself.

“After that, when he let me out, I took a long walk and played croquet with some other girls—­all without leave.

“They were eating supper when I got back, and I went in without making myself neat, and my plate and chair had been taken away, and I was sent up here to take my supper and stay till I’m ready to behave better.”

She read over what she had written.

“Oh, what a bad report!  How sad it will make papa feel when he reads it!” she thought, tears springing to her eyes.

She pushed the desk aside and leaned on the sill again, her face hidden in her hands.  Her father’s words about the kindness and generosity of Mr. Dinsmore and his daughter in offering to share their home with his children, came to her recollection, and all the favors received at the hands of these kindest of friends passed in review before her.  Could her own mother have been kinder than Grandma Elsie? and she had repaid her this day with ingratitude, disobedience and impertinence.  How despicably mean!

Tears of shame and penitence began to fall from her eyes, and soon she was sobbing aloud.

Violet heard her from the next room, and came to her side.

“What is it, Lulu, dear? are you sorry for your misconduct?” she asked in gentle, affectionate tones, smoothing the child’s hair with her soft white hand as she spoke.

“Yes, Mamma Vi,” sobbed the little girl.  “Won’t you please tell Grandma Elsie I’m sorry I was saucy and disobedient to her this morning?”

“Yes, dear, I will.  And—­have you not a message for grandpa also?”

“Yes; I’m sorry I was naughty and impertinent to him, and for breaking his rules, too.  Do you think they’ll forgive me, Mamma Vi, and try me again?”

“I am sure they will,” Violet said.  “And will you not ask God’s forgiveness, also, dear child?”

“I do mean to,” Lulu said.  “And I’ve told papa all about it.  I wish he didn’t have to know, because it will make him very sorry.”

“Yes,” sighed Violet, “it grieves him very much when his dear children do wrong.  I hope, dear Lulu, that thought will help you to be good in future.  Still more, that you will learn to hate and forsake sin because it is dishonoring and displeasing to God, because it grieves the dear Saviour who loves you and died to redeem you.”

Forgiveness was readily accorded by both Mr. Dinsmore and his daughter, and Lulu went to bed comparatively happy after a short visit and kind motherly talk from Grandma Elsie.