All the while, Frank’s heart was full of angry feeling toward Jack, and he could not have kept them down, if he had not had his sister to take care of.  He was very glad to find that she was not seriously hurt; for the stone had not hit her with its full force, only grazing her nose, between the eyes.

When they got home, Fanny told her grandmother all about it; but Frank did not say a word.  It was plain to be seen by the way in which his head moved, as he walked the floor, that he was striving to obtain a mastery over his passions.  After a while he said,

“I wish I could fight Jack Mills, grandmother.”

“My dear Frank,” she answered, “you have forgotten the golden rule.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten it, grandmother; for if Jack Mills had a sister, and I had thrown a stone at her, he might have fought me, and welcome.”

“But now that Jack has thrown the stone, cannot you set him the example of overcoming evil with good?”

“I don’t know, grandmother; I think it would be very hard.”

At dinner, Frank asked his grandfather, why kings went to war with each other.  He told him, that it was generally to defend their rights.

“Well, grandfather,” said he, “if it isn’t wrong for them to fight, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t be right for me to fight Jack Mills, and I know I should feel a great deal happier after I had done it.”

His grandfather told him, that it would be very wrong for him to fight with Jack, and that it would make him no happier.  He also told him, that Jack had not had the same influences around him, which he had always had, and that if he retaliated, he would be even worse than Jack, who had never been instructed so faithfully in what was right and wrong.  Frank listened without appearing to be convinced.

Then his grandmother read him the last eleven verses of the fifth chapter of Matthew; but Frank still said, that he was afraid he could not pray for Jack, and he knew he could not love him.

Mrs. Mills was very poor.  She took in washing when she could get it, and when she could not, she went around from house to house, to wash by the day, where she was wanted.  Mrs. Hamilton often sent the children to her, with vegetables, or a loaf of fresh bread, or some warm cakes; and sometimes a pie, or a piece of meat, and many other little niceties.  That afternoon, she prepared a basket, with a paper of tea, and some eggs, and when the children came from school, she told them that they might go and carry it to Mrs. Mills.

Frank did not look very much pleased at first, but when he saw Fanny lift the basket so willingly, he took it from her, and said,

“You do right, grandmother, to send me to do good for evil, and I will try not to say any thing naughty to Jack.”

His grandmother told him, that she was not afraid to trust him.  So the children went along through the orchard, and when they came in sight of the low, brown house, they saw, that the door which generally stood open, was closed.  Frank opened it, and looked in.  There was a bed in the room, and Mrs. Mills was lying down.  She looked very pale and tired; but when she saw the children, she welcomed them, and asked them to come in.