“Do you mean false stories?”

“Yes—­no—­not exactly false, but it was n’t true, neither.”

“It must have been a singular story, to have been either false nor true.  And as it appears there was but one story, I should like to know what it was.”

“He told Ralph I had to stand up and look at a blackboard an hour.”

“Was that false?”

“Yes,” said Oscar, for in replying to his mother, of late, he had usually omitted the “ma’am” (madam) which no well-bred boy will fail to place after the yes or no addressed to a mother; “yes, it was a lie, for I need n’t have stood there five minutes, if I had n’t wanted to.”

“Did you stand before the blackboard because you wanted to, or was it intended as a punishment for not attending to your lesson!”

“Why, I suppose it was meant for a punishment, but the master told me I might go to my seat, whenever I wanted to study.”

“Then,” said Mrs. Preston, “after all your quibbling, I don’t see that Willie told any falsehood.  And, in fact, I don’t believe he had any idea of injuring you, when he told Ralph of the affair.  He only spoke of it as a little matter of news.  But even if he had told a lie about you, or had related the occurrence out of ill-will towards you, would that be any excuse for your conduct, in beating him as you did this afternoon!  Do you remember the subject of your last Sabbath-school lesson?”

Oscar could not recall it, and shook his head in the negative.

“I have not forgotten it,” continued his mother; “it was on forgiving our enemies, and it is a lesson that you very much need to learn.  ’If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,’—­that was one of the verses of the lesson.  It is noble to forgive, but it is mean to retaliate.  You must learn to conquer your resentful spirit, or you will be in trouble all the time.  I shall report this matter to your father when he comes.  I suppose you remember what he promised you, when you had your fight with Sam Oliver?”

Oscar remembered it very distinctly.  On that occasion, his father reprimanded him with much severity, and assured him that any repetition of the fault would not go unpunished.

Mr. Preston soon came in, and as the family sat at the tea-table, he was informed of Oscar’s misconduct.  After scolding the culprit with much sharpness, for his attack upon Willie, he concluded by ordering him immediately to bed.  Although it yet lacked two hours of his usual bed-time, Oscar did not consider his punishment very severe, but retired to his chamber, feeling delighted that he had got off so much easier than he anticipated.  Indeed, so little did he think of his father’s command, that he felt in no hurry to obey it.  Instead of going to bed, he sat awhile at the window, listening to the music of a flute which some one in the neighborhood was playing upon.  Presently Ralph and George, who slept in the same chamber with him, came up to keep him company.  They amused themselves together for some time, and Oscar quite forgot that he had been sent to bed, until the door suddenly opened, and his father, whose attention had been attracted by the noise, stood before him.