The feelings of the old lady were more hurt by the rudeness of Ella, than her mild rebukes indicated.  Alice felt bound to inform her mother of what had taken place; and Mrs. Preston was greatly mortified, on learning that her little daughter had spoken so impudently to her aged mother.  She apologized for Ella, as well as she could, by saying that she was naturally forward and impulsive.  At noon, when the children returned from school, she called Ella into a room by herself, and talked with her about her conduct.  At first, Ella tried to justify herself; but after awhile her better nature triumphed, and she felt heartily ashamed of her treatment of her grandmother.  To think that she, a girl eleven years old, should have attempted to teach her aged grandmother politeness, and in such an uncivil way, too!  No wonder she hung her head in shame.

To be candid, perhaps Ella’s grandmother was a little too inquisitive to know what was going on around her.  But this was one of the infirmities of old age which were slowly stealing upon her, and which the young should regard with pity and forbearance, but never with a censorious spirit.

Ella was really a good-hearted girl, when her generous feelings were aroused.  From that day, she treated her grandmother with marked kindness and respect; and her unfortunate attempt to rebuke the venerable woman was never alluded to again.

Among the articles which Mrs. Lee brought from the country, for the children, was a small bag of corn for popping.  One evening, George happened to think of this corn, which none of them had yet tried; and partly filling one of his pockets from the bag, he slipped quietly into the kitchen, and commenced popping it by Bridget’s fire.  There was no person in the kitchen but himself, and putting a handfull of corn in the wire popper, it soon began to snap and jump about, the hard, yellow kernels bursting forth into light and beautiful milk-white balls.  But by-and-bye the savory odor of the corn found its way up stairs, and Ella and Ralph ran down to get their share of the treat.  George had put the corn upon the table to cool, as fast as it was popped; but when he heard footsteps approaching, he scrambled it into his pocket as quick as possible.

“Halloo, popped corn!  Give me some, Georgie, won’t you?” said Ralph.

“And me, too,” added Ella.

“No I shan’t, either,” said George; “I popped it for myself.”

“You’re real stingy,” replied Ella; “but no matter, Ralph and I will pop some for ourselves.  Where is the bag?”

“You must find it for yourselves—­I had to,” was George’s selfish reply, as he gathered the last of his popped corn into his pocket, badly burning his fingers, in his anxiety lest his brother or sister should get hold of a kernel or two.

Ella and Ralph commenced searching for the bag of corn, but they could not find it.  They looked in every place where they supposed it might be, but in vain.  Their mother had gone to bed with a sick headache, or they would have ascertained where it was from her.  At length they gave up the search, and returned to the sitting-room, in no very pleasant frame of mind.