"Then that little girl was disappointed, I dare say. You should have let her see that you were grateful to her for loving you."
"I turned my head away round—so—" said Susy.
"Instead of that you should have smiled, and looked kindly at her, as much as to say, I like to have you love me, and I love you, too."
Susy looked down, and smiled. "I was afraid to," she said again.
They walked along together in silence for some time. At last Susy quite forgot what they had been talking about, and began to think what a pleasant day it was, and how sweet and fresh the air felt, and how nice it was to walk with her dear papa and mamma, and while she thought thus, she clasped the hand she held, more firmly and lovingly. Her mamma, however, took no notice of this, and turned her head away.
Susy felt hurt.
"Mamma does not love me a bit," thought she, and she was going to draw away her hand.
Her mamma looked down and smiled and said playfully: "Oh! I felt your little, loving squeeze, but I was afraid to take any notice of it."
Susy smiled too. She never forgot this little lesson, and it was useful to her as long as she lived.
Children should not only learn to observe little tokens of love, but to be grateful for them.