In a few minutes, however, he began to be cold, and to shiver, and his fingers grew numb, and he began to wish he had waited a little longer. At last he stopped dressing himself.
“Father,” said he, “it is colder than I thought it was. I have a great mind to get into bed again.”
“Well,” said his father, “you can do as you please; but how far have you got, in dressing yourself?”
“I am about half dressed.”
“Then it will take you about as long to undress again as it would to finish dressing, and be ready to go down.”
Charles stood a moment shivering and thinking.
“So it will,” said he; “I wish I had not put on my jacket.”
After a moment’s pause, he concluded to finish dressing, and he went on resolutely through it; and just as his father opened the door, he took hold of his hand, saying that he was ready.
“Father,” said he, as they were going down stairs, “I think that when any body means to do any thing, he ought to think of all the difficulties before he begins, and then go through it quickly without stopping.”
“Why?” said his father.