Maggie's idea of a miser was taken from a picture she had once seen.
"Then my rosebud does not look much like a miser," answered Mr. Bradford, patting Maggie's round, smooth cheek.
"But he meant I was like a miser, and they laughed at Bessie," said Maggie.
"But I quarrelled and said a cross thing to them, papa," said Bessie, who was always ready to own when she had done wrong.
"What did you say?"
Bessie repeated what she had said to the boys, making the same mistake she had done before, and her father could not wonder that they had laughed. He asked a question or two more, and soon knew the whole story of the penny and the shell.
"And it is very hard to have people say such things when it is a good purpose, papa," said Maggie, wiping her eyes as she finished.
"So it is, Maggie; but it is what we must all look for, more or less in this world. When we are trying to do good, other people will sometimes misunderstand us, think that we are doing the wrong thing, or perhaps doing the right thing in the wrong way; and they may tell us so, or make unkind remarks about us. But if we feel that we are doing right, and know that we are about the dear Saviour's work, we should not mind that. Yes, and we must bear to be laughed at too, my Bessie. I do not think though that your brothers have meant to grieve you so much. Fred, I know, will sometimes tease, but Harry is not apt to be unkind or provoking."
"No, papa," said Maggie. "Harry is a very good, kind brother."