“Papa, I am sorry: oh, I didn’t think I’d ever be so bad again! But every thing goes wrong with me to-day.”
“Surely then, you did not begin the day aright? Did you ask with your heart that you might be kept from sin?”
“I did say a prayer, papa, but I was so late I had to hurry.”
“And so offered only lip service?”
She was silent.
“Ah, my child,” he said, “no wonder you were left to fall into grievous sin! Approaching the King of kings with a haste and irreverence that would be insulting to even an earthly monarch.”
“Oh, I never thought how very wicked it was!” she sobbed. “You’ll have to punish me for that, too. Please do it now, papa, so I’ll have it over.”
He did not answer her for several minutes; then he said: “I think I shall try a new plan with you. As you were pleased to refuse obedience to an order from me, I shall not give you another for some days; for the four remaining days of this week you may try self-government; regulating your conduct to suit yourself, except that you must not go out of the house while the weather is inclement, or out of sight of it at any time.
“I shall give you no command, direction, instruction or advice concerning your daily duties; nor must you feel at liberty to come to me for any, or to treat me with any greater familiarity than you would use toward a gentleman in whose house you were only a visitor; duties and privileges are not to be separated, and while released from the duties of a child, you can have no right to claim a child’s privileges.”
“But I don’t want to be released, papa,” she burst out in her vehement way; “I want you to order me, and I do mean to obey the very moment you speak; always, always!”