"Yes, papa," she murmured, hanging her head, and blushing deeply.
"Would breaking the slate have helped you?" he asked with grave seriousness.
"Oh, no, papa! you cannot suppose I'm so foolish as to think it would."
"Was it the fault of the slate that you had such difficulty with your examples?"
"Why, no, papa, of course not."
"Then, was it not extremely foolish, as well as wrong, to want to break it just because of your want of success with your ciphering?"
"Yes, sir," she reluctantly admitted.
He went on, "Anger is great folly. The Bible says, 'Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.' It seems to be the sort of foolishness that, more than any other, is bound in the heart of this child of mine. It seems, too, that nothing but 'the rod of correction' will drive it out."
She gave him a frightened look.
"No," he said, "you need not be alarmed: as you did not indulge your passionate impulse, I have no punishment to inflict.