"My husband," she said, allowing him to lead her to a sofa, where they sat down side by side, "I do not like to seem to try to teach you who are so much older and wiser than I; but do you not think you would have spared yourself and all of us a great deal of pain if instead of compelling obedience you had simply punished refusal to obey, and there let the matter rest?"
"Would it have gone as far toward securing obedience in the future?" he queried, rather as if considering the question himself than asking her opinion.
"I think so," she said. "Surely a child will not be apt to disobey very often when he finds that swift punishment is always meted out in proportion to the magnitude of the offence."
He sat silently meditating for some little time, she anxiously watching the expression of his face.
At length, turning to her, "I believe you are right, my love," he said, "and I shall, if possible, avoid such conflicts in the future, as you advise, simply punishing the act of disobedience, or refusal to obey. To-day that course would, as you have suggested, have saved us all a great deal of suffering; and oh, what would it not have saved to Elsie and myself if put into practice years ago!" He sighed deeply as he added, "And the pain occasioned by this unfortunate conflict is not all over yet, for I have her to punish now."
"Elsie?" exclaimed Rose, looking at him in great surprise; "what has she done?"
He told her what had occurred just as she left the room where he was battling with Horace, adding, "I must, of course, punish her, for she was not only rebelling against my authority herself, but upholding her brother in doing the same."
"I suppose so," said Rose sadly, "but I wish you could feel it right and wise to forgive her."
"Not till I have inflicted some punishment," he said; "the offence was quite too serious to be lightly passed over."