“Yes, often; and in the sense that you mean I was indeed a regular boy; and do you think I never get angry now, Rex?”
“Perhaps you do now and then, but not often, I warrant, and when you do you keep it under.”
“Keeping under is very hard work,” sighed Nan, as though she had a world of experience in that direction.
“Keeping under is only another name for self-control, you know. And now, Nan,” added Mr. Vale, “I am ready to answer your question, and to tell you that I do not love all the children I know alike by any manner of means. I love them in a dozen different ways. You see no thoughtful man grows to be as old as I am without wondering, whenever he looks into a little face, what sort of man or woman its owner will make. And so if I can I watch the little life closely, and after a while I see good traits and bad traits cropping out here and there, all in the veriest tangle; and by-and-bye, when I see the good traits growing faster and faster, I love that little life very hopefully and joyfully. Then suppose in another little life I see the evil things choking the good things, I love that little life very sadly and fearfully; or if I cannot make out which is getting the upper hand, I love it very anxiously; and so you see I do not love my little friends alike by any means. Now there you have had two sermons, one in the church, and one here in the study, and that is enough for one afternoon. Suppose you go to my table drawer, Nan, and see what you find.”
Nan quickly slipped from his knee and pulled out the drawer.
“Three little boxes,” she exclaimed, with delight.
“And what is written on them?”
How could she tell, this lazy little learner, who only lately had mastered plain printed' letters? With a shy, half-apologetic look she placed them in Mr. Vale's hand.
“Regie, Harry, Nan,” he read, handing each a box. Of course it was a present. With beaming faces they unwrapped them, and in each lay a square-edged, plain gold ring, with four old English C's engraved on the outside.
“One for each of us?” cried Nan, not knowing what else to say.