Charlie looked up, with his hands at his ears, making believe he was frightened, but laughing all the while, for he knew she was only playing with him. Presently, however, she put on a serious face, and said, “Now, my little man, you must go to work in good earnest to make up for lost time.”
“Oh, Helen, it wants only twenty minutes to nine; I can’t possibly do this sum and get to school by nine. I shall be late. What shall I do? Miss Fletcher will certainly punish me if it is not done. Can’t you, just this once, Helen?”
“No,” said Helen.
“Oh, do, there’s a dear, good sister; just this once.”
“No, Charlie; there would be no kindness in that. You would never learn arithmetic in that way.”
“Just once,” still pleaded Charlie.
“No,” answered Helen, in a kind, but resolute tone: “if I do it once, you will find it harder to be refused to-morrow; you will depend upon me, and sit playing and drawing pictures, instead of ciphering. I will keep you close at it till you perform your task.”
So she passed her hand gently round him, and though Charlie pouted at first, and could hardly see through his tears, she questioned him about his rule, and then began to show him the proper way to do his sum, yet letting him work it out himself, in such a pleasant manner, that he was soon ashamed of being sullen. First she held the pencil herself, and put down the figures as he told her to do; and then she made him copy the whole, nicely, on another part of the slate, and rub out her figures.
After all this was finished patiently and diligently, Charlie was surprised to find he should still be in good time for school.