Carrys Rose | Page 3

just in fun; I daresay he would not have done it
any harm if I had trusted it to him. He has often said it was the sight of
my frightened face that made him wish to go on; for it looks so funny
to see me so frightened, he says, about such a trifle."

"That may be all very true, dear," said her mamma, "but I do not like to
see Herbert giving way to such a disposition. It has grieved both papa
and me many a time to see our boy growing up with that constant wish
to tease and torment any helpless creature he meets, more especially his
own sister. We sent him to school to see if it would do him good; but I
fear, if it has checked him it has not cured him. I should like to see my
boy grow up manly and courageous; for it is only a cowardly
disposition that tries to tease a little girl or torment a dumb animal."
Still Caroline could not help being sorry for Herbert, and when she saw
him looking, as she fancied, very dull during dinner, she slipped away
after him, thinking that he must be very unhappy, though all the time he
was just indulging himself in a fit of the sulks. At first he was inclined
to treat Caroline's advances to friendship in a surly manner, but a
glance at her earnest, gentle eyes made him feel ashamed of himself;
and being at the same time tired of his solitude, he at length consented
to play a game at bagatelle. He even went so far as to say, "Well, after
all Carry, you are a good little thing; I do annoy you terribly, which is
not fair, because you are so forgiving. Well, to make up for it, I'll be
very kind to you to-morrow."
When Herbert came to bid his mamma good-night in her room, he had
quite forgotten that she had been angry with him during the day. He
was very much surprised, therefore, when, instead of kissing him, she
pushed him back from her knee, saying, "I fear I have no good-night
kiss for you, my boy, at present."
"Why, mamma, what have I done?" said Herbert, the tears starting to
his eyes, for he knew that if his mamma refused to kiss him she must
indeed be angry.
"You surely have not forgotten how displeased I was with you this
forenoon for teasing your sister!" said Mrs. Ashcroft in a tone of
severity.
"But, mamma, Carry has forgotten it now; and I told her I was sorry,"
said Herbert eagerly. "I'm sure all I did to her couldn't hurt her so very
much."

[Illustration: HERBERT AND HIS MAMMA.]
"Perhaps not, my son," said Mrs. Ashcroft; "but you remember the
reason why we sent you away to school was to see if this bad habit of
teasing could be cured. If I had thought you were to begin the very first
day you were at home, I should have allowed you to stay at school
during the holidays also."
"But there wasn't one boy stayed behind at school this half," said
Herbert; "you surely wouldn't have left me all alone, mamma!"
"Indeed I would, Herbert," replied his mamma firmly; "and what is
more, if you persevere in this bad habit, I shall speak to papa as to
whether it would not be advisable to send you back to school even yet."
Herbert could not help seeing that his mamma really meant what she
said, and this threat frightened him so much that he wept bitterly.
"Mamma," he said, "if you will only forgive me this once, I will try
very hard not to tease Carry all the time I am at home."
"Well, my boy," said Mrs. Ashcroft kindly, "we will give you one more
trial, and I hope you will not only try very hard, but ask God to help
you to be a good boy."
Herbert, before he went to his own room, opened his sister's door very
carefully to see if she were in bed. Carry did not hear him, she was so
intent looking out of the window at the rain. "I like to see the rain," she
was saying to herself; "but I do hope it will pour itself out during the
night, for Herbert's sake; it is very hard for him, poor fellow."
[Illustration: WATCHING THE RAIN.]
Herbert pulled to the door very gently, and retired to his own room,
with the feeling stronger than ever that his sister was really "a good
little thing."
[Illustration: NEPTUNE.]

The next morning was as bright as a morning could well be, with
everything out-of-doors looking fresh after the rain, so that when
breakfast was over, Herbert and Caroline,