chen fire, and he took his blue pocket-handkerchief and tied
Lucy and Henry to the kitchen-table, saying:

"You unlucky rogues! you have given me trouble enough to-day--that you
have. I will not let you go out of my sight again till master and
mistress come home. Thank God you have not killed your sister! Who
would have thought of your loosing the swing!"

In this manner Henry and Lucy and Emily remained till it was nearly
dark, and then they heard the sound of the horse's feet coming up to
the kitchen door, for Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were come. John hastened
to untie the children, who trembled from head to foot.

"Oh, John, John! what shall we do--what shall we say?" said Lucy.

"The truth, the truth, and all the truth," said John; "it is the best
thing you can do now."

When Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild came in, they thought their children would
have run to meet them; but they were so conscious of their naughtiness
that they all crept behind John, and Emily hid her face.

"Emily, Lucy, Henry!" said Mrs. Fairchild, "you keep back; what is the
matter?"

"Oh, mamma, mamma! papa, papa!" said Lucy, coming forward, "we have
been very wicked children to-day; we are not fit to come near you."

"What have you done, Lucy?" said Mrs. Fairchild. "Tell us the whole
truth."

Then Lucy told her parents everything which she and her brother and
sister had done; she did not hide anything from them. You may be sure
that Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were very much shocked. When they heard
all that Lucy had to tell them, and saw Emily's face, they looked very
grave indeed.

"I am glad that you have told the truth, my children," said Mr.
Fairchild; "but the faults that you have committed are very serious
ones. You have disobeyed your parents; and, in consequence of your
disobedience, Emily might have lost her life, if God had not been very
merciful to you. And now go all of you to your beds."

The children did as their father bade them, and went silently up to
their beds, where they cried sadly, thinking upon their naughtiness.
The next morning they all three came into their mother's room, and
begged her to kiss them and forgive them.

"I cannot refuse to pardon you, my children," said Mrs. Fairchild;
"but, indeed, you made me and your father very unhappy last night."

Then the children looked at their mother's eyes, and they were full of
tears; and they felt more and more sorry to think how greatly they had
grieved their kind mother;