ghts are best."

'Her disposition was far from unamiable or malicious, yet the mischief
of which she was the cause was indescribable. Every servant in the
household dreaded to hear the sound of her voice, for many had she
involved in trouble and disgrace; and as her temper was naturally quick
and impetuous, and she never attempted to check her first expressions of
provocation, small and even trifling disagreements were by her foolish
tongue exaggerated into lasting discord, long after all real cause of
offence had passed from her mind.

'"My brother will not forgive me," she confessed one day to her mother,
with many tears, "and the quarrel was only that he had broken the vase
of flowers that stands on my table. I forgave _him_--I would rather
lose twenty vases than his affection--and yet he will not speak to me,
and passes me by with indignant looks."

'"And did you at once express your forgiveness to him, Elizabetha?" said
her mother. "When you first discovered the accident, what words escaped
you?"

'Elizabetha reflected, and presently her colour rose.

'"I fear, ma'am," she said, "I fear that at the first sight of the broken
vase I spoke unguardedly. I exclaimed that without doubt Adolphus had
thrown down the ornament on purpose to annoy me, and that I wished so
mean-spirited a youth were not my brother. My little sister Celia was
beside me at the time--can she have carried to him what I said? I did
not really mean that; my words were but the momentary expression of my
vexation."

'Her mother gravely shook her head.

'"It is your own doing altogether, Elizabetha," she said, "and you
cannot complain that your brother resents so unkind and untrue a
charge."

'Elizabetha burst into tears, but the harm was done, and it was some
time before Adolphus could forget the pain of her unjust and hasty
words.

'Another day her little brother Jacky had just with great pains and care
written out his task for the next morning, when, having been called to
supper, he found on his return to the schoolroom his exercise book all
blotted and disfigured.

'"Who can have done this?" he cried in distress.

'Elizabetha was just entering the room.

'"Oh," she exclaimed, "it is Sukey, the under-housemaid, that you have
to thank for that. I saw her coming out of the room, and she had no
reason to enter it. Out of curiosity she has been looking at your books,
and blotted your exercise."

'Jacky was but eight years old, full you