, 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 advisa