n God, adorned
themselves."

"Papa, is it wrong to wear nice, pretty clothes, and to enjoy having
them?" she asked, as he closed the book and laid it aside. "Is that what
is meant in those verses?"

"I think not," he said; "if I understood it in that way I should feel it
wrong to allow a daughter of mine to wear them. I think it means that
you are not to care too much about such adornment, but more, much more,
for that other and greater adornment, even the hidden man of the heart,
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, remembering that in the sight
of God it is of great price, worth infinitely more than any ornament of
gold, the richest jewels, or the finest attire. Cultivate that with all
diligence, my own darling child, if you desire to please and honor your
heavenly Father and make yourself even dearer than you now are to your
earthly one, and lovelier in his eyes."

"Oh, I do, papa! I do want to please and honor God, and you too; I want
to be just a joy and blessing and comfort to you, my own dear, dear
father! I don't think you have any idea how very, very dearly I love
you, papa," putting her arms about his neck and kissing him over and
over again. "Gracie and I think--indeed we feel quite sure--that no
other children ever had such a dear, good, kind father as ours. And I
know Max thinks the same."

"Well, daughter, I delight in having you and all my children think so,
however mistaken you maybe," he said, with a pleased smile, holding her
close and returning her caresses; "and it certainly is the earnest
desire of my heart to be the best, kindest, and dearest of fathers to
the darling children God has given me."

"As I am sure you are, dear papa," she said. "I never have any doubt of
it at all, even when you punish me. And, papa," she added, with an
effort, "if you think finery bad for me, I am willing to be dressed just
as plainly as you think best."

"That is my own dear little girl," he returned, with a gratified look;
"but I have not been dressing you better--more richly, gayly, or
tastefully--than seems to me right and proper; also, I think quite as
much sin may be committed by being proud of plainness in dress as proud
of wearing finery. What I am aiming at is to have my little daughter
look upon dress as a secondary matter, and feel far more anxious to be
one who is pleasing in the sight of her heavenly Father than one admired
and envied by some earthly creature as the possessor of wealth, and fin