d, "She is dead
now."--meaning her mother, I shouldn't think a little girl would ever do
right, without a mother to teach her.'

'Such children deserve pity, my love, and I am glad you have a heart to
pity them, but I suspect that all little girls have wicked thoughts and
feelings that they must strive against, and whether they are blessed
with parents, or have only a Heavenly Father to guide them, they will
have need to watch and pray. But Harry has not given his lesson yet.'

'Father told me a story the other day--an allegory he called it--about
impulse and principle.

'Principle went straight forward, and did whatever was right, and tried
to make her feelings agree with it, but Impulse hurried along in a very
crooked path, stopping here, and then bounding forth at the sight of
some new object--one minute neglecting every duty, and the next, doing
something so great that everybody was surprised, and praised her beyond
all measure. Principle very seldom did wrong, and made so little show,
that she was quite unobserved by the world in general, but Impulse was
as likely to do wrong as right, and according as good or evil
predominated, received her full share of praise or censure. Principle
had an approving conscience, and however she might be looked upon by the
world, she was contented and happy, while poor Impulse was half of the
time tossed about by a light thing called Vanity, or gnawed by a monster
named Remorse. I liked the story very much, and I couldn't help
remembering it to-day, when the little girl dropped the purse over the
side of the sleigh. I thought she was governed by Impulse, and though
this is a good act, unless she has a better heart than most people, it
is no true sign that the next one will be good.'

'Very true, my son, but you have not explained to Effie what you mean by
impulse and principle.'

'You can explain it better than I can, mother. I don't remember half
that father said about it.'

'Well, tell me as much as you can remember then.'

'Why, principle means ground of action, and people who are governed by
principle always have some good reason for what they do, and do not act
without thinking. Father says old people are more apt to be governed by
principle of some kind, either good or bad, than children, for he says
children generally act first, and think afterwards.'

'And impulse?' inquired Effie.

'People that act from impulse are altogether at the mercy of
circumstances, and ar