out again.

If Nelly could have put her finger in her mouth, it would have been no
punishment for her to stay there, for she could lie back in the chair
and go to sleep.

When her uncle came home to dinner, he found Willie, and Frankie, and
mamma, sitting silent and sad in the parlor, while from above stairs
came the sound of loud and angry crying. The lady wept as she told her
husband how naughty Nelly had behaved. "I had no idea," she said, "that
she had so bad a temper."

"Shall I go up and talk with her?" asked the gentleman.

"If you think it best," replied mamma; "but I fear it will do no good. I
have already been to her three times."

"Well, perhaps I had better leave her with you, then. I hope this will
be a good lesson to her."

After dinner, Mrs. Gray carried a plate full of pudding to Nelly, and
offered to feed her with it; but the stubborn child refused to eat. She
made up faces at her aunt, and said many naughty words, which I should
not want any little boy or girl to hear.

The lady came out of her room looking very pale and anxious, and at last
began to cry. She was quite discouraged, and thought she would write to
her brother, and tell him she could do nothing with his child. But if I
do so, she thought, Nelly will be ruined. If she grows up with such a
bad temper, is so untruthful and selfish, she will be a trial to herself
and to her parents; and what is more than that, she can never have the
blessing of God. "I will not give up yet," she said, aloud. "I will try
her a little longer."

She then went down stairs, and told Frankie he might go out doors and
play with his wheel-barrow; but the little fellow said, "I want to stay
with you, mamma. Nelly makes my head ache." Poor child, he did not feel
like play while his cousin was so naughty.

It was almost time for tea, when the lady, having once more asked God to
direct her, entered the little chamber where her niece was sitting.
Nelly was quiet now; but her lips stuck out with an ugly pout.

"My dear child," said the lady, sitting down near her, "it makes us all
very unhappy to have you up here by yourself, when you might be playing
and enjoying yourself with your cousins. When you came to live with us,
we thought it was so pleasant to have a dear little girl running and
dancing about the house! But now it seems sad because we know by your
naughty temper you have not only offended us, but you have displeased
God. I wish you would let me unti