hat surprises me," said the man, "and I am distressed to hear it;
for at heart he is rather good, and to you he is deeply attached. But
how does he tease you, dear lady? What does he do?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered, "and that is what annoys me. The others
are all busy with your affairs or mine. But this idle one follows me
like my shadow, and looks at me all the time. It is not at all polite.
I fear he has a vacant mind and has not been well brought up."

"That may easily be," said the man, "for he came to me very suddenly
one day, and I have never inquired about his education."

"But you ought to do so," said she; "it is your duty to have him
taught to know his place, and not to tease, and other useful lessons."

"You are always right," said the man, "and it shall be just as you
say."

On the way home he talked seriously to the sprite, and told him how
impolite he had been, and arranged a plan for his schooling in botany,
diplomacy, music, psychology, deportment, and other useful studies.

The rest of the sprites came in to the school-room every day, to get
some of the profitable lessons. They sat around quiet and orderly, so
that it was quite like a kindergarten. But the principal pupil was
restless and troublesome.

"You are never still," said the man; "you have an idle mind and
wandering thoughts."

"No!" said the sprite, shaking his head. "It is true, my mind is not
on my lessons. But my thoughts do not wander at all. They always
follow yours."

Then the man stopped talking, and the other sprites laughed behind
their hands. But the one who had been reproved went on drawing
pictures in the back of his botany book. The face in the pictures was
always the same, but none of them seemed to satisfy him, for he always
rubbed them out and began over again.

After several weeks of hard work the master thought his pupil must
have learned something, so he gave him a holiday, and asked him what
he would like to do.

"Go with you," he answered, "when you take her your new stories."

So they went together, and the lady complimented the writer on his
success as an educator.

"Your pupil does you credit," said she; "he talks very nicely about
botany and deportment. But I am a little troubled to see him looking
so pale. Perhaps you have been too severe with him. I must take him
out in the garden with me every day to play a while."

"You have a kind heart," said the man, "and I hope he will appreciate
it."

Thi