nd unlovely
spirit. Of course I should be very glad to have my little daughter
excel in her lessons, for then I should know that she was studying and
trying to improve herself as much as possible, but I don't want to have
her as vain as a little peacock over it. And you know, Ruby, that it
is generally when you are trusting in yourself that you do something
that you are the most sorry for. Pride goes before a fall, you
remember."

"I will try not to be proud," said Ruby, penitently. "But you don't
know how I like to be praised, papa. It scares Ruthy, and she does n't
like it one bit, but I like it from my head down to my feet, I truly
do. I like to have people say I am ever so smart, and I don't see how
I can help it."

"By trying to forget yourself, dear, and keeping self in the
back-ground as much as you can in everything that you do. When you are
trying to do anything well, remember that it is only just what you
ought to do. God has given you a good memory, and a readiness to
learn, and so you ought to do the very best with the powers he has
given you. You have no more reason to be vain of them than a peacock
has to be vain of his fine tail. And it is better to be lovable than
clever, and any one who is conceited never makes the friends that a
modest child does. Now promise me that you will try, little daughter,
to be gentle and modest, and not come back to us selfish and full of
conceit."

"I will truly try, papa," Ruby answered. "That is harder for me to try
than to try to learn my lessons or to keep the rules, but I will truly
try, and you shall see how brave I will be in the morning when I go
away. Why, papa, I am brave this very minute. I could just cry and
cry, it makes me feel so full to think that this time to-morrow night
you will be here just the same, and I will be ever so far away."

"We will think about the time when you will come home again," said her
father, quickly, for Ruby's voice sounded very much as if a word more
would bring the tears. "Some day I shall drive down to the station and
a young lady with a trunk will get off the cars, and I shall hardly
know who it is, you will have grown so fast. Little girls always grow
fast when they go to boarding-school, you know."

"Do they?" asked Ruby, eagerly. "Oh, papa, do you s'pose I can have
long dresses next year?"

"Why, then people would think you were a little baby again," said her
papa, pretending to misunderstand her. "The