t between his joyous
excitement and my own very dreary heaviness of heart, and called to me
to come to the study with him, and put away his riding whip. So I gladly
turned away from my cousin, and followed my father to his room.

To some children, the study, library, or whatever other room is
consecrated to the use of the head of the family, is a sort of dreadful
and solemn place, generally closed to them, but opening from time to
time as a court of justice, to which they are brought when their
misdemeanours have exceeded usual bounds, and are considered to require
severer measures than are within the province of the lesser
authorities. Very alarming, in consequence, is the summons when it
comes.

With me, however, the case was happily very different; the study was
associated with countless hours of happy intercourse with a father whose
very countenance was beaming with love. Times of reproof and punishment
there had been also, but the returning happiness of forgiveness, the
loving words of advice, the kind and constant sympathy, I never failed
to find from him, made me look upon an invitation to his room as the
best thing that could happen to me, whether I was happy or in trouble.

"My poor little Willie," he said, sitting down almost immediately, and
drawing me towards himself; "have you been very sorrowful?"

I hid my face on his shoulder, and sobbed out that I was quite
miserable.

"Have you thought what it is that has made your day so sad, Willie?" he
asked, kindly.

"Yes, papa," I answered between my sobs; "I wasn't allowed to go to
Stavemoor, and I was so unhappy in my own room all alone, and--and--I
broke my bow just after I had finished making it--"

"But the beginning of all this unhappiness, Willie--quite the
beginning?"

"Aleck's having the gray, papa," I said. "I think that was quite the
beginning."

"So do I think so, my child," rejoined my father; "or rather, the wrong
feelings to which this gave rise. And now consider, Willie, how wrong
and ungrateful you have been, to let this grow up into such a trouble.
Just think of all to-day's mercies: your home, your loving papa and
mamma, all the comforts that so many little boys are without; and then,
besides all these, a pleasant excursion planned to give you special
pleasure on your half holiday. And, in the midst of all these blessings,
instead of being thankful and happy, you are suddenly overwhelmed, as
though by a great misfortune; not because