A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia

								

dressed as if in a play to the house of an enemy of thy country to ask a
favor? And before that thee quite forgot thy good manners in rushing up
the steps of that house on Second Street, and then speaking rudely to
me, who have no wish but to be kind to thee and help thee be a good
girl."
While Aunt Deborah was speaking Ruth looked up at her, a little
frightened and sullen at first; then as she saw that Aunt Deborah's face
was pale, that she looked as if she had been crying and was nearly ready
to cry again, the little girl's heart softened, and she ran toward her
aunt, saying:
"Oh, Aunt Deborah! I am sorry I spoke rudely to you. And when I said I
did not like you it was only because I was cross and so unhappy about
Hero. I do like you, truly I do. And, oh! I did not think about General
Howe being our enemy; or that I would spoil Mother's pretty gown. I only
thought about Hero." And now Ruth was sobbing, and Aunt Deborah's arm
was about her.
But for a moment Aunt Deborah made no response; then she said:
"Dear child, thee has given me happiness again. And now let us both do
our best until thy mother returns. But thee knows that it is right for
thee to decide if thee should not be punished in some way, so that in
future thee will remember not to lose thy temper, to remember thy
manners; and above all not to stoop to deceit to gain thy wishes."
Aunt Deborah smiled happily at her little niece as she finished, as if
quite sure that Ruth would welcome her suggestion.
Ruth smiled in response. She began to think it would be rather fine to
decide on her own punishment, and resolved it should be even more severe
than any Aunt Deborah would inflict.
"Yes, Aunt Deborah, I will stay up-stairs all day. And I will eat only
porridge for my dinner and supper. I will not call from the window, and
I will knit; and not even play with Cecilia," she said eagerly.
"Very well, dear child. But beside these things thee must say over to
thyself the reason for thy punishment. Say to thyself: 'Not again will I
be rude or unkind, not again will I be thoughtless of my behavior,'"
said Aunt Deborah approvingly.
There was a loud knock at the front door, and Aunt Deborah hurried away
to answer it. In a moment Ruth heard a joyous bark.
"It's Hero! It's Hero!" she exclaimed, running toward the door. But with
her hand on the latch she stopped suddenly. She had promised that she
would not leave the room that day. She had set her own punishment for
rudeness, and for the thoughtlessness that had perhaps ruined her
mother's dress.
"Oh! I wish I hadn't dressed up," she thought, as she turned slowly away
from the door, thinking of Hero looking wistfully about for his little
mistress. She knew that Aunt Deborah would be kind to him, but not to
see Hero after he had been missing so long was a real punishment for the
little girl, and she went back to the window and stood looking out