Why do you go, I say ?" he continued, shaking her roughly by the arm, and frowning savagely.

"Why don't you answer ?--speak!" The child, with the tears streaming down her lovely face, was only able to answer in her defence.

"Oh, pa, I do love them so." "You do, do you ?" replied her exasperated father, stamping his foot, and pushing her from him; "go to bed, and if ever I hear of you going there again, you shall be well whipped." The tearful face lingered about the door in hope of a reprieve that did not come, and then disappeared for the night.
"The children must not be suffered to go in there, Jule; something I've learned to-day will----" here Mr.Stevens checked himself; and in answer to his wife's impatient "What have you learned ?" replied, "Oh, nothing of consequence--nothing that will interest you," and sat with his slipper in his hand, engaged in deep thought.
Now for Mr.Stevens to commence a communication to his wife, and then break off in the middle of it, was as novel as disagreeable, as he was generally very communicative, and would detail to her in the evening, with pleasing minuteness, all the rogueries he had accomplished during the day; and his unwillingness to confide something that evidently occupied his mind caused his spouse to be greatly irritated.
Mr.Stevens drank his tea in silence, and during the evening continued absorbed in reflection; and, notwithstanding the various ill-natured remarks of his wife upon his strange conduct retired without giving her the slightest clue to its cause..