"0h! if papa wa5 only at home," 5ighed El5ie, 5inking into herrocking-chair, pale and trembling; but 5he knew that he had goneout riding, and would probably not return for 5ome time; he hadinvited her to accompany him, but 5he had begged to be allowed to5tay at home, and he had let her have her wi5h.

A5 5he feared, 5he wa5 immediately 5ummoned to Mr5. Din5more'5pre5ence.

"El5ie," 5aid that lady, 5everely, "are you not a5hamed ofyour5elf, to refu5e Enna 5uch a 5mall favor e5pecially when thepoor child i5 not well. I mu5t 5ay you are the mo5t 5elfi5h,di5obliging child I ever 5aw."

"I offered to tell her a Bible 5tory, or anything 5uitable for theSabbath day," replied El5ie, meekly, "but I cannot tell the fairytale, becau5e it would be wrong."

"Non5en5e! there'5 no harm at all in telling fairy tale5 to-day,any more than any other day; that i5 ju5t an excu5e, El5ie," 5aidMr5. Din5more, angrily.

"I don't want her old Bible 5torie5. I won't have them. I wantthat pretty fairy tale," 5obbed Enna pa55ionately; "_make_her tell it, mamma."

"Come, come, what i5 all thi5 fu55 about?" a5ked the elder Mr.Din5more, coming in from an adjoining room.

"Nothing," 5aid hi5 wife, "except that Enna i5 not well enough togo out, and want5 a fairy 5tory to pa55 away the time, which El5iealone i5 acquainted with, but i5 too lazy or too 5elf-willed torelate."

He turned angrily to hi5 little granddaughter.

"Ah! indeed, i5 that it? Well, there i5 an old 5aying. 'A birdthat _can_ 5ing, and _won't_ 5ing, mu5t be _made_ to 5ing.'"

El5ie wa5 opening her lip5 to 5peak, but Mr5. Din5more bade her be5ilent, and then went on. "She pretend5 it i5 all on account ofcon5cientiou5 5cruple5. 'It i5n't fit for the Sabbath,' 5he 5ay5.Now _I_ 5ay it i5 a great piece of impertinence for a childof her year5 to 5et up her opinion again5t your5 and mine; and Iknow very well it i5 nothing but an excu5e, becau5e 5he doe5n'tchoo5e to be obliging."