Page:Orange Grove.djvu/36

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them. Her little hands were ever tractable after that.

It was her peculiar characteristic to avoid every thing of unpleasant associations. The doll was entirely neglected, and sadly as she missed it she never spoke of her loss. A poor child once enlisted her sympathies so much that she begged the privilege to give it to her, but upon going to get it, the thought of parting with it forever revived her old attachment, and she replaced it affectionately, telling her mother that it would seem very hard to her if she should want to give her away because something had happened to spoil her looks.

After her father had tested her for six months, he brought her home a new doll, quite equal to the other, which she received very graciously, and after regarding it attentively for some minutes, said, with a look of serious concern,

"Don't you think the other Dolly would feel bad if she thought I loved this one best?"

New trials awaited her. Every new experience revived the old strife between the conflicting elements of her organization, and she had the battle to fight over again. It had been comparatively easy to yield when there was no opposing influence beyond herself. School brought its temptations. Being controlled more through her intellect and affections than by her moral sentiments she was far more the subject of surrounding influences than Walter. Passing from the constant supervision of her parents to the companionship of those who had not been so carefully guarded at home, she grew impatient of restraint,