She turned the leaves and found another text: "'_A soft answer turneth
away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger_.' I did not speak soft
when I told Hannah Straight Tree she was very dumb in school, and I was
glad Dolly could not motion in a single song, or even have an ugly green
dress, and I was not sorry that her big and little sister could not come
to school. And Dolly and Lucinda have not said mean things to me, so
why should I be cross at them? But Hannah would not find the dustpan
and take up her dirt, and that was very mean. Now here is one that I
have learned. I can say it without looking at the book."

Cordelia Running Bird shut her eyes and carefully re-peated: "'_Pride
goeth before de-struction, and a haught-y spirit before a fall_.'
Haughty means to feel stuck-up. The pail fell downstairs and made me
talk Dakota, so I had to come to bed, because I was stuck-up and made
Hannah Straight Tree cross. Just like they all would not be hating me
if I had not been haught-y. But the dormitory girls were very mean to
walk whole-feet on my wet floor. If they had walked heel or tiptoe I
should not have scolded to myself about the ugly issue shoes, and called
them shovel-feeted, and wished they had to lie in bed. But I did not
wish them to be cripples--only have a good long rest till I was through
scrubbing. But Hannah was mean to go and tell. I can find no verse
that will excuse her and the dormitory girls."

Here Cordelia Running Bird fell to pitying herself anew.

"I shall now read Annie's best verse, but it will be very hard to mind
those words that Jesus spoke."