going down the lane that led to the pasture.

They chatted pleasantly as they went along. They even referred freely
to the affair of three hours before. The old gentleman read him no
terrible lesson as to his depravity, and his probable end of life upon
the gallows if he persisted in so headstrong and wilful a course. The
story of the "forty she bears" he did not repeat to the youth, and no
reference was made to the awful death of Jack Ketch. He was too shrewd
an observer of human nature to present anything as attractive as these
things to the imagination of his grandson!

Tell a boy like "Dodd" that he is on the high road to ruin, the prison,
or the rope, and the chances are that you puff him up with pride at his
own achievement, or fill him with ambition to see the end of his own
career carried out in this line.

But grandpa Stebbins gave "Dodd" none of this. He simply told him that
it was the best thing for everybody that he should mind. He reviewed
the facts regarding the waste of the cider, and showed him how bad he
had been in doing as he had done, and why he was bad.

The boy offered no word of remonstrance, but, on the contrary,
acknowledged his fault, and assured his grandfather that he would
"remember" in future. With a light heart he ran for the cows, which
were taking a farewell feed along the banks of the brook that ran
across the pasture, and it was with a genuine pride that he headed them
for home, especially one contrary heifer, that preferred to have her
own way and not obey his command. He ran after her with much spirit,
and was quite delighted when he forced her to do his bidding.