comfort me.

This was not, however, an easy matter. I knew much better than he did
how very naughty I had been; and I felt that I had murdered the poor
tender little birds.

"I can never, never, forgive myself!" I sobbed.

"But you must be reasonable," he said. "You gave way to your vanity
and wilfulness, and persuaded yourself that you only wished to be kind
to the blackbirds; and you have been punished. Is it not so?"

"O yes!" I cried; "I am so wicked! I wish I were as good as you are!"

"As I am!"--he began.

I was too young then to understand the sharp tone of self-reproach in
which he spoke. In my eyes he was perfection; only perhaps a little
_too_ good. But he went on:--

"Do you know, this fault of yours reminds me of a time when I was just
as wilful and conceited, just as much bent upon doing the great duty
of helping others in my own grand fashion, rather than in the humble
way which GOD's Providence pointed out, only it was in a much
more serious matter; I was older, too, and so had less excuse. I am
almost tempted to tell you about it; not that our cases are really
quite alike, but that the punishment which met my sin was so
unspeakably bitter in comparison with yours, that you may be thankful
to have learnt a lesson of humility at smaller cost."