Why, grandma, I never should have thought of your saying such a queer thing as that! Why, it seems as if you always did just right, and thought it all over before you did it.

Do _you_ ever do wrong?
How funny!" Mrs.Read smiled sadly.

She was not an angel yet; so I suppose she did wrong once in a while.
"Now, grandma, I want to ask you one question, real sober and honest.
You know it was so dark that morning in the middle of the night, when we were going down the back stairs?
Now, if I'd made a great deal worse mistake than calling Prudy a snail,--if I'd pushed her real hard, and she had fallen faster,--O, I can't bear to think! I mean, if the chair-prongs had hit her head, grandma--and--killed her! What would they have done to _me_?
I thought about it last night, so I couldn't go to sleep for the longest while! I heard the clock _strike_ once while I was awake there in bed! Would they have put me in the lock-up, grandma, and then hung me for murder ?" "My dear child, no, indeed! How came such horrible ideas in thy tender little brain?
It is too dreadful to think about; but, even if thy little sister _had_ died, Susan, thee would have been no more to blame than thee is now, and a great, great deal more to be pitied." Susy sat for a long while gazing out of the window; but the stars did not wink so solemnly; the moon looked friendly once more.

Susy was drinking in her grandmother's words of comfort.

The look of sadness was disappearing from the young face, and smiles began to play about the corners of her mouth.
"Well," said she, starting up briskly, "I'm glad I wasn't so very terribly wicked! I wish I'd been somewhere else, when I stood on those back-stairs, in the middle of the night; but what's the use?
I'm not going to think any more about it, grandma; for if I should think till my head was all twisted up in a knot, what good would it do?
It wouldn't help Prudy any; would it, grandma ?" "No, dear," said the mild, soothing voice again; "don't think, I beg of thee; but if thee wants to know what would do Prudence good, I will tell thee: try thy best to amuse her.