His father, for a moment, could scarcely believe his ears; but this feeling of astonishment soon gave way to a frown, before which Oscar cowered like a sheep before a lion.
Mr.Preston was a man of strong passions, but of few words.

Having set forth briefly but in vivid colors the aggravated nature of Oscar's three-fold offence,--his attack upon Willie, his disobedience when ordered to bed, and the falsehood with which he attempted to cover up his disobedience,--he proceeded to inflict summary and severe chastisement upon the offender.

It was very rarely that he resorted to this means of discipline, but this he deemed a case where it was imperatively demanded.
Silence reigned in the boys' chamber the rest of the night.

Oscar was too sullen to speak; Ralph silently pitied his brother, not less for the sins into which he had fallen than for the pain he had suffered; and George was too much taken up with thinking about the probable after-clap of this storm, to notice anything else.
Oscar was fond of his bed, and was usually the last one of the family to rise, especially in cool weather.

On the morning after the occurrences above related, he laid abed later than usual even with him.
His father had gone to the store, and the children were out-doors at play, before he made his appearance at the breakfast-table.