Year: 1861

J


nothing but mother, mother, from morning
TO night. I declare, am tired OF the
sname!' p And the mother tossed her sew
fina into her work basket impatiently, and
Burned, with no amiable face to her child.


40 mother" said Mary, in a pleading
stone, "won't you please to let me take
yeur little scissors for my dolly. I'll
bring them back again"


"No, shall do no such thing; you are
always bothering me for something when
M get moment to sew; you will want
something else before can take stitch.
Run away now and don't tease me"
4 The child turned away with a disap-
pointed face, and the mother bent over her
needle.


Presently a shrill cry from the adjoin-
ing room announced that the baby had
finished his nap, and was by no means
pleased with his quarters. Down went
the sewing again, with the exclamation,
"that babe must needs wake up with only
half nap, and there'll be no peace with
& him all the afternoon"


Il The hasty manner in which master
Charley was snatched up from his cradle,
and the impatient hush will YOU that
greeted him, was in no way calculated to
quiet his nerves, and called forth still
u louder screams. After wearisome hour
of alternate scolding, the young gentleman
concluded to sit upon the floor and amuse
himself with his playthings while his
mother made preparations for supper.
When the work was about half COM
pleted the door was thrown open, and two
red checked children rushed noisily into
the room.


80, mother |" shouted the eldest eve
are going to have a pic-nic--all the schol-
ars-down by the grove, and take our
dinners, and have some big, swings, and
and


The boy stopped, fairly out of breath,
and his younger brother chimed in
"And the teacher is going to take me
and Willie with him in his big market
wagon and he says you must bake us a
cake, won't you, mother and put raisns
in it, and sugar on the top?"


Dear me r' exclaimed Mrs. Hall, Il
do believe there never was such noisy
set of children. You are enough to drive
any one distracted with your mother !
mother! Do sit down and be quiet while
l get supper"


Won't supper be ready pretty soon %
asked Willie, following his mother into
the kitchen; Il am so hungry


"Tll risk your starving. Go away
and don't botherme-go and play marbles
with Fred in the other room"


For few minutes there was compar-
ative quiet, and the two boys rolled their
marbles and discussed their merits; but
their voices grew louder and louder, and
finally Willie made quick step forward,
and brought his foot down on the baby's
fingers Then there was music in earnest,
and as the mother caught up Charley and





tried to still his screams, scolded poor
Willie for his carelessness, pushed both
the boys into chairs, and took her work
basket away from Mary, giving her hasty
blow that added her voice to the chorus
there came quick step in the hall, and
the husband came in.


He was one of those genial, happily
constituted men who always see the sunny
,side of everything, and to whom life and
its cares press lightly. As he entered the
room the loud, angry screams of the
children sunk almost instantly to half
subdued sObs, and their faces frightened
in sympathy with his.


Catching the baby from his mothers
=arms, he commenced merry play with
him that soon brought smiles instead of
tears to the little fellows face, and Mary
dried her eyes to join in his shouts of de-
light at being tossed to the ceiling.by the
strong arms that he trusted so perfectly.
In few moments Mr. Hall was seated
with Charley in his lap, and the other
children about him, each one eager to
relate something of the days occurrences,
sure of finding ready sympathy from their
father. The nic-nic WAS discussed with