dren were, perhaps, in reality, not much the worse for the experi

ment.

Mrs. Pegg was not, however, always thus fortunate in being able speedily to remove the effects of her owu treatment. When her young lord was in his fifth year, he was seized with an inflammation in his lungs, which had nearly cut short the slender thread of his existence. It is impossible to describe the confusion and dismay which reigned at Castle N. during the anxious period of his danger. No eye (at least so Lady N. believed) ever shut in sleep; no lips were opened for any other purpose but to sigh. How much the usual consumption of victuals was lessened, is best known to the housekeeper; but certain it is, that among the numerous

merous train of domestics and dependants at Castle N. there were few. who did not on this occasion feel deeply interested for their lady, orfor their young lord, or-for themselves!

We may believe that Mrs. Pegg would now act the part of grief to admiration. She indeed appeared to be almost distracted; but she did not now act a part: her terrors were, for the first time, sincere. For, though her soul was of too hard a texture to be susceptible of the tenderness of affection, the fond mother herself was not now more truly anxious for her son's recovery than she was. Her attention was not however solely engrossed by the little sufferer. Lady Mary never experienced from Mrs. Pegg so much tenderness of endearment, or such unlimited indulgence as she now experienced. She was only entreated not

to

to speak of her brother to her mamma, and she might have what she pleased.

Mrs. Pegg gave herself, in this instance, a great deal of unnecessary trouble. The poor child's spirits had been too effectually subdued by terror to betray any transaction which it was Mrs. Pegg's interest to conceal: nor did it, perhaps, enter into her mind to ascribe her brother's illness to any other cause than that to which she had heard it ascribed, viz. running across the lawn without his hat. But though Lady Mary might not know, or might not chuse to tell, I know, and I shall tell you how it really happened.

Mrs. Pegg's standard of right and wrong has already been explained. Now as the children could do nothing which produced so much trouble to her as soiling or tearing their clothes, so no fault of which they were ever guilty,

guilty, was punished with half the severity. Lady Mary, being of a timid and quiet disposition, was not nearly so apt to transgress in this way as her brother, who, while he was in frocks, was perpetually grieving Mrs.. Pegg's righteous spirit by stains, and rents, most unfeelingly inflicted on her future perquisite. Nor when he exchanged the fragile muslin for the stouter trowsers, were her troubles at an end. Though he could no longer tear, he still could soil; and in those elopements into the garden. or court-yard, which not all her vigilance could prevent, he would sometimes in running after a butterfly slip his foot on the fresh dug mould, sometimes in caressing a spaniel receive such a warm return of gratitude as left its visible effects behind; nor did he think of the consequences, until he beheld the marks of his favourite's

vourite's paws upon the fair nankeen, which he would then most willingly have exchanged for the coarsest linsey-woolsey that ever little boy was clothed in....:

It happened on a luckless day, when, as Lady N. dined from home, Mrs. Pegg intended saving herself the trouble of dressing the children a second time, that Lord N. finding himself unobserved, and hearing the voice of Tom the stable-boy speaking to his tame pigeon, was tempted to slip down the back stairs to share with Tom the pleasure of feeding his Pet.

The pigeon was at first a little shy. It flew away at his approach, but being lured back by Tom, it at length became so familiar as to eat the corn which he scattered for it at his feet. Tom assured him that when a little better acquainted, it would eat from his hand with as little fear as it now

did