y, and in her distress she pulled up her bandage
as she looked at him; "you know mammy'll be so sorry at you! Oh, ma'am,
and" she turned to Miss Jerusha, who was now thoroughly aroused to the
duty she saw before her of doing these children good, "I don't know what
is the reason, ma'am; Joel never talks so; he's real good; and--"

"It only shows," said the lady, seeing her way quite clear for a little
exhortation, "that you've all had your own way from infancy; and that
you don't do what you might to make your mother's life a happy one."

"Oh, ma'am," cried Polly, and she burst into a flood of tears, "please,
please don't say that!"

"And I say," screamed Joel, stamping his small foot, "if you make Polly
cry you'll kill her! Don't Polly, don't!" and the boy put both arms
around her neck, and soothed and comforted her in every way he could
think of. And Miss Jerusha, seeing no way to make herself heard,
disappeared feeling pity for children who would turn away from good
advice.

But still Polly cried on; all the pent-up feelings that had been so long
controlled had free vent now. She really couldn't stop! Joel, frightened
to death, at last said, "I'm going to wake up Ben."

That brought Polly to; and she sobbed out, "Oh, no, Jo--ey--I'll stop."

"I will," said Joel, seeing his advantage; "I'm going, Polly," and he
started to the foot of the stairs.

"No, I'm done now, Joe," said Polly, wiping her eyes, and choking back
her thoughts--"oh, Joe! I must scream! my eyes aches so!" and poor Polly
fairly writhed all over the chair.

"What'll I do?" said Joel, at his wits' end, running back, "do you want
some water?"

"Oh, no," gasped Polly; "doctor wouldn't let me; oh! I wish mammy'd
come!"

"I'll go and look for her," suggested Joel, feeling as if he must do
something; and he'd rather be out at the gate, than to see Polly suffer.

"That won't bring her," said Polly; trying to keep still; "I'll try to
wait."

"Here she is now!" cried Joel, peeping out of the window; "oh! goody!"

JOEL'S TURN

"Well," Mrs. Pepper's tone was unusually blithe as she stepped into the
kitchen--"you've had a nice time, I suppose--what in the world!" and she
stopped at the bedroom door.

"Oh, mammy, if you'd been here!" said Joel, while Polly sat still, only
holding on to her eyes as if they were going to fly out; "there's been
a big woman here; she came right in--and she talked awfully! and Polly's
been a-cryin', and her eye