f crazy with
the pain. Demi was soon made cosy, and Franz took him away to his own
bed, where the kind lad soothed his fright and hummed him to sleep as
cosily as a woman. Nursey watched over poor Tommy all night, trying to
ease his misery, and Mrs. Bhaer vibrated between him and little Teddy
with oil and cotton, paregoric and squills, saying to herself from time
to time, as if she found great amusement in the thought, "I always knew
Tommy would set the house on fire, and now he has done it!"

When Mr. Bhaer got home next morning he found a nice state of things.
Tommy in bed, Teddy wheezing like a little grampus, Mrs. Jo quite used
up, and the whole flock of boys so excited that they all talked at once,
and almost dragged him by main force to view the ruins. Under his quiet
management things soon fell into order, for every one felt that he was
equal to a dozen conflagrations, and worked with a will at whatever task
he gave them.

There was no school that morning, but by afternoon the damaged room was
put to rights, the invalids were better, and there was time to hear and
judge the little culprits quietly. Nat and Tommy told their parts in the
mischief, and were honestly sorry for the danger they had brought to the
dear old house and all in it. But Dan put on his devil-may-care look,
and would not own that there was much harm done.

Now, of all things, Mr. Bhaer hated drinking, gambling, and swearing;
smoking he had given up that the lads might not be tempted to try it,
and it grieved and angered him deeply to find that the boy, with whom he
had tried to be most forbearing, should take advantage of his absence to
introduce these forbidden vices, and teach his innocent little lads
to think it manly and pleasant to indulge in them. He talked long and
earnestly to the assembled boys, and ended by saying, with an air of
mingled firmness and regret,

"I think Tommy is punished enough, and that scar on his arm will remind
him for a long time to let these things alone. Nat's fright will do for
him, for he is really sorry, and does try to obey me. But you, Dan, have
been many times forgiven, and yet it does no good. I cannot have my boys
hurt by your bad example, nor my time wasted in talking to deaf ears, so
you can say good-bye to them all, and tell Nursey to put up your things
in my little black bag."

"Oh! sir, where is he going?" cried Nat.

"To a pleasant place up in the country, where I sometimes send boys when
the