, as it is difficult to keep up mirth entirely upon
one's own resources, we were beginning to be a gloomy party. What I had
unconsciously said regarding my master's voice, was wormwood to him. He
had long been the butt of all his acquaintance respecting it, and what
followed was the making that unbearable which was before too bitter.
Many questions were put by the visitor, and the answers appeared to grow
more and more unsatisfactory as they were elicited. The lady was
beginning to look unhappy, when a sudden brightness came over her lovely
countenance, and, with the most polished and kindly tone, she asked to
see Mr Root's own children. Mr Root looked silly, and Mrs Root
distressed. The vapid and worn-out joke that their family was so large,
that it boasted of the number of two hundred and fifty, fell spiritless
to the ground; and disappointment, and even a slight shade of
despondence, came over the lady's features.

"Where were you, Ralph, when I came?" said she; "I waited for you long."

"I was being washed, and putting on my second best."

"But why washed at this time of day--and why put on your second best?"

"Because I had dirtied my hands, and my other clothes, carrying up the
tea-kettle to Mr Matthews's room."

Mr and Mrs Root again held up their hands in astonishment.

"And who is Mr Matthews?" continued the lady.

"Second Latin master, and ill abed in the garret."

"From whence did you take the tea-kettle?"

"From the kitchen."

"And who gave it you?"

"Molly, one of the maids."

At this disclosure Mr Root fell into the greatest of all possible
rages, and, as we like a figure of speech called a climax, we must say,
that Mrs Root fell into a much greater. They would turn the hussey out
of the house that instant; they would do that, they would do this, and
they would do the other. At length, the lady, with calm severity,
requested them to do nothing at all.

"There has been," said she, "some mistake here. There is nothing very
wrong, or disgraceful in Ralph attending to the wants of his sick
master, though he does lie in the garret. I would rather see in his
disposition a sympathy for suffering encouraged. God knows, there is in
this world too much of the latter, and too little of the former. Yet I
certainly think that there could have been a less degrading method
pointed out to him of showing attention. But we will let this pass, as
I know it will never happen again. You see, Mr and