much less
sensitive person than Mrs. Ellis.

'Oh, that is Fred making that noise,' said Mabel, who had come with her
aunt to visit mamma. 'Shall I go up to him?' she inquired.

'No, my dear; go to the sick-room. I will myself encounter the rebel;'
and Aunt Mary went straight upstairs, just as nurse opened the room-door
to remonstrate with the unruly boy, who was quickly and unceremoniously
caught up from the floor, and made to stand on his feet.

'Let me not hear another sound from you while I am here,' said his aunt.
'And, Jane,' she added, speaking to the nurse, 'please to put up in a
small basket this young gentleman's night-clothes. I intend to take him
home with me; he must not remain here to make his poor mamma worse than
she is.' So saying, Miss Livesay left the nursery, and proceeded to her
sister's bedroom, where she found Mabel arranging the pillows, and
making the bed rather more comfortable for her poor mamma.

Master Freddy had been completely taken by surprise, and he seemed at a
loss at first how to give vent to the suppressed passion that was
swelling within; but when nurse said, 'I am very glad indeed that your
aunt is going to take you away, for then we shall have some peace in the
house,' he jumped off the stool on which he had been sitting, and would
have struck her with a brush which he took from the table, had she not
forcibly held both his hands, and threatened to take him at once to the
room where Aunt Mary was.

'You needn't put up my night-shirt,' said passionate Fred, 'for I shan't
go with that nasty old thing!' This was, however, uttered in a subdued
tone, and elicited 'Shame, shame!' from nurse, and even from little
Gerty.

'I think,' added Jane, 'you are the very worst boy I ever did see, and I
wouldn't stop here if you was obliged to be kept in the nursery, which I
suppose you would be, now your mamma's so poorly, for it isn't to be
expected that you will be allowed to go teasing her about every little
thing. I _am_ glad, very glad, you are going away; and I hope Miss
Livesay will keep you a very long time,' added nurse, while Fred, not
daring to explode, on account of his aunt's being so near, vented his
passion on the poor kitten by kicking it violently from under the stool,
where he had again seated himself.

'Ada dear,' said Aunt Mary to her sister, 'I am going to propose a
transfer, which, though I must confess it will be a very painful one to
me, yet perhaps may in the end be