s he left
the dresser. "I want something to play with."

The cook thought a moment, and then went to a closet and brought out
a little basket filled with clothes-pins. As she held them in her
hand, she said--"Tommy, if you will be careful not to break any of
these, nor scatter them about, you may have them to play with. But
remember, now, that as soon as you begin to throw them around the
room, I will put them up again."

"Oh, no, I won't throw them about," said the little fellow, with
brightening eyes, as he reached out for the basket of pins.

In a little while he had a circle formed on the table, which he
called his fort; and inside of this he had men, cannon,
sentry-boxes, and other things that were suggested to his fancy.

"Where's Thomas?" asked his mother, about the time he had become
fairly interested in his fort.

"I left him down in the kitchen," replied Jane.

"Go down and tell him to come up here instantly."

Down went Jane.

"Come along up-stairs to your mother," said she.

"No, I won't," replied the boy.

"Very well, mister! You can do as you like; but your mother sent for
you."

"Tell mother I am playing here so good. I'm not in any mischief. Am
I, Margaret?"

"No, Tommy; but your mother has sent for you, and you had better
go."

"I don't want to."

"Just as you like," said Jane, indifferently, as she left the
kitchen and went up-stairs.

"Where's Thomas?" was the question with which she was met on
returning to the chamber.

"He won't come, ma'am."

"Go and tell him that if he doesn't come up to me instantly, I will
put on his night-clothes and shut him up in the closet."

The threat of the closet was generally uttered ten times where it
was executed once; it made but little impression upon the child, who
was all absorbed in his fort.

Jane returned. In a few moments afterward, the quick, angry voice of
the mother was heard ringing down the stairway.

"You, Tom! come up here this instant."

"I'm not troubling any thing, mother."

"Come up, I say!"

"Margaret says I may play with the clothes-pins. I'm only building a
fort with them."

"Do you hear me?"

"Mother!"

"Tom! if you don't come to me this instant, I'll almost skin you.
Margaret! take them clothes-pins away. Pretty playthings, indeed,
for you to give a boy like him! No wonder I have to get a dozen new
ones every two or three months."

Margaret now spoke.

"Tommy, you must go up to your mother."

She now