tia have been
orphans!'

[Illustration: _Off it went, knocked him backwards, and shivered a
beautiful mirror.--Page 5._]

'Ah, then I should have died too!' said Dicky, wiping the tears from his
eyes with the back of his hand. 'But how came you to load the pistol
last night, father?'

'Because,' replied his father, 'I thought I heard something fall in the
parlour, and the passage-door being directly after shut to in a still
manner. I loaded the pistols, thinking that thieves had broken into the
house, and pushed up the sash to shoot the first that came out.'

'Then it was lucky,' said Richard, 'I did not come out again, or you
might have killed me; for I got up in the night to let Juno out of the
shed, where I had tied her up, and she was making a sad howling. Indeed,
before I was aware, she ran into the parlour, and, as it was quite dark,
I tumbled over her.'

'And broke the geranium-tree,' added his father.

'Yes, I did indeed,' said Dicky, 'but I did not go to do it. After that
I turned Juno into the yard, and this I dare say is all the noise you
heard.'

'There is an old saying, my dear little friends,' said Mr. Random,
'which I wish you to attend to, because it has a great deal of truth in
it: "_The pitcher that goes often safe to the well may come home broken
at last._" And so, though the thoughtless and giddy may go on for a long
while without danger, it will overtake them sooner or later. Here is a
strong instance of escape from the consequences which might have
attended Richard's thoughtlessness; besides which, his mother could get
no more sleep all night, and I, after running the risk of catching cold
in searching over the house, have this morning been at the expense of
new fastenings to the doors and windows. The next time, however, you
rise, Richard, to alarm the family, you shall in future roost with the
hens or bed in the stable.'

Dicky now thought that his parent's resentment had subsided, and, upon
the latter's calling to him to come, he sprang across the room with the
greatest alertness; but how suddenly was his smile cast down when Mr.
Random, taking his hand, ordered him to wish his young friends much
mirth and a good appetite, while he was going to be punished for his
misconduct. At once were all their little hands put out to prevent Mr.
Random's resolution of taking him away, but all their petitions were in
vain. Richard was forced into an empty cellar, and left with no other
companion t