Uncle Morris says that boys _shouldn't_,
because it's wicked," said Jessie, while she busied herself tying the
handkerchief. When the knot was fast, she said--

"Now let us see how skilful my cousin Charlie can be!"

Up jumped Charlie, spreading out his arms, and darting now this way and
then that, as the steps and voices of the girls led him round the room.
Merrily rang out the laugh of Jessie, and the ohs and ahs of her cousin,
as they bounded past Charlie, ran round him, or darted out of the reach of
his nimble fingers. So spry were they, that ten minutes elapsed and the
blinded boy had not caught either of them. At last, he followed them close
to one end of the parlor until he found himself clasping the large mirror
which reached almost to the floor. Stepping back he tripped over a low
ottoman, fell backwards, and bumped his head. Half in vexation, and half
in sport he threw up his heels, and just as Jessie cried, "Mind the glass,
Charlie!" brought down his legs with a crash on the surface of the
mirror.

"Oh dear! He has broken the big mirror!" cried Jessie, in great distress.
"What will my father say!"

"Keep still, you stupid, mischievous boy!" said Emily as she tried to pull
the bandage from Charlie's eyes.

"I couldn't help it!" said he, as rising to his feet, and rubbing his
eyes, he stood staring on the ruin his feet had wrought on the lower half
of the mirror.

"My pa paid a good deal of money for that mirror," said Jessie, "and he
will be very angry with us, when he comes home to-night. I'm _so_ sorry."

"That's just like you, you stupid little monkey," said Emily, shaking
Charlie somewhat rudely by the shoulder. "You are always doing some
outrageous thing or another!"

"I couldn't help it! Let me alone!" muttered Charlie, shaking his sister's
hand from his shoulder.

"You _could_ help it," replied Emily.

"There, take that!" said Charlie, striking his sister a heavy blow on the
shoulder with his fist.

Emily was about to strike back, but Jessie stepped between them, and
separating them, said:

"O Emily! don't strike your brother! It's _so_ wicked, you know, for
brothers and sisters to fight." Then turning to Charlie, she added, "Don't
you know how mean it is for a boy to strike a girl? Boys should protect
girls, and not beat them. If you hit Emily again, I shall not be able to
love you any more."

Charlie turned away, and seating himself in a chair, began to suck his
thumb, while he gazed