d-hearted that one could not help forgiving his tricks; so
scatter-brained that words went by him like the wind, yet so penitent
for every misdeed, that it was impossible to keep sober when he
vowed tremendous vows of reformation, or proposed all sorts of queer
punishments to be inflicted upon himself. Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer lived in
a state of preparation for any mishap, from the breaking of Tommy's own
neck, to the blowing up of the entire family with gunpowder; and Nursey
had a particular drawer in which she kept bandages, plasters, and salves
for his especial use, for Tommy was always being brought in half dead;
but nothing ever killed him, and he arose from every downfall with
redoubled vigor.

The first day he came, he chopped the top off one finger in the
hay-cutter, and during the week, fell from the shed roof, was chased by
an angry hen who tried to pick his out because he examined her chickens,
got run away with, and had his ears boxed violent by Asia, who caught
him luxuriously skimming a pan of cream with half a stolen pie.
Undaunted, however, by any failures or rebuffs, this indomitable youth
went on amusing himself with all sorts of tricks till no one felt safe.
If he did not know his lessons, he always had some droll excuse to
offer, and as he was usually clever at his books, and as bright as a
button in composing answers when he did not know them, he go on pretty
well at school. But out of school, Ye gods and little fishes! how Tommy
did carouse!

He wound fat Asia up in her own clothes line against the post, and left
here there to fume and scold for half an hour one busy Monday morning.
He dropped a hot cent down Mary Ann's back as that pretty maid was
waiting at table one day when there were gentlemen to dinner, whereat
the poor girl upset the soup and rushed out of the room in dismay,
leaving the family to think that she had gone mad. He fixed a pail of
water up in a tree, with a bit of ribbon fastened to the handle, and
when Daisy, attracted by the gay streamer, tried to pull it down, she
got a douche bath that spoiled her clean frock and hurt her little
feelings very much. He put rough white pebbles in the sugar-bowl when
his grandmother came to tea, and the poor old lady wondered why they
didn't melt in her cup, but was too polite to say anything. He passed
around snuff in church so that five of the boys sneezed with such
violence they had to go out. He dug paths in winter time, and then
privately wa