sy; _I_ say
fresher--to mount guard over that bridling little piece of consequence
in the cap and gloves, and prevent the dear old creature from making
discoveries.

"So bring me the precious Baby, Tilly," said she, drawing a chair to the
fire; "and while I have it in my lap, here's Mrs. Fielding, Tilly, will
tell me all about the management of Babies, and put me right in twenty
points where I'm as wrong as can be. Won't you, Mrs. Fielding?"

Not even the Welsh Giant, who, according to the popular expression, was
so "slow" as to perform a fatal surgical operation upon himself, in
emulation of a juggling trick achieved by his arch enemy at
breakfast-time; not even he fell half so readily into the snare prepared
for him as the old lady into this artful pitfall. The fact of Tackleton
having walked out; and furthermore, of two or three people having been
talking together at a distance, for two minutes, leaving her to her own
resources; was quite enough to have put her on her dignity, and the
bewailment of that mysterious convulsion in the Indigo Trade, for
four-and-twenty hours. But this becoming deference to her experience, on
the part of the young mother, was so irresistible, that after a short
affectation of humility, she began to enlighten her with the best grace
in the world; and, sitting bolt upright before the wicked Dot, she did,
in half an hour, deliver more infallible domestic recipes and precepts
than would (if acted on) have utterly destroyed and done up that Young
Peerybingle, though he had been an Infant Samson.

To change the theme, Dot did a little needlework--she carried the
contents of a whole workbox in her pocket; however she contrived it, _I_
don't know--then did a little nursing; then a little more needlework;
then had a little whispering chat with May, while the old lady dozed;
and so in little bits of bustle, which was quite her manner always,
found it a very short afternoon. Then, as it grew dark, and as it was a
solemn part of this Institution of the Picnic that she should perform
all Bertha's household tasks, she trimmed the fire, and swept the
hearth, and set the tea-board out, and drew the curtain, and lighted a
candle. Then she played an air or two on a rude kind of harp, which
Caleb had contrived for Bertha, and played them very well; for Nature
had made her delicate little ear as choice a one for music as it would
have been for jewels, if she had had any to wear. By this time it was
the es