. Pelby, to quiet Tommy, now took him upon his lap, and called his
attention to a large cameo breast-pin. This pleased him at once, and
he amused himself with pulling at it, and sadly rumpling the
visitor's snow-white bosom. Next he began to dive into his pockets,
revealing pen-knife, tooth-pick, etc. etc. This was worse than to
let him have the watch; and so, as a lesser evil, the gold lever was
again drawn from its hiding-place. The little fellow was once more
wild with delight.

But Pelby was so evidently annoyed, that Mr. Little could not help
observing it; and he at length said to his wife--

"Hadn't you better take Tommy up-stairs, my dear? He is too
troublesome."

Mr. Pelby had it on his tongue's end to say, "Oh, no, he don't
trouble me at all!" But he was afraid--not to tell a falsehood--but
that the child would be suffered to remain; so he said nothing.

"Come, Tommy," said Mrs. Little, holding out her hands.

"No!" replied the child emphatically.

"Come."

"No!" still louder and more emphatic.

"Yes, come, dear."

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, but you must!" Mrs. Little said, taking hold of him.

At this, Tommy clung around the neck of Mr. Pelby, struggling and
kicking with all his might against the effort of his mother to
disengage him; who finally succeeded, and bore him, screaming at the
top of his voice, from the room.

"If that were my child," said Mr. Pelby, after they had left the
house, "I'd half kill him but what I'd make a better boy of him! I
never saw such an ill-behaved, graceless little rascal in my life!"

"Children are children, Mr. Pelby," quietly remarked his auditor,
Mr. Manly, who had half a dozen "little responsibilities" himself.

"Hard bargains at the best, I know. But then I have seen
good-behaved children; and, if parents would only take proper pains
with them, all might be trained to good behaviour and obedience. If
I had a child, it would act different, I know, from what that one
did this evening."

"Old bachelors' children, you know," Mr. Manly said, with a smile.

"O yes, I know. But silly adages don't excuse neglectful parents,"
replied Mr. Pelby, a little touched at the allusion.

"That is true, Mr. Pelby. But what I meant you to understand by the
remark was, that those who have no children of their own are too
often wanting in a due consideration and forbearance towards those
of other people. I have quite a house full and I know that I take
great pains with them,