that they
were younger; the youngest was little more than a babe and gave the least
trouble of either of the five. They remained at Uncle Nathan's for two or
three days before removing to the home prepared for them; and they
certainly were not an agreeable addition to our quiet household. I could
not have believed it possible that my aunt could have borne the annoyance
with so much patience. She went about quietly and made the best of the
matter, altogether unlike my Aunt Lucinda of two years ago, and I believe
she had a feeling of pity for the weary-looking mother of this disorderly
family; she did remark to the Widow Green, on the day of their removal,
that "she believed if they had staid much longer, her head would have
been turned with their noise and confusion." But they were gone at last,
and assisted by the Widow Green my aunt went from room to room, and
endeavored again to bring order out of the mass of litter and confusion;
remarking that the house looked as though it had been turned upside down,
and it did really seem pleasant when, after two days' labor, the rooms
were again put to rights, and the dwelling brought back to its usual
state of cleanliness and order. My aunt said, "it seemed a waste of labor
to fit up a home for a family who didn't know how to take care of it; but
then," added she, "if we do our duty, it wont be our fault if they fail
to do theirs." In a few days she went over to see how they were getting
along, and allowed upon her return that she had serious fears the
children would pull her in pieces. In spite of their mother's feeble
attempts at authority, the little girls pulled at the ribbons on her cap,
picked at her cuff-buttons, and one of them made a sudden snatch at her
brooch, my cherished gift; the mother ran to the rescue, but not till the
pin attached to the brooch was first bent, then broken. "What shall I do
with these children," said the mother. Provoked by the injury to her much
valued brooch, my aunt replied, hastily: "I know what I would do, I
would whip them till they'd learn to keep their hands off what they've
no business with." But when she saw how grieved the woman seemed to be,
she felt sorry she had spoken so hastily. My aunt said it seemed as
though night would never come, when I was to drive over to take her
home, for there was not, she said, a minute's peace in the house during
the whole afternoon, and glad enough was she to return at night to her
own quiet home. It