as in duty bound, first picked up Mrs Easy, and laid her
on the sofa. Sarah rose, picked up Johnny, and carried him kicking and
roaring out of the room; in return, for which attention she received
sundry bites. The footman, who had announced the doctor, picked up the
urn, that being all that was in his department. Mr Easy threw himself
panting and in agony on the other sofa, and Dr Middleton was
excessively embarrassed how to act: he perceived that Mr Easy required
his assistance, and that Mrs Easy could do without it; but how to leave
a lady who was half really and half pretendedly in hysterics, was
difficult; for if he attempted to leave her, she kicked and flounced,
and burst out the more. At last Dr Middleton rang the bell, which
brought the footman, who summoned all the maids, who carried Mrs Easy
upstairs, and then the doctor was able to attend to the only patient who
really required his assistance. Mr Easy explained the affair in a few
words broken into ejaculations from pain, as the doctor removed his
stockings. From the applications of Dr Middleton, Mr Easy soon
obtained bodily relief; but what annoyed him still more than his scalded
legs, was the doctor having been a witness to his infringement of the
equality and rights of man. Dr Middleton perceived this, and he knew
also how to pour balm into that wound.

"My dear Mr Easy, I am very sorry that you have had this accident, for
which you are indebted to Mrs Easy's foolish indulgence of the boy; but
I am glad to perceive that you have taken up those parental duties which
are inculcated by the Scriptures. Solomon says, `that he who spares the
rod, spoils the child,' thereby implying that it is the duty of a father
to correct his children, and in a father, the so doing does not
interfere with the rights of man, or any natural equality, for the son
being a part or portion of the father, he is correcting his own self
only; and the proof of it is, that a father, in punishing his own son,
feels as much pain in so doing as if he were himself punished. It is,
therefore, nothing but self-discipline, which is strictly enjoined us by
the Scriptures."

"That is exactly my opinion," replied Mr Easy, comforted at the doctor
having so logically got him out of the scrape. "But--he shall go to
school tomorrow, that I'm determined on."

"He will have to thank Mrs Easy for that," replied the doctor.

"Exactly," replied Mr Easy. "Doctor, my legs are getting very hot