so distinctly revealed our ancient, velvet-lined
pew, my father's bowed head, and the venerable pastor rising white-robed
and saintly in his pulpit to bid all the earth keep silent before the
Lord! Conjecture was rife! Thus August passed away.

My birthday had gone by, and the equinox was upon us, with its rapid
changes of sun and storm, when one of these tempests, accompanied by
hail of unusual size, shattered to fragments the skylight of the
bath-room. This hail-storm was succeeded by a deluge of rain, which
flooded not only the adjacent closet, but the chamber I occupied, among
other evils completely submerging the superb Wilton carpet, concerning
the safety of which Mrs. Clayton felt immense responsibility.

A glazier came as soon as the weather permitted, who was carefully
escorted through my chamber by Mrs. Clayton to ascertain the repairs to
be made--a fresh-looking, white-aproned Irish lad, I remember (for a
human being was a novelty to me then), who found it necessary, in order
to repaint the wood-work, to bear the sash away with him, leaving behind
his tray of chisels and putty, and the light step-ladder he had brought
with him on his shoulder, and on whose return I vainly waited as a
chance for communication with the outer world.

While Dinah was busy with mops and brooms drying the carpet, and Mrs.
Clayton thoroughly occupied with her active superintendence of the
needful operations, little mischievous, meddlesome Ernie had made his
way, contrary to all rules, beneath and behind my bed, and torn off a
goodly portion of the gray and gilded paper which had so far effectually
aided to conceal a closed door situated behind the bed-head, from which
the frame had been removed. Then, for the first time since our
acquaintance, did I slap sharply those little, busy fingers which I
could have kissed for thankfulness, and, watching my opportunity, I
replaced the paper, unseen by Mrs. Clayton, with the remains of a
gum-arabic draught which had been prescribed for his cough. I knew that,
after experiencing such condign punishment, he would return no more to
the scene of his destruction, and that he might forget both injury and
discovery, I devoted myself to his amusement during that active, long,
rainy day with unhoped-for success.

The glazier had announced to Mrs. Clayton that his return might be
deferred for four-and-twenty hours, and, as the succeeding day was clear
and warm, I proceeded, in spite of broken sashes