f being able
to devote more time to her children, after restoring her husband's
appetite, she had to give up more and more time to cooking. Crispin now
spent the whole day in eating, and things went from bad to very bad, and
from very bad to worse. Boadicea assisted her mother to the utmost, yet
Chloe, worked almost to death, was at length compelled to look out for a
minder, in order that her children might not be entirely neglected.

Many minders from all parts applied for employment, and, as a test of
their skill, she set them the task of cheering the unfortunate Chad, who
was cutting all his double teeth at the same time. Some tried to cheer
him by singing to him, some by dancing to him; one even hoped to gladden
the boy by jumping over him backwards and with a pleasant smile dropping
on the grass in front of him. Again, some thought to distract him by
running swiftly with him several times round the well, which only made
him very ill. Another energetic young minder stood on his head in front
of the child for at least ten minutes, which, instead of cheering the
lad, nearly frightened him to death. One minder, more experienced than
the rest, tried to make him forget his ache by giving him other aches to
think of with the aid of a slipper, which he maintained he had succeeded
in doing. However, he was not elected, for, try as they would, no one
could discover for which ache the child was crying.

Many methods were tried, but none with even the smallest success; in
fact, the competition greatly increased the child's discomfort. His
howls became terrific, and so heartrending that, as a last resource,
Chloe sent for her nephew Bill, who cleaned the boots. Now no one had
suspected Bill of having the makings of a good minder in him, but it
happened that he knew Chad's little ways, and so, to everybody's
surprise and relief, he easily succeeded in keeping him quiet until all
the double teeth had been cut. Thereupon he was at once elected Minder
to the family.

[Illustration: HIS HOWLS BECAME TERRIFIC]

Bill soon proved that he was no ordinary minder. Having once started on
his new work, he took his profession very seriously. He read all the
books that had ever been written upon the subject, which were to be
found in the library of the British Museum. He talked about it with the
most knowing professors of the subject, and he was as well known in the
Minding Room of the Patent Museum at South Kensington as in his father's