-"your best
suit, Sammy; the one you used to wear only on Sundays, you extravagant
fellow."

Sammy put it on with some difficulty from want of practice, and, after
combing out and brushing his hair, he presented such a changed
appearance that none of his late companions could have recognised him.
His father, after fastening up his coat with every button in its wrong
hole, and causing as much delay as possible by assisting him to dress,
finally hustled him down-stairs and into the cab, where he was
immediately re-enveloped by Mrs Twitter.

He was not permitted to see any one that night, but was taken straight
to his room, where his mother comforted, prayed with, fed and fondled
him, and then allowed him to go to bed.

Next morning early--before breakfast--Mrs Twitter assembled all the
little Twitters, and put them on chairs in a row--according to order,
for Mrs Twitter's mind was orderly in a remarkable degree. They ranged
from right to left thus:--

Molly, Willie, Fred, Lucy, and Alice--with Alice's doll on a doll's
chair at the left flank of the line.

"Now children," said Mrs Twitter, sitting down in front of the row with
an aspect so solemn that they all immediately made their mouths very
small and their eyes very large--in which respect they brought
themselves into wonderful correspondence with Alice's doll. "Now
children, your dear brother Sammy has come home."

"Oh! how nice! Where has he been? What has he seen? Why has he been
away so long? How jolly!" were the various expressions with which the
news was received.

"Silence."

The stillness that followed was almost oppressive, for the little
Twitters had been trained to prompt obedience. To say truth they had
not been difficult to train, for they were all essentially mild.

"Now, remember, when he comes down to breakfast you are to take no
notice whatever of his having been away--no notice at all."

"Are we not even to say good-morning or kiss him, mamma?" asked little
Alice with a look of wonder.

"Dear child, you do not understand me. We are all charmed to see Sammy
back, and so thankful--so glad--that he has come, and we will kiss him
and say whatever we please to him _except_," (here she cast an awful eye
along the line and dropped her voice), "_except_ ask him _where--he--
has--been_."

"Mayn't we ask him how he liked it, mamma?" said Alice.

"Liked what, child?"

"Where he has been, mamma."

"No, not a word about where he has be