into his own hands, looked up into her face, and
remarked:

"Why, Aunt Alice, she was just like _my_ mamma, wasn't she? An' I think
_you_ are just like both of 'em!"

Mrs. Burton took Budge hastily into her arms, covered his face with
kisses, and totally destroyed another chance of explaining the
difference between the earthly and the heavenly to her pupils, while
Toddie eyed the couple with evident disfavor, and remarked:

"_I_ fink 'twould be nicer if you'd see if dinner was bein' got ready,
instead of stoppin' tellin' stories an' huggin' Budge. My tummuk's all
gotted little again."

Mrs. Burton came back to the world of to-day from that of history,
though not without a sigh, while the dog Jerry, who had divined the
peaceful nature of the occasion so far as to feel justified in reclining
beneath his mistress's chair, now contracted himself into the smallest
possible space, slunk out of the doorway, and took a lively quickstep in
the direction of the shrubbery. Toddie had seen him, however, and told
the news to Budge, and both boys were soon in pursuit; noticing which
the dog Jerry speedily betook himself to that distant retirement which
the dog who has experience in small boys knows so well how to discover
and maintain.

As the morning wore on, the boys grew restless, fought, drummed on the
piano, snarled when that instrument was closed, meddled with everything
that was within reach, and finally grew so troublesome that their aunt
soon felt that to lose was cheaper than to save, so she left the house
to the children, and sought the side of the lounge upon which her
afflicted husband reclined. The divining sense of childhood soon found
her out, however, and Budge remarked:

"Aunt Alice, if you're going to church, seems to me it's time you was
getting ready."

"I can't go to church, Budge," sighed Mrs. Burton. "If I do, you boys
will only turn the whole house upside down, and drive your poor uncle
nearly crazy."

"No, we won't," said Budge. "You don't know what nice nurses we can be
to sick people. _Papa_ says nobody can even _imagine_ how well we can
take care of anybody until they see us do it. If you don't believe it,
just leave us with Uncle Harry, an' stay home from church an' peek
through the key-hole."

"Go on, Allie," said Mr. Burton. "If you want to go to church, don't be
afraid to leave me. I think you _should_ go--after your experience of
this morning. I shouldn't think your mind could be at peace