By the end of five minutes that tyrant of the household--the baby--had subsided into an occasional sob, and was given over into the care of one of Patty's juniors--both being well bread-and-buttered, the baby having a wedge in each hand--and sent up into the front room, the nurse _pro tem_ being strictly ordered not to touch anything. The paraffine lamp was lit instead of a candle, the fire poked; and now, after so many preliminaries, the meal was commenced, the tea being fragrant, the toast just brown enough, the butter better than usual, and the bloaters prime; Totty declining to abdicate the throne she had ascended, one where she reigned supreme--her father's knee, to wit; and at last there was peace in the front kitchen in Duplex Street. "Did you ever hear such a noise, Mr Ruggles?" said Mrs Jared at length, her face now all smiles. "Not my way often, ma'am," said Tim, "at least--that is--we do have noises." Mrs Jared looked significantly at her husband, and then sighed, when, after fidgeting in his chair, Tim said, "A little more sugar, if you please, ma'am." "Totty yikes oogar," exclaimed the chubby delinquent, displaying her sorrow for her late act of piracy by making a grab at the hard roe upon her father's plate--a delicacy but just set free from overlaying bones, but the plate was hot, and the little fingers suffered a sharp pang, when there was another outcry; but with that exception, the meal progressed in peace to the end, when Jared threw himself back in his chair, and set himself to amuse Totty, by turning his inflated cheeks into drums for that young lady to belabour with sticky fists. But it was at supper time, when the little ones were in bed and Jared and Tim had concluded their tasks, that there was the real peace. For now, up-stairs by the fireside, a pipe was produced for Tim, and two weak glasses of gin and water were mixed--Mrs Jared indulging in occasional sips from her husband's portion, while, under the influence of his own, Tim grew communicative respecting his own home, and the present Mrs Ruggles, and on Patty making some enquiry respecting little Pine, he laid down his pipe, rubbed his hands softly together, and looked very serious as he replied to her question. "For my part," said Mrs Jared, "I don't hold with such sharp correction of children as you say Mrs Ruggles administers." Tim did not speak, but his eye fell upon a small cane above the chimney-piece. His glance was detected by Mrs Jared, who exclaimed: "You need not look at that, Mr Ruggles, for it is never used, only talked about; at least," she said, correcting herself, "very seldom. I don't think it right to be harsh to children, only firm; and if you begin with firmness, they will seldom require further correction." "Spare the rod, spoil the child," said Tim, softly exhaling a column of smoke. "Stuff!" said Mrs Jared, sharply; "do you mean to say that my children are spoiled, Mr Ruggles?"