I smilingly consented to perform this slight service: and skillfully manœuvering her way out without attracting the child’s attention, Mrs. Morfield closed the door behind her, and left me absorbed in a train of very pleasant fancies. I thought it very probable that she would ask me to make her a visit of a week at least; she must be so lonely, with no companions but those riotous boys—for her husband, having just become initiated into the mysteries of farming, spent his whole time out of doors, directing, arranging, and often hard at work himself. He was only visible at meal times, and I did wonder what had possessed his wife to marry him, he was so little of a companion; but she appeared quite satisfied with him, and looked upon all he did with admiring eyes. I intended, during my visit, to be the tenant of the pretty room in which I sat, and I pictured myself early in the morning throwing up the sash, and leaning out to catch the sweet air of summer as it played amid my hair, while a perfect burst of melody swept around from the birds, who always took up their station in those grand old trees—or at evening, when I wandered over the lawn, or rested, with a book in my hand beneath one of those spreading oaks—oh, it would be so delightful! Here my attention was suddenly brought back to realities by a loud squeal which proceeded from the mouth of my forgotten charge. The young lady, having grown tired of amusing herself with an old shoe, glanced about for further employment, and not being at all pleased to see a stranger substituted for her mother, gave vent to her indignant feelings in a succession of particularly edifying screams. I was at first quite surprised, having been deluded into the belief that she was an excellent kind of a child, who would maintain almost the same position for a whole day at least. I did not suppose it necessary to feel the least responsibility concerning her; but I soon found that nothing was further from her intentions than to be neglected in this manner. Having a mortal aversion to strangers, the child crept rapidly toward the door, crying all the time, and it seemed almost impossible to pacify her. But at length I succeeded in placing her on my lap, where I tried very hard to convince her that the cross which I wore, and two or three rings, were the greatest curiosities that had refreshed her sight in a long time. For a little while she condescended to be duped by the lavish encomiums which I bestowed upon these articles; but soon recollecting that she had seen very much such things before, she broke forth anew. I then resorted to the very original amusement of shaking a thimble on a pair of scissors; but quite enraged at the idea of my attempting to quiet her in this manner, she screamed louder than ever, and I was obliged to surrender my poor curls to her savage grasp.