But at last everything was gone; there seemed to be a strange perverseness among the live-stock that afternoon—not a peacock refreshed my sight, not a chicken could I spy, not even a grasshopper beamed upon my eagerly strained vision; and evidently regarding me as the cause, the child screamed furiously, and struggled to escape from my hold. Oh, how my poor arm did ache with tending that little termagant! I was hot and exhausted with my efforts to amuse her, the afternoon was now rapidly passing away, and as yet I had tasted none of my expected felicity. The child was screaming; I sat quite listless and passive in a large easy-chair, regarding my burden with a look of hopeless weariness, and wondered if this could possibly be the excellent baby who had only wanted an eye kept upon it. An eye, indeed! Eyes, arms, tongue, feet, breath, every thing had been spent in vain; and now, in a state of desperation, I resolved to be freed from my odious bondage, and flung wide open the door leading into the hall, that Mrs. Morfield might reap the full benefit of her child’s inexhaustible lungs. This manœuvre answered the expected end; my hostess soon made her appearance with a troubled look, and relieving me of the torment, she clasped it fondly in her arms, saying in a soothing voice: “Did they leave it, darling? No, they shouldn’t plague my baby, no they shouldn’t—mother’s own pet! Ah, oh, you naughty girl!” with a pretended slap, “I’ll teach you to plague my darling!” The young lady, having satisfied herself that I was undergoing proper correction for my misdemeanors, condescended to be pacified, and surveyed me with an aspect of great complacency. Quite wearied out with her superhuman exertions, she soon fell asleep; and having deposited her on the bed, Mrs. Morfield expressed her wonder at the child’s behavior. “It is quite surprising,” she continued, “she is generally so good and so little trouble—I begin to think, Ella, that you cannot be very well versed in the accomplishment of nursing.” I was quite provoked at this insinuation, after all the pains I had taken, and replied with some warmth, that good or bad, such a child was enough to provoke the patience of Job. “Oh, stop! stop!” said she pleasantly. “It is easy to see that you are cut out for an old maid.”