The main interest in “Oldtown Folks” is, however, in a little boy and girl, _Henry_ and _Eglantine Percival_, or _Harry_ and _Tina_ for short, who are left orphaned and are distributed among the homes in the Calvinistic and theological town. As _Sam Lawson_ said, they “‘was real putty children, as putty behaved as ever he see.’” _Harry Percival_ is a fine, manly little boy and _Tina_, his sister, is the little witch whose buoyancy and charm can never be crushed out of her even by a _Miss Asphyxia_. Ah, _Miss Asphyxia_! Every creature in her service--horse, cow and pig--knew at once the touch of _Miss Asphyxia_; and when it was she that said, “Get up!” the beast would make the wagon spin. Into her hands fell the hapless and whimsical _Tina_. _Miss Asphyxia_ was past fifty and her hair was well streaked with gray; but this would not matter only that when she did it up, she tied it in a very tight knot and fastened it with a horn comb; then she gave it a shake to see if it would certainly stay all day and went about her work. Her one idea in regard to the little fairy _Tina_ was to give her efficient discipline. She put a brown towel into her hands and said, “‘There, keep to work.’” And when _Tina’s_ fingers refused to bend to the unusual task, _Miss Asphyxia_ rapped her promptly on the head with the thimble, saying, “‘Keep to work.’” When _Tina_ began to cry _Miss Asphyxia_ displayed a long birch rod. At night when deluged with soapy water and rubbed with bony hands, _Tina_ was so suppressed that she could only breathe out long sighs and whisper “‘Oh, dear!’” But she was helpless in the hands of _Miss Asphyxia_. Having despoiled the bright little head of its curls by means of her great shears, she rubbed some camphor on vigorously to keep the child from taking cold; then, after dropping the golden curls on the fire, she opened the door into a small bedroom and, pointing, said to the child, “‘Now go to bed.’” _Tina_ crept in under the blue checked coverlet, thankful to be free of the dreadful woman. In a moment, however, her tormentor opened the door again. _Miss Asphyxia_ had forgotten something. “‘Can you say your prayers?’ she demanded. ‘Yes, ma’am,’ faltered the child. ‘Say ’em, then,’ said _Miss Asphyxia_; and bang went the door again. ‘There, now, if I h’ain’t done up my duty to that child, then I don’t know,’ said _Miss Asphyxia_.”