"Run down into the garden, now, my darlings, and find your cousins." The little ones darted away like gold-fish, and in a few minutes had renewed their acquaintance with each other. "Don't you think it would be a good plan, mamma," asked Belle, "to let the boys run wild for a week before sending them to school? They are racing in the garden like young colts. Dear me! What is that?" '_That_' was the sound of four noisy feet rushing up the stairs, with such a racket as had never been heard in that house. Both babies woke up in a twinkling, and began to cry. "Now I shall make short work with that sort of thing," said Belle, as soon as she had quieted them. "The boys may make as much noise out of doors as they choose; but such rushing, and tearing, and stamping will never do within." "Of course not. It does not add to their happiness or comfort to be boisterous like that, one iota; and it destroys the peace of the whole household." Here came an Indian war-whoop, and bang, bang, bang down-stairs, with a door slammed tremendously as a _finale_. "Well, I don't wonder Lily's nerves gave out," said Belle, "if that's the way she lets the boys tear up and down. Why, our boys never went on like that." "No; I would not allow it. If boys are to become gentlemen, they must begin in the nursery. I have been astonished at the uproar most of them are allowed to make. One of the first things to teach Frank and Cil, is, that they are to form the habit of regarding the comfort of the household." "I must go down, now, and see about tea," said Belle. "Poor Frank, how he will miss his boys!" Shortly after the tea-bell rang, and the three young Greys, their hair flying, their hands soiled, their feet covered with mud, rushed in, hungry and eager. "I want to sit next to grandma," said Gabrielle. "No, I am going to sit next her," said Frank. "Neither of you will sit next me with such hands and faces," said Mrs. Grey. "I thought I convinced you of that before you left home." The children looked a little crestfallen, and beat a hasty retreat to their rooms, where they made themselves presentable as fast as they could. After tea they were going to rush out again, but Belle detained them. "I want to tell you something funny before you go out," she said. "Some years ago--ten, perhaps--I went to visit an institution for the deaf and dumb, and enjoyed everything I saw. But when school was dismissed, and the boys came running down-stairs, I did not know but I should become deaf myself, they made such a noise. I did not know, before, that one set of fellows made more noise than others; but it seems they do, because they have no idea of sound. Now, you two young men are not deaf, and if you choose to listen to yourselves, you will hear what needless racket you make." The boys looked in her smiling, kindly, but determined face, and saw they had no help for it but to give in.