“George told him?” queried Clarence. “No, his father told George——” “Oh!” “Yes; told him that he must be careful with the hatchet——” “Who must be careful?” “George must.” “Oh!” “Yes; must be careful with the hatchet——” “What hatchet?” “Why, George’s.” “Oh!” “Yes; with the hatchet, and not cut himself with it, or drop it in the cistern, or leave it out in the grass all night. So George went round cutting everything he could reach with his hatchet. At last he came to a splendid apple tree, his father’s favourite, and cut it down and——” “Who cut it down?” “George did.” “Oh!” “——but his father came home and saw it the first thing, and——” “Saw the hatchet?” “No; saw the apple tree. And he said, ‘Who has cut down my favourite apple tree?’” “What apple tree?” “George’s father’s. And everybody said they didn’t know anything about it, and——” “Anything about what?” “The apple tree.” “Oh!” “——and George came up and heard them talking about it——” “Heard who talking about it?” “Heard his father and the men.” “What was they talking about?” “About this apple tree.” “What apple tree?” “The favourite apple tree that George cut down.” “George who?” “George Washington.” “Oh!” “So George came up and heard them talking about it, and he——” “What did he cut it down for?” “Just to try his little hatchet.” “Whose little hatchet?” “Why, his own; the one his father gave him.” “Gave who?” “Why, George Washington.” “Who gave it to him?” “His father did.” “Oh!” “So George came up and he said, ‘Father, I cannot tell a lie. I——’” “Who couldn’t tell a lie?” “Why, George Washington. He said, ‘Father, I cannot tell a lie. It was——’” “His father couldn’t?” “Why, no; George couldn’t.” “Oh, George? Oh yes.” “‘—it was I cut down your apple tree. I did——’” “His father did?” “No, no. It was George said this.” “Said he cut his father?” “No, no, no; said he cut down his apple tree.” “George’s apple tree?” “No, no; his father’s.” “Oh!” “He said——” “His father said?” “No, no, no; George said, ‘Father, I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet.’ And his father said, ‘Noble boy, I would rather lose a thousand trees than have you tell a lie.’” “George did?” “No; his father said that.” “Said he’d rather have a thousand apple trees?” “No, no, no; said he’d rather lose a thousand apple trees than——” “Said he’d rather George would?” “No; said he’d rather he would than have him lie.” “Oh, George would rather have his father lie?” We are patient, and we love children, but if Mrs. Caruthers, of Arch Street, hadn’t come and got her prodigy at this critical juncture, we don’t believe all Burlington could have pulled us out of that snarl. And as Clarence Fitzherbert Alencon de Marchemont Caruthers pattered down the stairs, we heard him telling his ma about a boy who had a father named George, and he told him to cut down an apple tree, and he said he’d rather tell a thousand lies than cut down one apple tree.