A Flat Iron for a Farthing

n. It was from her that we originally got Nurse Bundle; and anecdotes of her and of my cousins, and wonderfu

and Uncle Ascot

She was not exactly "meddling," but when she thought it her duty to interfere in a matter, no delicacy of scruples, and no nervousness baulked the directness of her proceedings. When she was most sweeping or unc

olitics in our establishment. She "took in" the Burtons with one glance. The ladies "fell out" the following evening. The Burtons left Dacrefield the ne

other's only and motherless child; but, after Miss Burton, hers was a fault on the right side

her children, and all our London sights will be new to him. I will take every

d. There are the Zoological Gardens, and Madame Tussaud's Waxwork Exhibition, and the Pantomime, and no one knows what beside

ly; and she turned once more to my father, u

gned joy that I h

will do him good. And I'll certainly

not like dogs; Uncle Ascott too said that "they were very rural and nice for the country, but that they didn't do in a town

oy," added my father; and with this pr

se, and it was proposed to pack my things with Nurse Bundle's in one of the larger cases. This was a disappointment to my dignity; and I ventured to hint that I "should like a trunk all to myself, like a grown-up gentleman," without, however, much hope that my wishes would be fulfil

Bundle observed, as we prepared to pack my trunk. "Then they takes a prid

he clothes I wished to take. As I examined my socks for signs of wear and tear, and then folded them by the ingenious process of grasping the he

to darn socks, because, you know, I might want to

eginald," said Nurse Bundle, "just you write straight off

mind you bring Rubens,

usoe adventures might befall me before I

ndon. Mr. and Mrs. Ascott had come down in thei

e carriage behind. Every particular of each new arrangement afforded me great am

t to look for Rubens. Ever since the day when it was first settled that I should go, the dear dog had kept close, very close at my heels. That depressed and aimless wandering about which always afflicts the dogs of the household when any of the family are going away from home was stro

omfort to his self-chosen resting-place. I called to him, but though he wagged his tail he seemed

et into the carriage,

don't you?" I said; and I went i

proceedings was finally made evident by his determined struggles to accompany us at the last; and it was not till he had been forcibly

sit behind in the rumble with my nurse. This favour was at length conceded, and after a long farewell from my father, gild

t six o'clock. In the first two villages through which we drove people seemed to be only just getting up and beginning the day's business. In one or two "genteel" houses the blinds were still down; in reference to which

. Do you hear, Nursey?" I added, for Mrs. Bundle feigned to be absorb

, my dear.

soothing-syrup which she kept to allay inconvenient c

scenery and confined my attention to a worsted workbag in which Nurse Bundle had a store of most acceptable buns. Halting shortly after this to water t

ate han

inder

sh an

ravel

" I inquired of the m

n there long enoug

inders none'

ack, and conside

way of nothing. It don't hind

for it doesn't reach across the road. If

er to Nurse Bundle, when he had taken back my

Nurse?" I inquired when we h

. Bundle, indignantly; and this fa

under an arch of the yew hedge to the more distant bowling-green. On one side of this arch an admirably-carved stone figure in broadcoat and ruffles played perpetually upon a stone fiddle to an equally spirited shepherdess in hoop and high heels, who was for ever posed in dancing posture upon her pedestal and never danced away. As I wandered round the garden whilst luncheon was being prepared, I was greatly taken with these figures, and wondered if i

of a seat inside the carriage with scorn, and Nurse and I clambered back to our perch. No easy matter for either of us, by

what interest I gazed at the little house by the roadside where Turpin was wont to lodge, and where, arriving late one night, he demanded beef-steak for supper in terms so peremptory that, there being none in the house, the old woman who acted as his housekeepe

told us all about it. And still I declined an inside place, and went back with Nurse Bundle to the rumble. Early rising and the long drive began to make me sleepy. The tame beauties of the valley

ciation of the great city, now that I had reached it. After a long weary dream of rattle and bustle, and dim lamps, and houses stretching upwards like Jack's beanstalk through the chilly and foggy darkness, the carriage stopped with one final jolt in a quiet and partia

ways sensible, an

and my evening hymn commuted in consideration of my fatigues for the beautiful verse, "I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest," etc.; and by the time that I sank luxuriously between the clean sheets, I was almost sufficiently restored to appreci

te jug in my room at home. Just conscious that I was not there, and that Rubens could not be here, the sound began to trouble me. At first I was too sleepy t

! something alighted on my bed, and, wildly impossible as it seemed, Rubens himself waggled up to my pillow, and began lic

Dacrefield, it was always supposed that he simply followed the carriage, and had the wit t

rusks which Aunt Maria had left by my bed

y self-gratulatory "grumphs," as after describing many mystic circles, and scraping up the fair Marseilles quilt on some plan of his own, he br