Oscar / The Boy Who Had His Own Way

shadows thoughtlessly cast over it by the children. Age had somewhat impaired her sense of hearing, but yet she always wanted to understand everything that was said in her presence. O

eally believe she thinks we are talking about her all the time. I can't open my mout

you would be ashamed to speak so of your poor old grandmother

her need be so curious about every little thing that's sai

e," said Alice; "perhaps she would like to ha

a. A day or two after this, as several of the children were talking among themselves, the attention of the old lady was arrested. She could not hear di

that you care about, g

ou to answer questions, Ella?" inquire

l tell mother how impudently she spoke to you. A boy has given a little dog

've noticed that you always want to hear what everybody says, even w

dmother, very meekly; "after I have taken a few more

er. She apologized for Ella, as well as she could, by saying that she was naturally forward and impulsive. At noon, when the children returned from school, she called Ella into a room by herself, and talked with her about her conduct. At first, Ella tried to justify herself; but aft

around her. But this was one of the infirmities of old age which were slowly stealing upon her,

om that day, she treated her grandmother with marked kindness and respect; and h

tchen, and commenced popping it by Bridget's fire. There was no person in the kitchen but himself, and putting a handfull of corn in the wire popper, it soon began to snap and jump about, the hard, yellow kernels bursting forth into light and beautiful milk-white balls. But by-and-b

Give me some, Georgie,

too," a

," said George; "I p

but no matter, Ralph and I will pop s

gathered the last of his popped corn into his pocket, badly burning his finger

supposed it might be, but in vain. Their mother had gone to bed with a sick headache, or they would have ascertained whe

aid Ella, "you are the me

ter with George?" inq

d Ella; "and he won't give us a kernel of it, nor tell us

ad; I would tell them where the corn is, for

ve called me mean and stingy, and n

stingy till you refused to tel

get another kernel of it," said Ralph, ad

d keep it all to himself, I 'll send down some more for the rest of you, when I go home. But I guess Georgie does n't mean to be sel

d attack, now retreated to bed, leaving his grand

fishness. Mother says he 'll outgrow it by-and-bye, but I don't see as there is

been humored too muc

r crying and fretting were very bad for him. So he had his own way in everything, and if we children had anything he wanted, we had to give it to him, and let him break it to pi

e was very young and sick," observed Mrs. Lee; "but he is old enough a

Alice, "but they have not succeeded very well yet. They hav

his selfishness by not letting him have any more of it. The corn was accordingly divided among the othe

some difficulty in obtaining the consent of his mother to bring it home. She thought it would be troublesome, and tried to dissuade him from takin

ly. Quite a grave discussion at once ensued, as to what the name of the new-comer should be. Each of the children had a favorite name to propose

n: Tiger's C

anything that would allow him to take that liberty. He would amuse himself for hours with an old shoe or rag that he had found in the street, and it seemed as if he never would get tired of shaking, and tearing, and biting it. This disposition sometimes led him into mischief, in the house; but he was always so happy, so good-natured and so affectionate, that it was difficult to blame him very hard for his misconduc

ther members of the family, too, seemed to enjoy the sport he made; and it was easy to see that even old Mrs. Lee, though she pretended

sness, Oscar thought he would play a joke upon the old lady; so, on rising from the dinner-table, he carried Tiger up to her bed-room, and shut him in. He wanted to conceal himsel

d for a football by a parcel of boys. She entered the room, and found a dress upon the floor, with numerous marks of rough handling upon it; while towels and other articles were scattered about in confusion. The cloth upon the dressing-table had been pulled off, and the articles that were kept upon it were lying upon the floor, including a handsome vase, which, in the fall, had been shattered to pieces. There was in

e; and she was confirmed in this belief by Bridget, who remembered that the dog came down into the kitchen, just after Mrs. Lee went up. But they could not tell how the little rogue got

ne should know he had a hand in it, if he could prevent it. He regretted the destruction of property, but this feeling did not cause him so much uneasiness as his fear of losing his dog in consequence of this bad afternoon's work. His mother, as soon as sh

that it was difficult to believe he was deceiving you. His falsehoods, in this instance, were readily believed; and as all the other children denied h

h a mischievous animal about the house another day. A day or two after, Mrs. Preston replaced the articles belonging to her mother that had been injured, and the excitement abo

ame into the kitchen with Tiger, "I thought your father

ad when he said that, but he 's got over it now.

Bridget, who was never backward about putting in a word, w

et,-nobody spoke to

won't git out in a hurry, afore ye 're many years older, it 'll be b

. But, Oscar," she added, "I 'm sorry you don't pay more attention to what your father says. It's a bad habit to get

isobedient, do you, gran

replied, "if your father tells you to d

e Tige away-I don't believe he 's t

sk his consent to keep the dog. If he did n't mean what he

his father's formal consent, he thought it was useless to ask any such favor. As long as he could keep his dog, i

the railroad dep?t; and after a few kisses, and words of affectionate advice, and lingering good-byes, she departed on her homeward journey. Of those she