ever manifested for Willie, although her untimely interference between
him and her mother oftentimes made matters worse. Thus, on the
occasion of which we have been speaking, Mrs. Hamilton had scarcely
left the room ere Lenora released Willie from his confinement, thereby
giving him the impression that his mother alone was to blame.
Fortunately, however, Margaret's judgment was better, and though she
felt justly indignant at the cruelty practised upon poor Carrie, she
could not uphold Willie in striking his mother. Calling him to her
room, she talked to him until he was wholly softened, and offered, of
his own accord, to go and say he was sorry, provided Maggie would
accompany him as far as the door of the sitting-room, where his mother
would probably be found. Accordingly, Mag descended the stairs with
him, and meeting Lenora in the hall, said, "Is she in the
sitting-room?"

"Is _she_ in the sitting-room?" repeated Lenora; "and pray who may
_she_ be?" then quick as thought she added, "Oh, yes, I know. She is
in there telling HE!"

Lenora was right in her conjecture, for Mrs. Hamilton, greatly enraged
at Willie's presumption in striking her, and still more provoked at
him for untying himself, as she supposed he had, was laying before her
husband quite an aggravated case of assault and battery.

In the midst of her argument Willie entered the room, with
tear-stained eyes, and without noticing the presence of his father,
went directly to his mother, and burying his face in her lap, sobbed
out, "Willie is sorry he struck you, and will never do so again, if
you will forgive him."