the house, when you are at home, without your making trouble with
Bridget or the children? I do wish you would try to behave yourself
properly. You are getting the ill-will of everybody in the house, by
your bad conduct. I really believe your brothers and sisters will
begin to hate you, before long, if you keep on in this way. For your
own sake, if for nothing more, I should think you would try to do
better. If I were in your place, I would try to keep on good terms
with my brothers and sisters, if I quarrelled with everybody else."

Oscar made no reply to this, and the subject was soon dropped. His
mother was too much accustomed to such complaints of his misconduct, to
think very seriously of them; and he was himself so used to such mild
rebukes as the foregoing, that they made little impression upon his
mind. The boys, who all slept in one chamber, soon retired for the
night; but Oscar took no further notice of the occurrences of the
evening, except to apply the nickname of "mammy's little tell-tale" to
George--a title of contempt by which he often addressed his little
brother.

I am afraid that the title of "tell-tale" was not wholly undeserved by
George. True, he often had just cause of complaint; but he was too
ready to bring whining accusations against his brothers and sisters,
for every trifling thing. He complained so much that his mother could
not always tell when censure was deserved. It had become a habit with
him, and a dozen times a day he would go to her, with the complaint
that Oscar had been plaguing him, or Ella had got something that
belonged to him, or Ralph would not do this or that.

George, who was the youngest of the children, was at this time seven
years old; Ralph was two years and half older, and Oscar, who was the