clear off half the troubles of the day, and at its conclusion a smile
was visible on every face.

Aunt Judy then proceeded:-

"I do not want to make you cry too much, but I will tell you of the
miseries the captive victims underwent in the course of one single
day, and then you will be able to judge for yourselves what a life
they led together.

"One of their heaviest miseries happened every evening. It was the
misery of GOING TO BED. Perhaps now you may think it sounds odd that
going to bed should be called a misery. But you shall hear how it
was.

"In the evening, when all the doors were safely locked and bolted, so
that no one could get away, the little Victims were summoned down-
stairs, and brought into a room where some of the keepers were sure
to be sitting in the greatest luxury. There was generally a warm
fire on the hearth, and a beautiful lamp on the table, which shed an
agreeable light around, and made everything look so pretty and gay,
the hearts of the poor innocent Victims always rose at the sight.

"Sometimes there would be a huge visitor or two present, who would
now and then take the Victims on their knees, and say all manner of
entertaining things to them. Or there would be nice games for them
to play at. Or the keepers themselves would kiss them, and call them
kind names, as if they really loved them. How nice all this sounds,
does it not? And it would have been nice, if the keepers would but
have let it last for ever. But that was just the one thing they