be made to suffer through any such mistaken selfishness of hers.

And though, after a while, the importance of this episode shrank
to its true proportions, she never forgot or broke this promise.
It would have been literally impossible for her to touch Billy,
even when he was naughtiest and most exasperating, with other
than infinite love, but she had an even firmness of her own. As
sensitive as herself, adoring her to the point of worship, he was
easily punished by her displeasure or five minutes of enforced
quiet on a chair. The note of dread in her voice as she pleaded:
"Hush, oh, hush, Billy, be good; quick, darling, papa's coming,"
was always effective. By ceaseless vigilance and indefatigable
patience, she evaded further open rupture until the boy was three
years old.

His shrieks had brought both his father and herself flying to the
hog barn to find him dancing up and down as, frightened and
aghast, he vainly attempted to beat off old Dorcas, a mammoth
sow, from one of her day-old litter on which, having crushed it
by accident, she was now quite deliberately feasting.

"God Almighty!" stormed Martin, hastily putting the little pigs
back into the next pen. "Who let them in to her? That's her old
trick."

"I opened the door," confessed Billy, troubled, frank eyes
looking straight into his father's. "They were hungry; that one
wanted her most." And, at the thought of the tragedy he had
witnessed, he flung himself heartbroken into his mother's
comforting arms.