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WHEN Hector Howard was born, there was great joy among all the inmates of Howard Place,-his papa ordered an ox to be roasted whole on the village green, and the villagers, who were his tenants and servants, made a huge "bonfire" on the top of the hill; the bells rang merrily, and old and young danced and sung by the light of the moon. Mr. Howard was charmed that "Number One," as he called the infant, was a boy, and at his christening the festivities were renewed with still more boisterous manifestations of delight. Mrs. Howard, a kind, gentle woman, of course loved her little son, and thought that when his nurse pronounced him to be a perfect beauty (having papa's hair, mamma's eyes, and grandmamma's mouth), she hardly did him justice. Hector was certainly a very pretty baby, and, moreover, good tempered and cheerful; but mammas and nurses, by over fondness, sometimes spoil their little treasures, and a "Number One" is usually placed in a position of more than ordinary peril.

When Hector was eighteen months old, he was a very fine fellow indeed, strong, and would have been healthy, had

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not his nurse indulged him by giving him sweet cakes and sugarplums whenever he cried for them. This was unfortunate both for him and his nurse, as it disordered his stomach and rendered him so fretful and impatient, that he would whine by the hour, and, if asleep, instead of looking rosy and remaining quiet, he would toss his arms about, while his lips and hands were so hot and feverish, that, when his tender parents sent for the doctor, the doctor said he must have had improper food; and Nurse, very wickedly, did not tell him all she had given the baby. When persons do what is wrong, they are frequently so cowardly as to conceal it; whereas if they were to tell all the truth, the mischief might be remedied. In this case, if the doctor had known that the greedy baby had devoured two heart-cakes, a half-ripe pear, and a roll of pink and yellow sugarplums during his airing in the park, he could have relieved his sufferings much sooner than he did; and I must say, I think Nurse deserved to lose, as she did lose, several nights' rest in consequence.

When Hector grew older, from crying for cakes and sugarplums, he went on to cry for everything he wished for; and, if it were not immediately given him, would become violent. His dear mamma was in delicate health, and could not endure noise or agitation of any kind; if she had been well, I am sure she loved "Number One" too truly to have indulged him as his nurse did.

At five years old, having neither brother nor sister, he was still "Number One," and, unfortunately, constantly heard the nurse saying that, "Indeed Master Hector was an only child, and must not be contradicted, for his life was of great consequence to the family;" and the servants endured his

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