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and, while Hector endeavoured to justify himself, by exclaiming" He eat my cake!-how dare he eat my favourite cake?"—his papa carried him forcibly out of the room, and locking him up in a closet, put the key into his pocket, determined, when the violence of the child's temper was abated, to shew him how wickedly he bad acted; and, in the meantime, to deliberate upon the best means of punishing his offence, and checking so selfish a disposition, which, of all others, causes us to be most hated by our fellow-creatures, and leaves us in the evening of life without friends. When Nurse heard of her darling's disgrace, instead of leaving him, as she ought to have done, to his papa's management, she went to the window of the closet, told him not to cry, gave him a piece of cake, and said there was great comfort for him in knowing that the little dog, which had caused him all this trouble, was so much hurt that it was obliged to have the doctor. Now, can you imagine anything worse than her conduct, or more likely to confirm a selfish and self-willed child in what was wrong? and yet, I am happy to say, that the idea of the dog suffering so much, made the little boy cry. When his papa, in a couple of hours, taking him into his dressingroom, told him of the sinfulness of indulging in such violence and selfishness, and of its results, Hector listened at first sullenly, but, by degrees, when he understood what his papa meant, and when his mind, which was naturally clear, while his disposition (when not under the influence of temper) was kind,—was brought to see and feel, he threw his arms round his neck, and exclaimed-" Papa, papa, no one ever told me this before."

These simple and natural words touched his father's heart,

for he felt that they were true. While Hector's body had been pampered, while he had been nursed in every species of self-indulgence, his mind had been weakened by the want of the wholesomest of all exercises-self-restraint; and at an age when boys ought to be able to practice forbearance, and enjoy the luxury of sharing what they have with those around them, the poor little fellow had only taken his first lesson in this most endearing of all qualities.

"May I kiss and make friends with the dog, papa," he said, "and buy it a gold collar?"

"My dear," answered his papa, "the dog is of so generous a nature that he will readily forgive you. I am sure he would even lick the hand that dealt him so bitter a blow; but the collar of gold would be a poor recompense for the bruises he has received. Kindness and forbearance, Hector, are of more real value than gold, as you will find when you are as old as your father.”

Mr. Howard spoke seriously to his wife of the growing faults in Hector's character, which he attributed to the evil management of the nurse. Mrs. Howard, ill and weak as she continued to be, summoned the woman, who pleaded her love for "the beautiful, dear young gentleman" in extenuation of her indulgence, and promised to do her best to "go against him," if she could. Mr. Howard saw that she was too weakminded and indulgent to understand her duty, and resolved to do something at once, but was unfortunately called away from home before anything was accomplished.

Hector, like all boys, was fond of horses, and it is very natural and right to be fond of so fine and noble an animal; but it does not follow that, because young gentlemen like

horses, they are also to like the society of grooms; yet, I am sorry to say, Hector was almost as fond of the grooms as he was of the horses. When attended in his rides, the groom was sure to say how glad he would be if his papa kept hounds; that when he came to be a man he hoped he would do so; that he ought, for as he was an ONLY son, he would have the finest fortune in the county; it was so lucky for him that he was "Number One," all alone, not plagued like young Master Lycet with seven brothers and sisters,— having the name of eldest son, and yet getting so little by it; it was a fine thing, he said, to continue "Number One," a fine thing for any young gentleman, who could then do as he liked, and be his own master. But it was not only nurses and grooms who said wrong and foolish things in the boy's hearing; finely dressed but silly ladies, when they smoothed his ringlets and kissed him, said he "was a pretty boy, and between his beauty and his fortune would be sure to be a great favourite ;" and even sober gentlemen spoke in the child's hearing of "the careful manner in which Mr. Howard lived, and which must secure his son an immense fortune hereafter."

Master Nicholas Lycet, the young gentleman of whom the groom had spoken, came to see him one day. He was three

or four

years

older than "Number One."

"Master Howard,"

said Nick, "you are often very lonely, I suppose?"

"No," said Hector, "not very."

"Well I should think you were. What do you do when

you want some one to play with you?"

"Oh! why I play by myself, at ball, and the servants pick it up, and then I throw it again."

"And then they pick it up again, I suppose?" said Master Lycet, laughing.

"To be sure they do," replied Master Howard, seriously.

"But that is not what I call play," observed Nicholas; "I like a game of ball with my two brothers, while my sisters. and the little ones look on, and shout, and enjoy it as much as ourselves."

"But does not that disturb you?"

"No. The very little ones sometimes run under our feet, but that only makes us all laugh the more; and sometimes we take our kites to the hill, and see whose will fly highest; and we are learning cricket; and we race our little Shetland ponies sometimes, only not too long, because we must not fatigue them; and we go nutting in the wood; and on wet days we dance and fence, and play small plays together."

"But," said Hector, "do not the young ones want your pony to ride, and your toys and things?"

"To be sure they do," replied Nicholas.

"And what do you do?"

"Let them have them; it is such a pleasant thing to make them happy."

Hector was very much puzzled to know how it was, that giving his toys to others to play with could make him happy; and while he was thinking it over, he took Nicholas to his play-room, and shewed him toys enough to set up a toy-shop, amongst which was the largest rocking-horse ever made in England."

"I will shew you how beautifully it goes," said Hector, springing on its back.

"Capital!" exclaimed his companion; "now let me try."

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