"You can't raise an insurrection when you know for certain it'll be put down the next moment," the boy added.
"Well," Josie drew a long breath and studied.
"I'd ask my father," said Hanny.
"And he'd say, 'Ask your mother; it's as she says.' Most everything is as mother says."
"Then I'd put my arms around his neck and coax. I'd tell him I wanted to be like other boys. They think it's queer——"
Hanny stopped, very red in the face.
"Oh, you needn't mind. I know they laugh at me and make fun of me. But mother's so nice and clean, only I wish she'd dress up as your mothers do, and take a walk sometimes and go to church. And she cooks such splendid things and makes puddings and pies, and she lets me sit and read when I'm done my lessons. I have all the Rollo books, and father has Sir Walter Scott, that he's letting me read now. It's only that mother thinks I'll get into bad things and meet bad boys and get my clothes soiled. Oh, sometimes I'm so tired of being nice! Only you wouldn't want me to come over here if I wasn't."
That was very true.
"But there are a great many nice boys. Ben's just lovely, only he is growing up so fast," said the little girl, with a sigh. "And though Jim teases, he is real good and jolly. He doesn't keep his hands clean, and mother scolds him a little for that."
They could not decide about the insurrection. Presently it was time for Charles to go home. He was always on the mark lest he should not be allowed the indulgence next time. The poor boy had been moulded into the straight line of duty.