The fool of the family

by Bracebridge Hemyng

"Will you, indeed?"

"Vill I? I promise that you shan't want as long as I've got a shilling to whack up, if it's only to spite the old man," replied Bobsey.

All at once Mrs. Floyd's voice was heard calling:

"Fire! Fire!"

"Bless us and save us!" cried the cook.

"Vot's up now?" said Bobsey.

He ran upstairs to examine, and came back with the intelligence that the parlor was on fire.

"I think," he remarked, "that the cat coming from the fire must have caught a live coal and dropped it in the window curtain, for the front of the room's a-blazin' away like mad."

"Won't you help put it out?" said Tommy.

"Not I. Vy should I? The engine'll be here as soon as the peeler on the beat sees the flames, and I'm goin' out into the street to see the fun. Come on, Yankee."