"Nurse said she wished she had been there," said Maggie, "and she would have told Mrs. Stone—"
"Never mind that," said Tom; "there were quite enough in the quarrel without nurse. Now, Maggie, would it not have been far better if you had taken Bessie quietly away when Mamie hurt her?"
"No," said Maggie, "because then she wouldn't have been slapped, and she ought to be."
"Well, I think with you that Mamie was a very naughty girl, and deserved to be punished; but then it was not your place to do it."
"But her mother would not do it," said Maggie; "she is a weak, foolish woman, and is ruining that child."
The boys laughed, when Maggie said this with such a grand air.
"Who did you hear say that?" asked Harry.
"Papa," said Maggie,—"so it's true. I guess he didn't mean me to hear it, but I did."
"Oh, you little pitcher!" cried Harry; and Tom said, "Maggie dear, things may be quite right for your father to say, that would not be proper for us; because Mrs. Stone is a great deal older than we are; but since we all know that she does not take much pains to make Mamie a good and pleasant child, do you not think that this ought to make us more patient with her when she is fretful and quarrelsome?"
"No," said Maggie; "if her mother don't make her behave, some one else ought to. I will hurt her if she hurts Bessie."