Good little boys should never say
“I will,” and “give me these!”
Oh no—that never is the way,
But “Madam, if you please.”
And “If you please,” to sister Anne,
Good boys to say are ready;
And “Yes, Sir,” to a gentleman,
And “Yes, Ma’am,” to a lady.
Those were the days of strict upbringing and formal manners. If a little child wouldn’t dress quickly, she was left in her night-gown all day; or if two little girls quarrelled over two new dolls that they loved intensely, their mothers would send these two new dolls back at once to the shop from which they were bought; and no matter how many tears, no forgiveness.
Well, as one result of all this strict surveillance Charlotte and Henry developed a passion for being alone. The words “to escape” were to them words of magical import, and they would sometimes lean out of their little beds towards each other whispering long plans. It began something like this: