"Very well, then, my dear children; go, and success attend you. Do not forget our family motto." He stretched out both his arms in blessing, and solemnly pronounced the words "Tempus fugit."
Earth's daylight had fled, and all its inhabitants were soundly sleeping. Father Time's children trooped back into his room, and a more dejected multitude was never seen before. With very few exceptions, they were all pale and tired and forlorn. He looked at them for a moment, and then a sly twinkle crept into his eyes as he said:
"What is the matter, children? Haven't you enjoyed your day on the earth?"
They raised their heads to groan an emphatic "No," and wearily let them drop again.
"Why, you have envied me my daily trip there for ages"—they gave a sigh in unison—"and never would believe me when I said it had its drawbacks."
They looked too crushed to answer, but finally one of them said, "I don't believe the people of earth would have dared to treat you as they treated us."
Father Time leaned back in his chair and laughed aloud. "Let me hear what they have done to you," he said. "You begin," nodding to the child who sat nearest to him, an attenuated little creature with hollow cheeks. She raised her head, and began, in a feeble voice:
"I am so weak that I can hardly speak, for I have had the most dreadful day that can be imagined. I took my place by a nice-appearing little boy, whose mischievous look and dancing eyes attracted me to him at once. At first I got on very well; he seemed to take a fancy to me. But after a while he grew careless, dropped his books, yawned and stretched. Then he began to get into mischief, and did more naughty things in the course of an hour than I imagined could be done in a day; and so matters went on from bad to worse. I felt myself wasting away, but he never once thought of me, never gave me another bit of attention, and I thought I should not live to get home. Finally, when his mamma came in, and wanted to know what he had been doing, the naughty child threw all the blame of his neglected duties on me; said that I was a 'hateful Time to go so fast,' and called me a hundred other unjust names. I am so tired!—so tired!"
Father Time smiled pityingly, and stroked his poor child's head.