The physician kindly procured a carriage, and saw Charlie comfortably placed therein; and held in the arms of Kinch, with the lamenting and disheartened Caddy on the opposite seat, he was slowly driven home.  The house was quite thrown into confusion by their arrival under such circumstances; Mrs. Ellis, for a wonder, did not faint, but proceeded at once to do what was necessary.  Mr. Ellis was sent for, and he immediately despatched Kinch for Dr. Burdett, their family physician, who came without a moment’s delay.  He examined Charlie’s arm, and at first thought it would be necessary to amputate it.  At the mere mention of the word amputate, Caddy set up such a series of lamentable howls as to cause her immediate ejectment from the apartment.  Dr. Burdett called in Dr. Diggs for a consultation, and between them it was decided that an attempt should be made to save the injured member.  “Now, Charlie,” said Dr. Burdett, “I’m afraid we must hurt you, my boy—­but if you have any desire to keep this arm you must try to bear it.”

“I’ll bear anything to save my arm, doctor; I can’t spare that,” said he, manfully.  “I’ll want it by-and-by to help take care of mother and the girls.”

“You’re a brave little fellow,” said Dr. Diggs, patting him on the head, “so then we’ll go at it at once.”

“Stop,” cried Charlie, “let mother put her arm round my neck so, and Es, you hold the good hand.  Now then, I’m all right—­fire away!” and clenching his lips hard, he waited for the doctor to commence the operation of setting his arm.  Charlie’s mother tried to look as stoical as possible, but the corners of her mouth would twitch, and there was a nervous trembling of her under-lip; but she commanded herself, and only when Charlie gave a slight groan of pain, stooped and kissed his forehead; and when she raised her head again, there was a tear resting on the face of her son that was not his own.  Esther was the picture of despair, and she wept bitterly for the misfortune which had befallen her pet brother; and when the operation was over, refused to answer poor Caddy’s questions respecting Charlie’s injuries, and scolded her with a warmth and volubility that was quite surprising to them all.

“You must not be too hard on Caddy,” remarked Mr. Ellis.  “She feels bad enough, I’ll warrant you.  It is a lesson that will not, I trust, be thrown away upon her; it will teach her to command her temper in future.”

Caddy was in truth quite crushed by the misfortune she had occasioned, and fell into such a state of depression and apathy as to be scarcely heard about the house; indeed, so subdued was she, that Kinch went in and out without wiping his feet, and tracked the mud all over the stair-carpet, and yet she uttered no word of remonstrance.