of Kinch to entertain him.  That young gentleman quite distinguished himself by the variety and extent of his resources.  He devised butting matches between himself and a large gourd, which he suspended from the ceiling, and almost blinded himself by his attempts to butt it sufficiently hard to cause it to rebound to the utmost length of the string, and might have made an idiot of himself for ever by his exertions, but for the timely interference of Mr. Ellis, who put a final stop to this diversion.  Then he dressed himself in a short gown and nightcap, and made the pillow into a baby, and played the nurse with it to such perfection, that Charlie felt obliged to applaud by knocking with the knuckles of his best hand upon the head-board of his bedstead.  On the whole, he was so overjoyed as to be led to commit all manner of eccentricities, and conducted himself generally in such a ridiculous manner, that Charlie laughed himself into a state of prostration, and Kinch was, in consequence, banished from the sick-room, to be re-admitted only on giving his promise to abstain from being as funny as he could any more.  After the lapse of a short time Charlie was permitted to sit up, and held regular levees of his schoolmates and little friends.  He declared it was quite a luxury to have a broken arm, as it was a source of so much amusement.  The old ladies brought him jellies and blanc-mange, and he was petted and caressed to such an unparalleled extent, as to cause his delighted mother to aver that she lived in great fear of his being spoiled beyond remedy.  At length he was permitted to come downstairs and sit by the window for a few hours each day.  Whilst thus amusing himself one morning, a handsome carriage stopped before their house, and from it descended a fat and benevolent-looking old lady, who knocked at the door and rattled the latch as if she had been in the daily habit of visiting there, and felt quite sure of a hearty welcome.  She was let in by Esther, and, on sitting down, asked if Mrs. Ellis was at home.  Whilst Esther was gone to summon her mother, the lady looked round the room, and espying Charlie, said, “Oh, there you are—­I’m glad to see you; I hope you are improving.”

“Yes, ma’am,” politely replied Charlie, wondering all the time who their visitor could be.

“You don’t seem to remember me—­you ought to do so; children seldom forget any one who makes them a pleasant promise.”

As she spoke, a glimmer of recollection shot across Charlie’s mind, and he exclaimed, “You are the lady who came to visit the school.”

“Yes; and I promised you a book for your aptness, and,” continued she, taking from her reticule a splendidly-bound copy of “Robinson Crusoe,” “here it is.”

Mrs. Ellis, as soon as she was informed that a stranger lady was below, left Caddy to superintend alone the whitewashing of Charlie’s sick-room, and having hastily donned another gown and a more tasty cap, descended to see who the visitor could be.