Blushing with mortification, as I noticed the tittering of the school-girls, called forth by the loud tone and strange figure of the old nurse, who had rushed into the room in her usual attire of short-gown and petticoat, I came hastily forward, and was immediately seized by Mammy, who exclaimed in surprise:  “Why, I though you said you were going to have that thing on your head!  I was determined that no child of mine should wear it, so I came after you to take it off.”

Mammy was one of the most independent persons I ever saw; she cared for no one’s frown, and poured forth the whole love of her warm Irish heart upon us—­tormenting and troublesome as we were.  Sometimes she sung to us of “Acushla machree” and “Mavourneen,” and Mammy’s Irish songs were especial favorites with the young fry of the nursery.  When we were particularly obstreperous, she threatened to go away and leave us, and never come back again; a threat which always produced copious showers of tears, and promises of better behavior.  Often have I watched her in dismay as she dressed herself to go out—­fearful that she would really put her threat in execution, especially as conscience whispered that I deserved it.  At such times, nothing pacified me except the deposit of her spectacles; when once the case was lodged in my possession, I felt sure of Mammy—­knowing that she could not stay long without them.  Sometimes she would tell us of her life in Ireland; but no act did she more bitterly deplore than her marriage; complaining that the object of her choice was far from what he appeared to be when she married him—­and further observing that as he turned out a very bad speculation, and never gave her anything but a thimble, she wisely left him to his own society, and emigrated to America.

Mammy very often kept the key of the fruit-garden; and as she never yielded it to our entreaties, the ever-ready Fred formed a conspiracy one Sunday afternoon, in which, I am sorry to say, I took a very conspicuous part—­the object of which was to purloin the key, and enjoy at last this long-coveted, forbidden pleasure.  Fred actually succeeded in abstracting it from Mammy’s capacious pocket, and in high glee we proceeded to the garden.  It was in the time of peaches; there hung the lucious fruit in such profusion, that the trees were almost borne down by its weight.  We ate till we could eat no longer; and then, happening to see two or three men passing along, we threw some over the fence to them.  They, in return, threw us some pennies; and, delighted with the success of our frolic, we continued to throw and receive, until startled by a most unwelcome apparition.  There, at the foot of the tree, stood Mammy—­her face expressing the utmost astonishment and indignation, and her hands extended to seize us.  She had watched our manoeuvres from one of the windows, and astonishment at our boldness and ingenuity kept her for sometime a silent spectator.  But Mammy was not apt to be silent long while witnessing our misdeeds; and in an incredible short space of time she gained the use of both her feet and her tongue.  Our companions caught a glimpse of flying drapery rapidly advancing, and rather suddenly made their retreat; while we, now trembling, detected culprits, took up a line of march for the house.