“Only teasing Jack a bit.  Don’t be mad, old boy, Joe didn’t mean any harm, and it was rather soft, now wasn’t it?” asked Frank, trying to appease the wounded feelings of his brother.

“I charged you not to worry him.  Those boys were too much for the poor dear, and I ought not to have left him,” said Mamma, as she vainly endeavored to find and caress the yellow head burrowed so far out of sight that nothing but one red ear was visible.

“He liked it, and we got on capitally till Joe roughed him about Jill.  Ah, Joe’s getting it now!  I thought Gus and Ed would do that little job for me,” added Frank, running to the window as the sound of stifled cries and laughter reached him.

The red ear heard also, and Jack popped up his head to ask, with interest,—­

“What are they doing to him?”

“Rolling him in the snow, and he’s howling like fun.”

“Serves him right,” muttered Jack, with a frown.  Then, as a wail arose suggestive of an unpleasant mixture of snow in the mouth and thumps on the back, he burst out laughing, and said, good-naturedly, “Go and stop them, Frank; I won’t mind, only tell him it was a mean trick.  Hurry!  Gus is so strong he doesn’t know how his pounding hurts.”

Off ran Frank, and Jack told his wrongs to his mother.  She sympathized heartily, and saw no harm in the affectionate little note, which would please Jill, and help her to bear her trials patiently.

“It isn’t silly to be fond of her, is it?  She is so nice and funny, and tries to be good, and likes me, and I won’t be ashamed of my friends, if folks do laugh,” protested Jack, with a rap of his teaspoon.

“No, dear, it is quite kind and proper, and I’d rather have you play with a merry little girl than with rough boys till you are big enough to hold your own,” answered Mamma, putting the cup to his lips that the reclining lad might take his broma without spilling.

“Pooh!  I don’t mean that; I’m strong enough now to take care of myself,” cried Jack, stoutly.  “I can thrash Joe any day, if I like.  Just look at my arm; there’s muscle for you!” and up went a sleeve, to the great danger of overturning the tray, as the boy proudly displayed his biceps and expanded his chest, both of which were very fine for a lad of his years.  “If I’d been on my legs, he wouldn’t have dared to insult me, and it was cowardly to hit a fellow when he was down.”

Mrs. Minot wanted to laugh at Jack’s indignation, but the bell rang, and she had to go and pull in the basket, much amused at the new game.

Burning to distinguish herself in the eyes of the big boys, Jill had sent over a tall, red flannel night-cap, which she had been making for some proposed Christmas plays, and added the following verse, for she was considered a gifted rhymester at the game parties:—­

  “When it comes night,
  We put out the light. 
  Some blow with a puff,
  Some turn down and snuff;
  But neat folks prefer
  A nice extinguis_her_. 
  So here I send you back
  One to put on Mr. Jack.”