“Hear! hear!” cried Frank, in his deepest tone, for he heartily agreed to that, having talked the matter over with his mother, and received much light upon things which should always be set right in young heads and hearts.  And who can do this so wisely and well as mothers, if they only will?

Feeling that his sentiments had been approved, and he need not be ashamed of the honest color in his cheeks, Ed sat down amid the applause of his side, especially of Jack, who pounded so vigorously with his crutch that Mrs. Pecq popped in her head to see if anything was wanted.

“No, thank you, ma’am, we were only cheering Ed,” said Gus, now upon his legs, and rather at a loss what to say till Mrs. Pecq’s appearance suggested an idea, and he seized upon it.

“My honored friend has spoken so well that I have little to add.  I agree with him, and if you want an example of what girls can do, why, look at Jill.  She’s young, I know, but a first-rate scholar for her age.  As for pluck, she is as brave as a boy, and almost as smart at running, rowing, and so on.  Of course, she can’t play ball—­no girl can; their arms are not made right to throw—­but she can catch remarkably well.  I’ll say that for her.  Now, if she and Mabel—­and—­ and—­some others I could name, are so clever and strong at the beginning, I don’t see why they shouldn’t keep up and go along with us all through.  I’m willing, and will do what I can to help other fellows’ sisters as I’d like to have them help mine.  And I’ll punch their heads if they don’t;” and Gus subsided, assured, by a burst of applause, that his manly way of stating the case met with general approval.

“We shall be happy to hear from our senior member if he will honor us with a few remarks,” said Frank, with a bow to Ralph.

No one ever knew whom he would choose to personate, for he never spoke in his own character.  Now he rose slowly, put one hand in his bosom, and fixing his eye sternly on Grif, who was doing something suspicious with a pin, gave them a touch of Sergeant Buzfuz, from the Pickwick trial, thinking that the debate was not likely to throw much light on the subject under discussion.  In the midst of this appeal to “Me lud and gentlemen of the jury,” he suddenly paused, smoothed his hair down upon his forehead, rolled up his eyes, and folding his hands, droned out Mr. Chadband’s sermon on Peace, delivered over poor Jo, and ending with the famous lines:—­

  “Oh, running stream of sparkling joy,
  To be a glorious human boy!”

Then, setting his hair erect with one comprehensive sweep, he caught up his coat-skirts over his arm, and, assuming a parliamentary attitude, burst into a comical medley, composed of extracts from Jefferson Brick’s and Lafayette Kettle’s speeches, and Elijah Pogram’s Defiance, from “Martin Chuzzlewit.”  Gazing at Gus, who was convulsed with suppressed merriment, he thundered forth:—­