Pure hearted little innocents! compared with older people whom we endure, how great thy faith and how few thy faults!  How superior thy love—­

A knock at the door interrupted me.  “Come in!” I shouted.

In stepped Mike, with an air of the greatest secrecy, handed me a letter and the identical box in which I had sent the flowers to Miss Mayton.  What could it mean?  I hastily opened the envelope, and at the same time Toddie shrieked:—­

“Oh, darsh my dolly’s k’adle—­dare ’tish!” snatched and opened the box, and displayed—­his doll!  My heart sickened, and did not regain its strength during the perusal of the following note:—­

“Miss Mayton herewith returns to Mr. Burton the package which just arrived, with his card.  She recognizes the contents as a portion of the apparent property of one of Burton’s nephews, but is unable to understand why it should have been sent to her.  “June 20, 1875.”

“Toddie,” I roared, as my younger nephew caressed his loathsome doll, and murmured endearing words to it, “where did you get that box?”

“On the hat-wack,” replied the youth, with perfect fearlessness; “I keeps it in ze book-case djawer, an’ somebody took it ‘way an’ put nasty ole flowers in it.”

“Where are those flowers?” I demanded.

Toddie looked up with considerable surprise but promptly replied:—­

“I froed ’em away—­don’t want no ole flowers in my dolly’s k’adle.  That’s ze way she wocks—­see!” And this horrible little destroyer of human hopes rolled that box back and forth with the most utter unconcern, as he spoke endearing words to the substitute for my beautiful bouquet!

To say that I looked at Toddie reprovingly is to express my feelings in the most inadequate language, but of language in which to express my feelings to Toddie.  I could find absolutely none.  Within two or three short moments I had discovered how very anxious I really was to merit Miss Mayton’s regard, and how very different was the regard I wanted from that which I had previously hoped might be accorded me.  It seemed too ridiculous to be true that I, who had for years had dozens of charming lady acquaintances, and yet had always maintained my common sense and self-control; I, who had always considered it unmanly for a man to specially interest himself in any lady until he had an income of five thousand a year; I who had skilfully, and many times, argued, that life-attachments, or attempts thereat, which were made without a careful preliminary study of the mental characteristics of the partner desired, was the most unpardonable folly,—­I had transgressed every one of my own rules, and, as if to mock me for any pretended wisdom and care, my weakness was made known to me by a three-year-old marplot and a hideous rag-doll!

That merciful and ennobling dispensation by which Providence enables us to temper the severity of our own sufferings by alleviating those of others, came soon to my rescue.  Under my stern glance Toddie gradually lost interest in his doll and its cradle, and began to thrust forth and outward his piteous lower lip and to weep copiously.