At the supper-table Budge and Toddie appeared cleanly clothed in their rightful faces.  Budge seated himself at the table; Toddie pushed back his high-chair, climbed into it, and shouted: 

“Put my legs under ze tabo.”

Rightfully construing this remark as a request to be moved to the table, I fulfilled his desire.  The girl poured tea for me and milk for the children, and retired; and then I remembered, to my dismay, that Helen never had a servant in the dining-room except upon grand occasions, her idea being that servants retail to their friends the cream of the private conversation of the family circle.  In principle I agreed with her, but the penalty of the practical application, with these two little cormorants on my hands, was greater suffering than any I had ever been called upon to endure for principle’s sake; but there was no help for it.  I resignedly rapped on the table, bowed my head, said, “From what we are about to receive, the Lord make us thankful,” and asked Budge whether he ate bread or biscuit.

“Why, we ain’t asked no blessin’ yet,” said he.

“Yes, I did, Budge,” said I.  “Didn’t you hear me?”

“Do you mean what you said just now?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I don’t think that was no blessin’ at all.  Papa never says that kind of a blessin’.”

“What does papa say, may I ask?” I inquired, with becoming meekness.

“Why, papa says, ’Our Father, we thank thee for this food; mercifully remember with us all the hungry and needy to-day, for Christ’s sake, Amen.’  That’s what he says.”

“It means the same thing, Budge.”

“I don’t think it does; and Toddie didn’t have no time to say his blessin’.  I don’t think the Lord’ll like it if you do it that way.”

“Yes, he will, old boy; he knows what people mean.”

“Well, how can he tell what Toddie means if Toddie can’t say anything?”

“Wantsh to shay my blessin’,” whined Toddie.

It was enough; my single encounter with Toddie had taught me to respect the young gentleman’s force of character.  So again I bowed my head, and repeated what Budge had reported as “papa’s blessin’,” Budge kindly prompting me where my memory failed.  The moment I began, Toddie commenced to jabber rapidly and aloud, and the instant the “Amen” was pronounced he raised his head and remarked with evident satisfaction:—­

“I shed my blessin’ two timesh.”

And Budge said gravely:—­

“Now I guess we are all right.”

The supper was an exquisite one, but the appetites of those dreadful children effectually prevented my enjoying the repast.  I hastily retired, called the girl, and instructed, her to see that the children had enough to eat, and were put to bed immediately after; then I lit a cigar and strolled into the garden.  The roses were just in bloom, the air was full of the perfume of honeysuckles, the rhododendrons had