I charged you not to worry him

　　"I charged you not to worry him. Those boys were too much for thepoor dear, and I ought not to have left him," said Mamma, as shevainly endeavored to find and caress the yellow head burrowed sofar out of sight that nothing but one red ear was visible.
　　"He liked it, and we got on capitally till Joe roughed him aboutJill. Ah, Joe's getting it now! I thought Gus and Ed would do thatlittle job for me,UGG Clerance," added Frank, running to the window as the soundof stifled cries and laughter reached him.
　　The red ear heard also, and Jack popped up his head to ask, withinterest,'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 wailarose suggestive of an unpleasant mixture of snow in the mouthand thumps on the back, he burst out laughing, and said,good-naturedly, "Go and stop them,LINK, Frank; I won't mind, only tellhim it was a mean trick. Hurry! Gus is so strong he doesn't knowhow his pounding hurts."Off ran Frank, and Jack told his wrongs to his mother. Shesympathized heartily, and saw no harm in the affectionate littlenote, which would please Jill, and help her to bear her trialspatiently.
　　"It isn't silly to be fond of her, is it? She is so nice and funny, andtries to be good, and likes me, and I won't be ashamed of myfriends, if folks do laugh," protested Jack, with a rap of histeaspoon.
　　"No, dear, it is quite kind and proper, and I'd rather have you playwith a merry little girl than with rough boys till you are big enoughto hold your own," answered Mamma,knockoff handbags, putting the cup to his lipsthat the reclining lad might take his broma without spilling.
　　"Pooh! I don't mean that; I'm strong enough now to take care ofmyself," cried Jack, stoutly. "I can thrash Joe any day, if I like. Justlook at my arm; there's muscle for you!" and up went a sleeve, tothe great danger of overturning the tray, as the boy proudlydisplayed his biceps and expanded his chest, both of which werevery fine for a lad of his years. "If I'd been on my legs, hewouldn't have dared to insult me, and it was cowardly to hit afellow 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 newgame.
　　Burning to distinguish herself in the eyes of the big boys, Jill hadsent over a tall, red flannel night-cap, which she had been makingfor 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 preferA nice extinguisher.
　　So here I send you backOne to put on Mr. Jack.""Now, I call that regularly smart; not one of us could do it, and Ijust wish Joe was here to see it. I want to send once more,something good for tea; she hates gruel so"; and the last despatchwhich the Great International Telegraph carried that day was abaked apple and a warm muffin, with "J. M.'s best regards."
Chapter 4
"I do believe the child will fret herself into a fever,fake uggs for sale, mem, and I mclean distraught to know what to do for her. She never used tomind trifles, but now she frets about the oddest things, and I can'tchange them. This wall-paper is well enough, but she has taken afancy that the spots on it look like spiders, and it makes hernervous. I've no other warm place to put her, and no money for anew paper. Poor lass! There are hard times before her, I'm fearing.