18 A PIC NIC. 



lady tell her own secrets in the following conversation, which I 

 have already owned I overheard, and which, in strict confidence, 

 ladies and gentlemen, I will repeat to you. 



" Adey was twenty-two last March, though I call her two years 

 younger; Maria will never see twenty again; and Julia will be 

 nineteen to-morrow. — Something must be done,'' continued she, 

 after a long pause, during which it appeared she had failed of the 

 answer to which she considered herself entitled. — " Something 

 must be done, Mr. A." 



** And why? " answered the quiet man. 



" Why? — Why because the little ones will be big ones soon ; 

 they are treading fast on their sisters' heels ; and because my con- 

 stitution is too weak to answer the claims of more than three 

 daughters out at the same time. You never help me. Do, dear 

 Mr. A. ; think of something that may get the girls off. 



" Let them alone, my love," replied Mr. Allington, " let them 

 alone, and you '11 see they '11 go off of themselves." 



"Yes," rejoined the lady somewhat pettishly, " I suppose they 

 will, but not by themselves. You '11 have them go off with the 

 tutor, Mr. Docet ; or the curate, Mr Proseit ; or the bailifTs son 

 young Whistler; or " 



" I do n't know a better man any where than our curate," said 

 the unrelenting husband ; " and as for the *' 



"Pray, hold your tongue, Mr. A., unless you wish me to go 

 into a fit." 



There was a pause on both sides, and no fit was gone into. 

 And then the pause was broken (as is so seldom the case) by the 

 lady. But her voice had a coaxing tone, as she resumed the 

 subject. 



" My dear, dear John, they are your own children — think of 

 that. Surely you must feel a little anxiety to see them happy ?'' 



" Thank God, I do see them happy ! " replied the contented 

 gentleman, and drew the window-blind quite up. — " And you 

 shall see them happy too. Look at them, my dear : three, four, 

 five, six, well grown, healthy girls, romping in the field there 

 with their three little brothers. It *s a fine sight, and I can 't 

 say I 'm in a hurry to lose it. If they were not happy they 

 would not laugh so heartily, and run and jump so." 



" Just like the rest of your obsolete notions," answered the 

 prolific and provident mother. " Happy, indeed ! — Get them 

 rich husbands, Mr. A., and then you might see them happy, and 

 have something to be proud of. — Adelaide ! Maria ! Julia ; " she 

 screamed, putting her head so far out of the lower window that I 



