The worst wife-driver would be confounded at the air of easy superiority assumed on these occasions by the meekest and most unsuspicious of her sex.
Insinuations of So and So's not being any better than she should be passed from mouth to mouth, with a glance at me; and I heard the proverb of "Little pitchers," when mother rose suddenly from the table, and led the way to the parlor.
"Where is Veronica ?" asked Temperance, who was piling the debris of the feast.

"She has been in mischief, I'll warrant; find her, Cassandra." She was upstairs putting away her butterfly, in the leaves of her little Bible.

She came down with me, and Temperance coaxed her to eat her supper, by vowing that she should be sick abed, unless she liked her fritters and waffles.

I thought of my mice, while making a desultory meal standing, and went to look at them; they were gone.
Wondering if Temperance had thrown the creatures away, I remembered that I had been foolish enough to tell Veronica, and rushed back to her.

When she saw me, she raised a saucer to her face, pretending to drink from it.
"Verry, where are the mice ?" "Are they gone ?" "Tell me." "What will you do if I don't ?" "I know," and I flew upstairs, tore the poor butterfly from between the leaves of the Bible, crushed it in my hand, and brought it down to her.