But our father-land produces many living examples which may serve as translations of the French words.
Such an one was the small boy who, while eagerly devouring grapes, threw the skins, one after another, into the lap of my new light silk gown.

His mother entered a smilingly gentle protest in the form of-- "Oh, Frankie dear! do you think it is pretty to do that ?" to which he paid as much attention as to my look of distress.

The reader who believes in "lending a hand" in righting the minor evils of society must have more temerity and a larger share of what the boy of the period denominates "nerve" than I possess, if she interferes with a child while in the presence of the mother.

It is as unsafe as the proverbial act of inserting the digits between the bark and the tree.
It is, moreover, a liberty which I should never permit the dearest friend to take.

In fact, so strong is my feeling on this subject, that I should have allowed "Frankie dear" to make a fruit-plate and finger-bowl of the shimmering folds of my gown rather than utter a feeble objection before his doting mamma.
The practice of spoiling a child is unjust to the little one and to the parent.