She lent it to some of her schoolmates, one of whom was roguish enough to show it to Benjamin himself! He laughed heartily at the caricature; but thinking it was getting him rather more notoriety than he wished, he put it in his pocket, and that was the end of it.
In consequence of his many acts of imprudence, Oscar got along very slowly in his recovery.

Yet he was daily growing more impatient of his long confinement, and the utmost vigilance of his parents was necessary to restrain him from doing himself harm.

During stormy weather, which was not rare at that season of the year, he was not allowed to go out, and the time passed heavily with him.

One rainy afternoon, as he was sitting listlessly at a front window, watching for some object of interest to pass, a coach stopped at the door, and his heart beat high at the thought of his dulness being dispelled by the arrival of "company." The driver opened the coach door, and out jumped a stout, brown-faced man, whom Oscar at once recognized as his uncle, John Preston, from Maine.
The arrival of Uncle John was soon heralded through the house, and a warm greeting extended to him.

He usually visited the city thrice a year on business, and on such occasions made his brother's house his stopping-place.