Rest of any sort was welcome , so mamma sewed busily till callers came . They happened to be some little friends of Kitty 's , and she went to them in the parlor , telling mamma to go up to nurse and have her hair brushed and her dress changed , and then come and see the guests . While she was away Kitty told the girls the joke they were having , and begged them to help her carry it out . They agreed , being ready for fun and not at all afraid of Mrs. Fairbairn . So when she came in they all began to kiss and cuddle and praise and pass her round as if she was a doll , to her great discomfort and the great amusement of the little girls . While this was going on in the drawing-room , Harry was tutoring his father in the study , and putting that poor gentleman through a course of questions that nearly drove him distracted ; for Harry got out the hardest books he could find , and selected the most puzzling subjects . A dusty old history was rummaged out also , and classical researches followed , in which papa 's memory played him false more than once , calling forth rebukes from his severe young tutor . But he came to open disgrace over his mathematics , for he had no head for figures , and , not being a business man , had not troubled himself about the matter ; so Harry , who was in fine practice , utterly routed him in mental arithmetic by giving him regular puzzlers , and when he got stuck offered no help , but shook his head and called him a stupid fellow . The dinner-bell released the exhausted student , and he gladly took his son 's place , looking as if he had been hard at work . He was faint with hunger , but was helped last , being ` only a boy , ' and then checked every five minutes for eating too fast . Mamma was very meek , and only looked wistfully at the pie when told in her own words that pastry was bad for children . Any attempts at conversation were promptly quenched by the worn-out old saying , ` Children should be seen , not heard , ' while Harry and Kitty chattered all dinner-time , and enjoyed it to their hearts ' content , especially the frequent pecks at their great children , who , to be even with them , imitated all their tricks as well as they could . ` Do n't whistle at table , papa ; ' ` keep your hands still mamma ; ' ` wait till you are helped , sir ; ' ` tuck your napkin well in , and do n't spill your soup , Caroline . ' Aunt Betsey laughed till her eyes were full , and they had a jolly time , though the little people had the best of it , for the others obeyed them in spite of their dislike to the new rules . ` Now you may play for two hours , ' was the gracious order issued as they rose from table . Mamma fell upon a sofa exhausted , and papa hurried to read his paper in the shady garden . Usually these hours of apparent freedom were spoilt by constant calls , -- not to run , not to play this or that , or frequent calls to do errands . The children had mercy , however , and left them in peace ; which was a wise move on the whole , for the poor souls found rest so agreeable they privately resolved to let the children alone in their play-hours . ` Can I go over and see Mr. Hammond ? ' asked papa , wishing to use up the last half-hour of his time by a neighbourly call .
` No ; I do n't like Tommy XXXXX , so I do n't wish you to play with his father , ' said Harry , with a sly twinkle of the eye , as he turned the tables on his papa .
Betsey Fairbairn Hammond Harry Kitty errands hours left minutes play-hours