"Come, Freddie, be nice now, dear; go with Miss Hester."
"I want to stay with you," cried the child.
"Pore little dear!" chorussed the women.
"But Mis' Davis can't keep the little boy; now he must go with Miss Prime, an' sometimes he kin come an' see Mis' Davis an' play with John an' Harriet. Won't that be nice?"
"I want to stay with you."
"Come, Frederick," said Miss Prime.
"Go now, like a good boy," repeated Mrs. Davis. "Here's a copper fur you; take it in yore little hand,—that's a man. Now kiss me good-bye. Kiss John an' Harriet."
The child, seeing that he must go, had given up resistance, and, doing as he was bidden, took Miss Prime's hand, sobbingly. Some of us do not learn so soon to how to the inevitable.
"Good-bye, ladies. I must git back to my work," said Miss Hester.
"Good-bye, good-bye, Miss Hester," came the echo.
The moment the door closed behind her and her charge, there was a volley of remarks:
