Darknefs and Light. 109

ficians to come and play—and the children danced,
and Roderick among them, for fome fifter was al-
ways ready to take him under her efpecial charge.
And then fome older children acted a little play,
which he could hear and underftand, and his
Mamma defcribed to him who came in and went
out, and in this manner he enjoyed it nearly as
much as the others. .

Well, the fpring-time came once more, and
with it the feafon for returning to the old Sea Caftle,
and the children went through their ufual round
of impatience, and I cannot fay that Roderick at
all forbore, for his Papa had promifed to teach him
to climb a ladder like the lamplighter when he got
back, and he was by that means to go up one of
the very old elm trees, and get on to a great
branch there was, which was curled into a fort of
eafy chair, and there he was to fit and play at
being judge, and hold trials, and I know not what.
There were befides fo many fchemes for his in-
ftruction and amufement, and among other things,
there was to be a band eftablifhed in the neigh-
bouring village, which fhould come and play to
them in the old Sea Caftle—that the child was
more wild with hurry and impatience than ever,
and faid more abfurd things than the reft, for he
ufed every day to declare the flies were becoming
{o numerous and troublefome he was plagued out
of his life by their walking over his face and nofe !
But as none of his brothers and fifters ever faw
the flies, we are obliged to conclude the tickling