34 History of Gutta-Percha Willie.

coming in, just. a little, through the blind, for it
was summer. He heard a cow lowing in the fields
at the back of the house, and he wondered whether
her baby had woke her. The next moment he had
little Agnes in his arms, for his mother thought he
might as well try, seeing he was awake. —

“Do take care and don’t let her fall, Willie.”

“That I will, mamma. I’vegother tight. Now
give me the bottle, please.”

“JT haven’t got it ready yet; for you woke the
minute she began to cry.”

So Willie walked about the room with Agnes till
his mother had got her bottle filled with nice warm
milk-and-water and just a little sugar. When she
gave it to him, he sat down with the baby on his
knees, and, to his great delight, and the satisfaction
of his mother as well, she stopped crying, and began
to drink the milk-and-water,

“Why, you ’re a born nurse, Willie!” said his
mother.

But the moment the baby heard her mother’s
voice, she forsook the bottle, and began to scream,
wanting to go to her,

“O mamma! you mustn’t. speak, please ; for of
course she likes you better than the bottle; and
when you speak.that reminds her of you. It was
just the same with Tibby yesterday. Or if you
must speak, speak with some other sound, and not
in your own soft, sweet way.”