But when at last its troubles began to overtake her, she did not approve of them at all.
The first thing she objected to was being weaned, which she evidently considered a very cruel and unnecessary experience.

But her father said it must be, and her mother, believing him to know best, carried out his decree.

Little Agnes endured it tolerably well in the daytime, but in the night protested lustily--was indeed so outrageously indignant, that one evening the following conversation took place at the tea-table, where Willie sat and heard it.
"Really, my dear," said Mrs Macmichael, "I cannot have your rest disturbed in this way another night.

You must go to Willie's room, and let me manage the little squalling thing myself." "Why shouldn't I take my share of the trouble ?" objected her husband.
"Because you may be called up any moment, and have no more sleep till next night; and it is not fair that what sleep your work does let you have should be so unnecessarily broken.

It's not as if I couldn't manage without you." "But Willie's bed is not big enough for both of us," he objected.
"Then Willie can come and sleep with me." "But Willie wants his sleep as much as I do mine." "There's no fear of him: he would sleep though all the babies in Priory Leas were crying in the room." "Would I really ?" thought Willie, feeling rather ashamed of himself.
"But who will get up and warm the milk-and-water for you ?" pursued his father.
"Oh! I can manage that quite well." "Couldn't I do that, mamma ?" said Willie, very humbly, for he thought of what his mother had said about his sleeping powers.
"No, my pet," she answered; and he said no more.
"It seems to me," said his father, "a very clumsy necessity.