"This is going to be her home from now on; and I want you boys to treat her nicer than you've been doing.

She's been here a week almost; and there ain't one of you that's made friends with her yet, or tried to, even.

You've played jokes on her, and told her things to scare her--and my grief! I was hoping she'd have a softening influence on you, and make gentlemen of you.

And far as I can make out, just having her on the place seems to put the Old Harry into every one of you! It isn't right.

It isn't the way I expected my boys would act toward a stranger--a girl especially.