I have been thanked by worldly mothers, in country houses, with something like a touch of nature, for being so good to their boys--'I am so afraid they must have been troublesome to you,'-- when they have not only saved me from vapid hard gabble and slanderous gossip, but let in a little breath of paradise as well.
I often accept an invitation with reference to the children I shall see.

'To meet Lord and Lady D----, and Mrs.G----, such an amusing woman--tells _such_ stories, they make you _scream!_' the invitation runs; and I accept it, to see Johnny and Charlie, to play at Red Indians in the wilderness, and to dig up the tin box of date-stones and cartridge-cases that we buried in the bed of the stream." If I seem to have given rather a priggish picture of Arthur, it is a totally erroneous one.

He was far too casual and too retiring to be that; he had no appearance of self-importance, though an invincible reserve of self-respect.

The prig wears chain armor outside, and runs at you with his lance when he catches a glimpse of you.

Arthur wore his chain armor under his shirt, and it was not till you closed with him that you felt how sharp his dagger was.
I give a perfectly disinterested sketch of him, which a lady, who met him several times, wrote out at my request.