'"
"That large and interesting brood of children in the little house
at the end of the back garden?"
"Yes; isn't it nice to see so many together? We ought to call
them the Ruggles children, of course; but Donald began talking of
them as the 'Ruggleses in the rear,' and Papa and Mama took it
up, and now we cannot seem to help it. The house was built for
Mr. Carter's coachman, but Mr. Carter lives in Europe, and the
gentleman who rents his place doesn't care what happens to it,
and so this poor Irish family came to live there. When they
first moved in, I used to sit in my window and watch them play in
their backyard; they are so strong, and jolly, and good-natured;
and then, one day, I had a terrible headache, and Donald asked
them if they would please not scream quite so loud, and they
explained that they were having a game of circus, but that they
would change and play 'Deaf and Dumb School' all the afternoon."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Uncle Jack, "what an obliging family, to be
sure."
"Yes, we all thought it very funny, and I smiled at them from the
window when I was well enough to be up again.
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