Constant difficulties and childish quarrels arose between the little
ones, Willie always being the erring one, both with the mother and
nurses. If a child fell and was hurt, "Willie did it." In a word, the
poor boy was the "scapegoat."
The children were playing in the large ground surrounding their
future elegant home. Willie was just twelve years old then. The nurse
was attending the younger ones. A little way from the house was a
large pond with a rustic bridge. Mr. Archer had frequently warned the
nurse of the danger in allowing the children to play about there.
Little Eddie, a merry, willful boy of six years, disregarding all
Willie's entreaties to come away, would amuse himself by "riding
horseback," as he called it, on the railing of the frail bridge, and
tossing up his arms with a shout of defiance and laughter, he lost his
balance and fell into the water, quite deep enough to drown a much
larger boy.
A scream from the little ones brought the nurse to a knowledge of the
truth.
"Eddie's in the water! Eddie's drowned."
In a moment Willie's jacket was off, and he plunged in, and, before
the terrified nurse could collect her thoughts, brought out and placed
the insensible boy on the grass before her.
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