The Russian Mute

The rich little boy was seven years old and his kind Mama gave him a birthday party. A number of children were invited to wish him happy returns of the day, and it promised to be a wonderful event in the child's life. There was one unpleasant feature, however, the host's cousin, who was a boy of twelve, therefore almost venerable, was a guest, and the prettiest little girl of the party soon became this old man's darling. As the rich little boy had favored her with his attention it angered him to find that he had a rival in his elderly relative.