little more to one side!"

"Do not touch it, Master Peter!" cried Mrs. Crabtree, almost afraid he
was in earnest. "There is a good boy,--be quiet!"

"A good boy!!" whispered Peter to himself. "What a fright Mrs. Crabtree
must be in, before she said that!"

The next moment Mrs. Crabtree snatched Harry out of the manger, and
shook him with rage. She then scolded and beat him, till he was
perfectly stupified with fright and misery, after which the whole party
were allowed to proceed towards home, while Harry stumbled along the
road, and hung down his head, wishing, fifty times over, that he and
Peter Grey had never gone up

THE LONG LADDER.

CHAPTER VII.

THE MAD BULL.

There's something in a noble boy,
A brave, free-hearted, careless one;
With his uncheck'd, unbidden joy,
His dread of books and love of fun.
And in his clear and ready smile,
Unshaded by a thought of guile
And unrepress'd by sadness,--
Which brings me to my childhood back,
As if I trod its very track,
And felt its very gladness.

Willis.

One evening, when Harry and Laura came down to dessert, they were
surprised to observe the two little plates usually intended for them,
turned upside down, while uncle David pretended not to notice anything,
though he stole a glance to see what would happen next. On lifting up
these mysterious plates, what did they see lying underneath, but two
letters with large red seals, one directed to "Master Harry Graham," and
the other to "Miss Laura Graham."

"A letter for me!!" cried Harry, in a tone of delighted astonishment,
while he tore open the seal, and his hand shook with impatience, so that
he could hardly unfold the paper. "What can it be about! I like getting
a letter very much! Is it from papa? Did the postman bring it?"

"Yes, he did," said uncle David: "and he left a message that you must
pay a hundred pounds for it to-morrow."

"Very likely, indeed," said Laura; "you should pay that for telling me
such a fine story; but my letter is worth more than a hundred pounds,
for it is inviting me to spend another delightful week at Holiday
House."

"I am asked too! and not Mrs. Crabtree!" cried Harry, looking at his
letter, and almost screaming out for joy, whilst he skipped about the
room, rubbing his hands together, and ended by twirling Laura round and
round, till they both fell prostrate on the floor.