hem, so they are never out of my head."

"Nor off your head! How pleasant it must be to have Mrs. Crabtree
combing and scolding, and scolding and combing, for hours every day!
Poor Laura! we must get Dr. Bell to say that they shall be taken off on
pain of death, and then, perhaps, grandmama would order some Irish
reapers to cut them down with a sickle."

"Frank! what a lucky boy you are to be at school, and not in the
nursery! I wish next year would come immediately, for then I shall have
a governess, after which good-bye to Mrs. Crabtree, and the wearisome
curl-papers."

"I don't like school!" said Harry. "It is perfect nonsense to plague me
with lessons now. All big people can read and write, so, of course, I
shall be able to do like others. There is no hurry about it!"

Never was there a more amiable, pious, excellent boy than Frank, who
read his Bible so attentively, and said his prayers so regularly every
morning and evening, that he soon learned both to know his duty and to
do it. Though he laughed heartily at the scrapes which Harry and Laura
so constantly fell into, he often also helped them out of their
difficulties; being very different from most elderly boys, who find an
odd kind of pleasure in teazing younger children--pulling their
hair--pinching their arms--twitching away their dinners--and twenty
more plans for tormenting, which Frank never attempted to enjoy, but he
often gave Harry and Laura a great deal of kind, sober, good advice,
which they listened to very attentively while they were in any new
distress, but generally forgot again as soon as their spirits rose.
Frank came home only upon Saturdays and Sundays, because he attended
during most of the week at Mr. Lexicon's academy, where he gradually
became so clever, that the masters all praised his extraordinary
attention, and covered him with medals, while Major Graham often filled
his pockets with a reward of money, after which he ran towards the
nearest shop to spend his little fortune in buying a present for
somebody. Frank scarcely ever wanted anything for himself, but he always
wished to contrive some kind generous plan for other people; and Major
Graham used to say, "if that boy had only sixpence in the world, he
would lay it all out on penny tarts to distribute among half-a-dozen of
his friends." He even saved his pocket-money once, during three whole
months, to purchase a gown for Mrs. Crabtree, who looked almost
good-humoured during the