s yet too old to be
ridden;--whether the myrtles were alive, and their own gardens had
been full of flowers; and a variety of other inquiries, extremely
interesting to them, and which would have doubtless been made by many
of my young readers on similar occasions as those on which we are
writing. Harriet and Elizabeth were equally glad to reply to all their
brothers' questions, and they had a great many to ask in return.
Whether they liked school as well as home,--whether they always had
meat and pudding, & as much as they liked of both;--what plays they
played at, and if they had good-natured companions. There was an
abundance to say upon all these subjects; and then Mr. and Mrs.
Mortimer had their inquiries to make about books and classes, and
sums, and school hours, and play hours and going to bed, and getting
up, so that the tongues all ran very nimbly; and doubtless there
remained plenty more to say, when at length little Frederick's words
began to lengthen themselves as he uttered them, and his eyes were
with difficulty strained open.

Mr. Mortimer gave him a pat, and asked him how early he had been up in
the morning? He had scarcely been in bed the whole night; he had since
performed a journey of near seventy miles, and as he was not yet seven
years of age, it was not to be wondered at that sleep should thus be
striving to get the better even of his feelings of joy and happiness,
John, who was only two years older than his brother did not shew much
less symptoms of fatigue; and Mrs. Mortimer proposed having the tea
immediately, that the boys might get to bed. This plan was instantly
agreed to, their heads were soon snug on their pillows; and in the
morning they both awoke in high health and joyous spirits.

It was now that Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer could see how much their dear
boys were grown, and how well they were looking. John triumphantly
stood beside his sister Harriet, who was a year older than himself,
and told her he should be very soon taller than she was; and Frederick
had actually out-stripped the little Elizabeth, who told one more year
than he did. The girls however were reconciled to this acquired
superiority of stature, by discovering that papa was a great deal
taller than mamma, though they were both exactly the same age; and
Frederick concluded the whole dissertation, by adding that to be sure,
_men_ ought be taller than women.

'It does not much signify what are your heights, my dear children,'