aid Jerry, as the big drops began to sound upon
the roof over their heads.

"Then I 'm going in," added Oscar, and they both started for the house.

It proved to be a rainy day, and Oscar was obliged to find his
amusement in-doors through its remaining hours. With his four cousins
to help him, this was not a very difficult matter. When he retired at
night, he felt quite at home in his new quarters.

The sun rose clearly the next morning, and everything looked the more
beautiful for the rain. To Oscar, the fields not only seemed greener,
but the hills looked higher, and the trees more majestic, than they did
the day before.

"Why," he exclaimed, as he stood before the chamber window, "there is a
pond away off there, is n't there? I did n't know that before."

"Yes, that's a pond," replied Jerry, "and we 've got a small river,
too, but you can't see it from here. We 'll go over to the pond, some
warm day, and go into water; it's a real good place to bathe."

"Perhaps we 'll go to-day," said Oscar; "it looks as though it were
going to be real warm."

Mrs. Preston now called to the boys that breakfast was ready, and they
hurriedly finished dressing themselves, and descended to the kitchen.
Having washed his face at the sink, Oscar stepped to the door, and used
his pocket-comb; but Jerry was in too great a hurry to go through this
last operation, and he was about taking his seat at the table, with his
hair standing up in every direction, when his father inquired:

"Jerry, what have you been doing to your head?"

"Nothing," replied Jerry, with a look of surprise.

"Well, I think you had better do something to it, before you come
here," said his father. "Oscar will think you were brought up among
the wild Arabs, if you come to the table with such a mop of hair as
that about your head. Don't you see how nicely he has smoothed his
hair?"

"He's got a comb of his own. I wish you would buy me one, father,"
said Jerry.

"Don't stand there talking--go and comb your hair," said Mr. Preston,
somewhat sharply.

To tell the truth, Jerry did need a lesson in neatness; and in this
respect, Oscar was a very good model for him to imitate. Having
reduced his snarly locks to something like order and smoothness, Jerry
took his seat at the table, much improved in appearance.

"You 'll have a chance to go about some to-day, Oscar," said Mr.
Preston; "it's about twenty-five degrees warmer than it was yesterday."

"Fath