e never was a better teacher, or such a famous
boarding-school.

I have not yet told you that they learned anything. I suppose you all
think that playing was the principal thing they went to that school for.
But if you do, you make a great mistake, for the greater part of every
day was spent in the school-room.

Mr. Harrison made school-time very pleasant. He seldom had to punish a
boy for bad conduct or neglect in getting his lessons. He always
encouraged them to ask questions about their studies, and told them
never to learn anything by rote, like a parrot, but to come to him when
they did not understand a lesson; and he always made it so clear that it
was a pleasure to learn. Sometimes a boy would ask a foolish question,
which would make the rest laugh; but then Mr. Harrison would say it was
better to be laughed at for trying to learn, than to grow up a dunce.

In this way the boys would improve so much, both in mind and body, that
their parents left them with Mr. Harrison as long as he could keep them;
and both the boys and their parents were very sorry when the time came
for them to leave, for Mr. Harrison would not take any boy after he was
fourteen years of age.

One afternoon after school, the boys were all busy weeding in their
gardens, when one of them suddenly cried out, "Phil, do you know how
long it is to the Fifth of November?"

"To be sure I do," answered Philip; "it is just four weeks and four
days."

"So it is, I declare," said Thomas, the first boy who had spoken. "Boys,
I'll tell you what we will do. Let us all write to our parents for an
immense lot of fireworks; then we will club together, and keep all,
except the crackers, for a grand display of fireworks in the evening."

"Oh yes, yes," cried all the boys, "that is an excellent idea."

"I will ask Mr. Harrison," said Phil, "to help us fix the wheels and so
forth, for all I ever fixed myself stuck fast, and would not go round at
all."

"I mean to write for some Roman candles," said Frank; "they look so
beautiful going up. They look like planets with wings."

"_I_ will ask for some snakes and grasshoppers," said another; "it is
such fun to see the boys racing round to get out of the way of them."

"We'll make some wooden pistols to put the crackers in," said another
boy.

"Yes, and I will send for a little brass cannon that my uncle, Major
Brown, gave me," said another.

Just then the bell rang for tea, and the boys, putting their li