wish them to sit
still all day over their books, and that it would be much nicer to
run about the house and play at "Hide and seek."

"Yes, it would be pleasanter for you, Bunny," said Miss Kerr, "but
you forget that 'Hide and seek' is a very noisy game, and that your
mama's head is aching so much that she could not bear the noise you
would be sure to make. Come now, be good children, and try to learn
your lessons as well as you possibly can."

"I hate lessons! and so does Mervyn," cried the little girl in a
cross voice. "Don't you, Mervyn?"

"No, I don't," answered the boy; "I will go if you like, Miss Kerr,
for I want to learn how to write soon, that I may be able to send
papa a letter."

"You are a good boy, Mervyn," said the governess with a smile as she
took him by the hand, "and I promise you that I will soon let you
write a little letter to your papa. Come, Bun, dear, you are not
going to be naughty, I am sure. Come along and we'll have such a
nice quiet morning over our books;" and she held out her other hand
to the little girl.

"Well, if I am good, will you read us a story after we have said our
lessons?" bargained Miss Bunny; "I just love to hear you read
stories."

"Yes, I will read you a very nice story if you are good, and I have
a pretty box of chocolate here that I will give to the child who
studies the hardest and keeps silence the longest."

"Oh, how nice! Oh, how jolly!" cried Bunny, clapping her hands in
delight. "I'll learn my lessons awfully hard;" and away she ran down
the passage to the library, pulled her spelling-book out of the
drawer, and perching herself on a chair at the table began to shout
out the words at the top of her voice.

"My dear Bunny, how do you think Mervyn can learn his lessons if you
scream yours out in that way?" said Miss Kerr laughing; "repeat
those words quietly to yourself whilst I show your cousin what he is
to do."

"I don't know very much, Miss Kerr," said Mervyn shyly as he took
the book from her hand; "papa says I am a dreadful dunce, but I only
began to learn last year."

"Never mind that, my dear boy. If you give your attention to your
book and feel anxious to learn, you will soon get on. Spell over
these words for me and let me see what you can do."

Mervyn did as he was told, and with much difficulty he managed to
spell down half a column of very easy words.

"Oh, I can do better than that! I can do better than that!" cried
Bunny, wriggling abo