e, to make quite a perfectly good boy of me? Perhaps a
month, do you think? or to make me as good as Frank, it might possibly
require six weeks."

"Six weeks!" answered Mrs. Crabtree; "six years, or sixty, would be too
short. You are no more like Mr. Frank than a shilling is to a guinea, or
a wax light to a dip. If the news were told that you had been a good boy
for a single day, the very _statutes_ in the streets would come running
along to see the wonder. No! no! I have observed many surprising things
in my day, but them great pyramuses in Egypt will turn upside down
before you turn like Mr. Frank."

Some days after this adventure of Harry and Laura's, there arrived
newspapers from London containing accounts of a great battle which had
been fought abroad. On that occasion the British troops of course
performed prodigies of valour, and completely conquered the enemy, in
consequence of which, it was ordered by government, that, in every town,
and every village, and every house throughout the whole kingdom, there
should be a grand illumination.

Neither Harry nor Laura had ever heard of such a thing as an
illumination before, and they were full of curiosity to know what it was
like; but their very faces became lighted up with joy, when Major Graham
described that they would see crowds of candles flaming in every window,
tar-barrels blazing on every hill, flambeaux glaring at the doors, and
transparencies, fire-works, and coloured lamps shining in all the
streets.

"How delightful! and walking out in the dark to see it," cried Harry;
"that will be best of all! oh! and a whole holiday! I hardly know
whether I am in my right wits, or my wrong wits, for joy! I wish we
gained a victory every day!"

"What a warrior you would be, Harry! Caesar was nothing to you," said
Frank. "We might be satisfied with one good battle in a year,
considering how many are killed and wounded."

"Yes, but I hope all the wounded soldiers will recover."

"Or get pensions," added uncle David. "It is a grand sight, Frank, to
see a whole nation rejoicing at once! In general, when you walk out and
meet fifty persons in the street, they are all thinking of fifty
different things, and each intent on some business of his own, but on
this occasion all are of one mind and one heart."

Frank and Harry were allowed to nail a dozen of little candlesticks upon
each window in the house, which delighted them exceedingly, and then,
before every pane of gl