owfully when their grandmama, after kindly embracing them both, was
carefully supported by Major Graham and her maid Harrison, into the
chariot. Uncle David gave each of the children a pretty picture-book
before taking leave, and said, as he was stepping into the carriage,
"Now, children! I have only one piece of serious, important advice to
give you all, so attend to me!--never crack nuts with your teeth!"

When the carriage had driven off, Mrs. Crabtree became so busy scolding
Betty, and storming at Jack the foot-boy, for not cleaning her shoes
well enough, that she left Harry and Laura standing in the passage, not
knowing exactly what they ought to do first, and Frank, seeing them
looking rather melancholy and bewildered at the loss of their grandmama,
stopped a moment as he passed on the way to school, and said in a very
kind, affectionate voice,

"Now, Harry and Laura, listen both of you!--here is a grand opportunity
to show everybody, that we can be trusted to ourselves, without getting
into any scrapes, so that if grandmama is ever ill again, and obliged to
go away, she need not feel so sad and anxious as she did to-day. I mean
to become nine times more attentive to my lessons than usual this
morning, to show how trust-worthy we are, and if you are wise, pray
march straight up to the nursery yourselves. I have arranged a gown and
cap of Mrs. Crabtree's on the large arm-chair, to look as like herself
as possible, that you may be reminded how soon she will come back, and
you must not behave like the mice when the cat is out. Good bye! Say the
alphabet backward, and count your fingers for half-an-hour, but when
Mrs. Crabtree appears again, pray do not jump out of the window for
joy."

Harry and Laura were proceeding directly towards the nursery, as Frank
had recommended, when unluckily they observed in passing the
drawing-room door, that it was wide open; so Harry peeped in, and they
began idly wandering round the tables and cabinets. Not ten minutes
elapsed before they both commenced racing about as if they were mad,
perfectly screaming with joy, and laughing so loudly at their own funny
tricks, that an old gentleman who lived next door, very nearly sent in a
message to ask what the joke was.

Presently Harry and Laura ran up and down stairs till the housemaid was
quite fatigued with running after them. They jumped upon the fine damask
sofas in the drawing-room, stirred the fire till it was in a blaze, and
rush