Our _sovrin rains_ in joy and _piece_;
The summer _reigns_ our crops _increese_;
The _weery_ horse from _rain_ release.

"I tell you what I'll do," said Lubin, after thoughtfully surveying the
ladder from the top to the bottom: "I'll get good-natured little Nelly
to stand below while I'm climbing the steps, and she shall call out to
me the right spelling, so that I shall be certain to make no blunder."

Polite Mr. Reading shook his head. "Each must master the difficulty for
himself," he replied; "not a single step would keep firm were there any
attempt at such prompting."

Poor Lubin heaved a sigh like a groan.

"Who's afraid!" exclaimed Dick; "the greater the difficulty the greater
the glory of mounting to the top of the ladder! Just roll up our papers,
Mr. Reading, we'll carry them under our arms. The girls will take charge
of the can of paste, and as for this remarkable ladder, Lubin and I will
contrive to bear it between us."

Thus loaded, the little party passed again through the iron grating.
Dick walked first, with a confident air, holding one end of the ladder
of Spelling, while Lubin, grumbling and sighing, supported the other
end. Nelly followed with the can of Attention, for Matty was too much
engaged in looking at and admiring her pretty fairy paper to think of
her lame little sister. Mr. Reading, the most polite and agreeable of
shopkeepers, bade them farewell with a bow; and little Alphabet shouted
after Lubin, "When you can manage to get to the top of the ladder of
Spelling without tumbling down on your nose, I'll give you free leave to
come back and jump over my head if you like it!"

CHAPTER VII.

THE LADDER OF SPELLING.

"What a jolly pleasant fellow old Reading is!" cried Dick, as they
jogged along.

"Well enough," replied Lubin, jerking his shoulder, "if he had not
plagued us with this hateful ladder, and did not keep such a covetous,
impudent little porter as that ugly old dwarf A B C."

"I did not see much harm in the dwarf," laughed Dick; "the best fun I
ever had in my life was seeing you pushing on one side of the gate, and
the little chap pushing on the other. Alphabet was too hard for you,
Lubin, my boy, though he is such a mite of a man."

The observation made Lubin rather sulky, and he said nothing till,
having passed through the lane of Trouble, the party stopped by the
brook of Bother.

"I'm afraid, Lubin," observed Dick, "that an awkward fellow like you