ttle
rakes and hoes into their tool-house, ran in to wash their faces and
hands, and brush their hair. Then they took off their blouses, which
they wore when at work in the garden, and hung them up in the play-room.
They had a nice large play-room for playing in when the weather was
unpleasant.

It was astonishing what large quantities of bread and butter, and
apple-sauce, these boys consumed for their supper, for working
out-of-doors in the fresh country air is sure to make people hungry, and
boys especially are always ready for eating. After supper, Mr. Harrison
read prayers, while all the boys knelt at their chairs around the table.
Then they were permitted to play out-of-doors again until the sunset.
Phil and Frank allowed themselves to be harnessed to a hand-wagon, and
galloped off at full speed, with two of the smaller boys in it. The rest
had a game at leap-frog; and Mr. Harrison and his family sat in the
porch watching and admiring the gorgeous tints lent to the clouds by the
rays of the setting sun, and sometimes laughing heartily at the capers
of the boys.

At length the sun sank beneath the horizon, and Mr. Harrison said,
"Come in, boys." He never had to speak more than once, for the boys were
so well governed that they found it to their advantage and happiness to
obey directly. So they came in as quietly as they could, and went into
the study, where Mr. Harrison soon joined them, and read aloud an
interesting book of travels for an hour. Then they went up stairs to
bed.

One evening, not long after this, the boys were all together in the
sitting-room. Philip was reading a book in which was an anecdote about a
bad boy who had frightened another, by coming into his room at night,
with his face apparently in a blaze, and looking, as the terrified child
thought, like a flaming dragon. All at once, Phil shut the book, and
said, "I say, boys, I will show you a funny thing, if you will put out
the light, and it will be useful to you too. But first, let me read this
story to you, and then we will try the game, and none of you little
chaps will be frightened, because you will know what it is."

So saying, he read the story, which interested the boys very much
indeed, and made them all eager for Philip's experiment.

Phil took a box of matches from the mantelpiece, and gave some to each
of the boys; but suddenly he cried, "Wait a moment: I will be back
before you can say Jack Robinson," and ran out of the room.