him to remember this day the longest hour he has to live!"

"Harry will not forget it any how," answered Lady Harriet languidly. "Perhaps, Mrs. Crabtree, we might as well not be severe with the poor boy on this occasion. As the old proverb says, 'there is no use in pouring water on a drowned mouse.' Harry has got a sad fright for his pains, and at all events you must find him first, before he can be punished. Where can the poor child be hid ?”

"I would give sixpence to find out that, my lady!" answered Mrs. Crabtree, helping Lady Harriet into bed, after which she closed the shutters, put out the candles, and left the room, angrily muttering, "Master Harry cares no more for me than the poker cares for the tongs, but I shall teach him another story soon."

Lady Harriet now feebly closed her eyes, being quite exhausted, and was beginning to feel the pleasant, confused sensation that people have before going to sleep, when some noise made her suddenly start quite awake. She sat up in bed to listen, but could not be sure whether it had been a great noise at a distance, or a little noise in the room; so after waiting two or three minutes, she sunk back upon the pillows, and tried to forget it. Again, however, she distinctly heard something rustling in the bed curtains, and opened her eyes to see what could be the matter, but all was dark. Something seemed to be breathing very near her, however, and the curtains shook worse than before, till Lady Harriet became really alarmed.

"It must surely be a cat in the room!" thought she, hastily pulling the bell rope, till it nearly came down. "That tiresome little animal will make such a noise, I shall not be able to sleep all night!"

The next minute Lady Harriet was startled to hear a loud sob close beside her; and when everybody rushed up stairs to ask what was the matter, they brought candles to

search the room, and there was Harry! He lay doubled up in a corner, and crying as if his heart would break, yet still endeavouring not to be seen; for Harry always thought itaterrible disgrace to cry, and would have concealed himself anywhere, rather than be observed weeping. Laura burst into tears also, when she saw what red eyes and pale cheeks Harry had; but Mrs. Crabtree lost no time in pulling him out of his place, being quite impatient to begin her scold, and to produce her tawse, though she received a sad disappointment on this occasion, as uncle David unexpectedly interfered to get him off.

"Come now, Mrs. Crabtree," said he good-naturedly; "put up the tawse for this time; you are rather too fond of the leather. Harry seems really sorry and frightened, so we must be merciful. That cataract of tears he is shedding now, would have extinguished the fire if it had come in time! Harry is like a culprit with the rope about his neck; but he shall not be executed. Let me be judge and jury in this case ; and my sentence is a very dreadful one. Harry must sleep all to-night in the burned nursery, having no other covering than the burned blankets, with large holes in them, that he may never forget

"THE TERRIBLE FIRE!"

CHAPTER IV.

THE PRODIGIOUS CAKE.

Yet theirs the joy

That lifts their steps, that sparkles in their eyes;
That talks or laughs, or runs, or shouts, or plays,
And speaks in all their looks, and all their ways.

CRABBE.

NEXT day after the fire, Laura could think of nothing but what she was to do with the shilling that uncle David had given her; and a thousand plans came into her head, while many wants entered her thoughts, which never occurred before; so that if twenty shillings had been in her hand instead of one, they would all have gone twenty different ways. Lady Harriet advised that it should be laid bye till Laura had fully considered what she would like best; reminding her very truly, that money is lame in coming, but flies in going away. "Many people can get a shilling, Laura," said her grandmama; "but the difficulty is to keep it; for you know the old proverb tells that 'a fool and his money are soon parted.""

"Yes, Miss! so give it to me, and I shall take care of your shilling!" added Mrs. Crabtree, holding out her hand to Laura, who felt that if her money once disappeared into that capacious pocket, she would never see it again. "Children have no use for money! that shilling will only burn a hole in your purse, till it is spent on some foolish thing or

other. You will be losing your thimble soon, or mislaying your gloves; for all these things seem to fly in every direc tion, as if they got legs and wings as soon as they belong to you; so then that shilling may replace what is lost."

Mrs. Crabtree looked as if she would eat it up but Laura grasped her treasure still tighter in her hand, exclaiming, "No! no! this is mine! Uncle David never thought of my shilling being taken care of! He meant me to do whatever 1 liked with it! Uncle David says he cannot endure saving children, and that he wishes all money were turned into slates, when little girls keep it longer than a week."

"I like that!" said Harry, eagerly; "it is so pleasant to spend money, when the shopkeeper bows to me over the counter so politely, and asks what I please to want."

"Older people than you like spending money, Master Harry, and spend whether they have it or no; but the greatest pleasure is to keep it. For instance, Miss Laura, whatever she sees worth a shilling in any shop, might be hers if she pleases; so then it is quite as good as her own. We shall look in at the bazaar every morning, to fix upon something that she would like to have, and then consider of it for two or three days."

Laura thought this plan so very unsatisfactory, that she lost no time in getting her shilling changed into two sixpences, one of which she immediately presented to Harry, who positively refused for a long time to accept of it, insisting that Laura should rather buy some pretty plaything for herself; but she answered that it was much pleasanter to divide her fortune with Harry, than to be selfish, and spend it all alone. "I am sure, Harry," added she, " if this money had been yours, you would have said the same thing, and given the half of what you got to me; so now let us say no more about that, but tell me what would be the best use to make of my sixpence ?"

"You might buy that fine red morocco purse we saw in the shop window yesterday," observed Harry, looking very serious and anxious, on being consulted. "Do you remember how much we both wished to have it?"

"But what is the use of a purse, with no money to keep in it!" answered Laura, looking earnestly at Harry for more advice. "Think again of something else."

"Would you like a new doll?"

"Yes; but I have nothing to dress her with!"

"Suppose you buy that pretty geranium in a red flowerpot at the gardener's!"

"If it would only live for a week, I might be tempted to try; but flowers will always die with me. They seem to wither when I so much as look at them. Do

you remember that pretty fuschia that I almost drowned the first day grandmama gave it me; and we forgot for a week afterwards to water it at all. I am not a good flower doctor."

86

"Then buy a gold watch at once," said Harry, laughing; or a fine pony, with a saddle, to ride on."

"Now, Harry, pray be quite in earnest. You know I might as well attempt to buy the moon as a gold watch; so think of something else."

"It is very difficult to make a good use of money," said Harry, pretending to look exceedingly wise. "Do you know, Laura, I once found out that you could have twelve of those large ship biscuits we saw at the baker's shop for sixpence. Only think! you could feed the whole town, and make a present to everybody in the house besides! I dare say Mrs. Crabtree might like one with her tea. All the maids would think them a treat. You could present one to Frank, another to old Andrew, and there would still be some left for these poor children at the cottage."

"Oh! that is the very thing!" cried Laura, running out of the room to send Andrew off with a basket, and looking as happy as possible. Not long afterwards, Frank, who