"I think she would," said their mother.

She had come into the room without their hearing her, and had heard what they had been saying.

"But you must put on your old clothes," she said, "and you must come into the house and get washed after you have had your play."

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"Yes'm, we will," they all said at once. It was not long before Milly and Winnie came back in their oldest calico dresses, and Ned with his worn-out pants rolled above his knees.

They were soon splashing in the pond at the foot of the garden.

First, they made some boats out of chips, and put paper sails on them; then they played the boats were whales, and caught them with spears made of sticks.

By the time the whales had all been caught, the girls were ready to make mud pies out of the nice soft mud on the edge of the pond.

Milly found an old tin pan to make a pie in. She even made "twinkles" round the edges, as Hannah the cook did. Winnie used a box-lid. She filled it with green currants, and made holes in the top crust to show the currants.

Ned did not care to make pies. "Cooking is girls' work," he said. So he made a dam across the pond. They played till the bell rang for them to come in and get ready for dinner.

66 We've had such fun," said Winnie.

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And the three days of rain gave it," said papa. "Then I'm glad we had the rain," said Winnie. And so am I," said both Milly and Ned.

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SLATE WORK.

After three days of rain.

LESSON 1.- WORD STUDY.

fun'ni est
jack'-o'-lantern

in side'
smil'ing

pump'kin
at'tic

coun'try Dex'ter

PHIL DEXTER'S JACK-O'-LANTERN.

Oh! mamma, mamma! do come! come, quick!" said little Ned.

It was a dark night. Ned was looking out of the window.

"I see the funniest looking man," he said. "Do

come and look at him. Where his eyes and nose and mouth ought to be, he has great holes.

And they are all full of light. Isn't he funny? He must be all on fire inside his head!"

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Don't you know what that is, Ned?" asked his big brother, Joe. "That's a jack-o'-lantern. It is made out of a pumpkin; it must be Phil Dexter's. His grandfather gave him the pumpkin. He has been up in the country, you know, mamma, and he brought the pumpkin home.

"I could make one if I had a pumpkin. He cut holes for the mouth and eyes and nose, and put a candle inside. The light is a candle, Ned; don't you see? There, he has gone."

"I wish our grandpapa lived in the country, said Ned, so that we could have a jack-o'-lan

tern."

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“I'll make one, anyway," said Joe. "I know I can, out of something."

Joe sat very still till tea time. He was thinking how to make his jack-o'-lantern.

When tea was over, he went up into the attic. No one saw him for a long time. Little Ned got sleepy and went to bed.

At last Joe came down.

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Now, mamma," he said, "if you will give me two cents to buy a candle, I will show you as good a jack-o'-lantern as ever was made."

He ran to the store close by, and soon came back with his candle. Then he went into the front hall and shut the door.

Now come into the hall, if you please," he

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said very soon; Jack wishes to see you. But

you must shut the door, or else put out your light."

His mamma turned the gas very low, and they all went into the hall. There sat Mr. Jack, looking as bright and smiling as you please.

Joe had found a round box in the attic. He cut eyes and a nose and a mouth, and set a candle in it. It made a very fine Jack.

As soon as it was dark the next night, he took it out of doors, and came close to the window for Ned to see.

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We have our jack-o'-lantern now," said Ned, "if we haven't a grandpapa up in the country to give us a pumpkin."

In a few days all the boys had made jack-o'lanterns. Joe said the town was full of men with fires inside their heads.

SLATE WORK.

Phil Dexter's jack o lantern.