the Crystal Palace, Frank, who had been sitting on his thumbs and thinking very deeply, jumped up all of a sudden and said, (he tried to speak in an off-hand manner); "I suppose you couldn't say to a minute, could you, when you'll be back?"

Father laughed, and mother turned aside her head for an instant

"And mother's laughing, too," cried little Edwin. You can see him; but I'd better introduce them.

1st—Frank: right hand, near oven.

2nd—George: holding bird.

3rd—Edwin: bearing tray and cover.

Now we can go on.

"I know mother's laughing," said Edwin, "because the back of her neck's red!"

Mother kissed him, and said she'd be back at five o'clock, exactly; and father shook the boys by the hand, and said he'd be home at five, too.

The moment they were gone, Frank beckoned his brothers to him, and said in whispers;

"Let's ask the cook to give us leave, and then treat mother and father to a jolly good dinner, and cook it ourselves!"

George clapped his hands with delight, and Edwin danced for a moment or two quite on his own account.

"Let's have some shrimps and marmalade," said he, about to run out of the room.

Frank and George laughed at him and told him he might buy some shrimps for a sauce and the marmalade would do for the pastry. They went to work, and Frank gave his orders quite like a grand cook. He tried the cookery book, but, boy as he was, he threw it away in disgust. "For," said he, "if you live in one town, you'd have to send to another to get all the things named in it." They had two nice birds and a joint, and many other things.

When their parents came home, and saw the table laid out with what the children had paid for out of their pocket money, they were very pleased; and, mind, I won't be sure; but I don't think the boys lost anything by their generosity. One thing I must tell, you as a secret—Edwin nearly shed a tear when he found he had eaten so much of the meat, which his money had bought, that he couldn't find room for his marmalade-tart.

THE YOUNG SPORTSMAN.

Henry Downing's father was a gamekeeper; so you will not be surprised to hear that he was very fond of playing at hunting and shooting.

His dearest friend was little Minnie Warren. He ran up to her one fine September day, and said, "Oh! Minnie, father has been so kind; he has given me a hare, and after you and I have had a game at hunting it, I'm to give it to you, and you're to give it to your mother to jug. There! what say you to that?"

Minnie was pleased.

It was fun to see how they made believe.

Minnie tied, oh! such a long string to the hare's hind legs, and walked off a good way; and just as Henry cocked his gun and pretended to fire, she gave the string a pull, and off she ran, Henry after her.

They played at this till they were quite tired, and then our little friend at last made a pretence of shooting very carefully; and then Minnie quite gravely let him come and pick Miss Hare up.

"Now," said Henry, "walk home first and stand at the door with your arms crossed, and look quite seriously at me when I come up and give it to you. My gun will be in my left hand, and