the fault lay nearer home, and that he had not taken all the pains he ought, nor sought to profit by her kind instructions.

George strove to justify himself, but failed in his endeavours to convince his mother that he had been dutiful and diligent; but as her strength was small, she gave up the debate, and listened languidly, whilst he talked on unceasingly about "The Crystal Palace,” and wondered whether Frank would ever think about his promise, and listened for the sound of every carriage wheel that rumbled in the distance, and rushed up to the window, whenever any vehicle came down the quiet street, and wearied both himself and

B

all around him, by his useless lamen

tations.

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday too, thus passed away. But on Wednesday he had grown quite insupportable, and his mother was compelled to banish him from her own bedroom, and giving him a puzzle she had purchased, requested him to go into the dining-room, and put it all together. But George rejected all amusements but the very one he wanted, and went instead into the nursery, where he plagued the younger children, took away their little toys, played with them so roughly, that he threw them on the floor, made them all fretful, and the maid so vexed, that she told him he had grown quite tiresome,

and "that she panted for the time when he would be packed off to school again." Whereupon he flew into a passion, which ended in a fit of sobbing and crying: the noise awoke the baby, nurse grew very angry, and pushed him out into the dining-room, bidding him stay there alone, and come no more near her.

Just at this very time Frank saw his dear Grandma appeared much better, coughed much less frequently, spoke much more easily, and moved about more freely. So he thought the time was come to talk about "The Crystal Palace." He said "how much he wished to see it, when it was convenient, and that he should also like to show it to George Grant, if she had no

objection, for that his parents had no time to take him to it."

Pleased with his consideration, his Grandmamma immediately complied with his request, and, as the day was very fine for winter, ordered the carriage to be ready in two hours, and promised to go round and take up his young friend.

Frank ran to smother her with kisses, and looking lovingly upon him she exclaimed

"God grant that I may live to see my own dear boy a Crystal Palace!" "Now, Granny dear, that is a funny wish," cried Frank, "for why should I be made of glass, instead of flesh and bones, I wonder ?"

"Let us take a little time to talk

about it, dear; fancy yourself at school again, going to take an object lesson," she replied.

"No, thank you, no!" said Frank, cutting a caper; "I would rather think myself at home instead.”

"Well, then, at home, but telling me the properties of Crystal."

Frank seated himself beside her on the sofa, looked up wisely into the corner of the ceiling, and said, after a pause, "Is "Is crystal glass, Grand

ma ?"

66

Why, not exactly, yet they have so many qualities in common, that you may almost think of them as one."

"Glass, then, is clear, transparent, bright; what else, Grandma ?"