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CHAPTER I.

HUGH AND HARRY.

UGH and Harry were two little boys who always lived in London. They had lived in London ever since they were

born, and although that was not really such a long time ago, it seemed very long to Harry and Hugh; for Hugh was nearly ten years old, and Harry was almost eight.

One morning at breakfast-time Mr. Selby-that was the name of these little boys' papa-looked up from a letter which he had been reading, and said

Here is an invitation for you two boys to spend the holidays with your Uncle Tom, but of course you will not wish to go,' and papa looked very sly.

Midsummer holidays were just coming on, and the boys had been counting up the days which would come before then but a minute ago, and

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thinking it very hard that they should have to go back to school even for a fortnight.

Hugh and Harry Selby went to a school in London, and very often came home from Saturday till Monday.

'You cannot wish to go,' said Mr. Selby, 'for you will not care for running about in the meadows, and milking cows and riding donkeys.' 'Papa!' said Hugh, 'should we really see cows milked?'

'Or eating gooseberries and currants,' said Mr. Selby.

'Oh, papa,' said Harry, we should; you know we should.'

'Or helping to make the hay,' said Mr. Selby again, or feeding the cocks and hens.'

'Papa, don't be so silly,' said Hugh. 'Or running after the pigs.'

Harry jumped up and clapped his hand over his papa's mouth; but Mr. Selby would go

on.

'So I think I had best write to Uncle Tom and say you had both of you prefer remaining at school for the holidays, and doing double lessons.'

'Papa, you are the most ridiculous papa I ever knew in all my life,' said Harry. Just listen to him, mamma, he does make us laugh so.'

Mamma was laughing too.

'We may go, may not we, mamma?' asked Hugh.

Ask your papa,' she answered.

Both the boys jumped upon Mr. Selby, Hugh on his back and Harry on his lap, and both hugged him so tightly round the neck that he pretended he was being choked, and at last promised they should go and stay with Uncle Tom, if they would let go his throat and behave like decent boys.

I don't know what Mr. Selby called behaving decently, but Hugh and Harry leaped and hopped about the room more like two monkeys out of Wombwell's Menagerie than respectable boys who were in the Latin grammar.

Dear! what a noise boys do make sometimes. I think papas and mammas' heads must be made of very hard stuff that they do not sometimes go deaf and stupid in holiday time.

And why may not me go too?' asked Alfy, who was not yet four.

'Because Uncle Tom doesn't want such a little chappy as you!' said his papa.

Littoo!' said Alfy, 'boys what wear tulics and towlers ain't littoo.'

'Wait till you wear knickerbockers,' said Harry;

'tunics and trousers are baby's dress; you'll be a big boy then, Alfy.'

Hugh laughed out loud.

'Did you ever see a big boy in knickers and stockings, Hal?' said he, putting his hands in his pockets. He asked the question in a loud voice, and held himself very upright. Big boys wear jackets and trousers like mine.'

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'Oh dear! Oh dear!' said papa,' I am afraid you are all of you too old to care to go and see Uncle Tom, or to have any holidays at all. I wish one of you would stay in town and do my work, and let me be a little boy.'

'No, we are not too old, papa,' said both Hugh and Harry at once. We would like to go; we are not so very old as all that.'

Mr. Selby shook his head. 'Boys in knickerbockers to think of eating gooseberries and currants!' he said.

'We are not too old, indeed, papa.'

A boy in a jacket to play in the fields like a child!'

But, papa, I should like it,' said Hugh.

'Too old, I am afraid,' said Mr. Selby.

No, papa, we are not very old,' said Harry.

Indeed, papa, we are rather young,' said Hugh.

'We are rather little boys,' said Harry. 'So I have always thought,' said papa.

'But you must remember one thing,' said their papa, gravely, if I let you go to stay with Uncle Tom, you must be good boys. Do you think I can trust you?'

'Of course you can, papa,' said Hugh.

'I expect Guy and Walter are very good boys, much better than you two.'

Why should they be?' asked Harry.

'I think they would not be up to mischief, as some boys I know,' said Mr. Selby.

Now, Hugh and Harry could hardly be called good boys; for I am sorry to say they had learned some very bad tricks from some of the boys at school, and the worst of it was, that they were sly enough to be much better before their papa and mamma than they were behind their backs.

Then their mamma said kindly-

'I am sure Hugh and Harry will try to do all they ought; won't you, my dear boys?'

And the boys answered, 'Oh yes, mamma.' But when they were alone in their bedroom, Hugh said to his brother,—

'I wonder what papa meant about Guy and Walter being such good boys. I am sure I shall