Amabel Vaughan.*

" Yes , Fitz put in . "There was Mr . G ., the head writing master , he had a nice old joke—several in fact—but there was one we always looked for , and always laughed at , young sycophants as we were . " We used to ornament our copy books with red ink lines , which , beginning lightl y , waxed thick in the middle and dwindled away at the end . We used to call them " swellcrs , " —I suppose that is the phrase in caligraphy . Old G . did these of course beautifully , and he used to discourse learnedly about themand about the right formation of the

, letters ( we learnt German Text , and Old English , as well as the regular round hand , and Small Text ) , breaking off suddenly , if he saw a boy with a black eye—a rather frequent occurrence—by saying : ' Talking of swellers , who swelled your eye for you , you Sir , ' " The boys always tittered as if they thought it a splendid joke ; and the guilt y culprit invented a story to suit the occasion to account for the Wars of the Roses . ' '

" Ah ! I was on Mr . B . 's , the other chief writing master ' s side ; " Mark observed . " He was very good fun . Don ' t you remember when he was ill , and the Governors gave him a holiday , and it was said , paid his expenses for a trip to the East 1 Well , when he came back he was full of it , and he used to tell us of all he saw in Palestine , — and as he talked with a lisp , and was rather credulous , aud as the boys imitated him to his face , we used to have rather fun over his anecdotes .

" ' Do you know , boythe , '" he would say , ' I think I told you about going to the Holy Thepulchre and the Valley of Jehothophat , and all thothe interethting platheth . ' " * Thirtainly Thir , " a boy would answer . " ' Well , one day , boythe , when I wath coming away I thaw a motht remarkable relic . ' " ' Indeed , Thir ! ' another boy would say , with a look full of outward sympathy , but inward merriment .

" ' Yeth , a motht remarkable relic ; it wath offered to me , but I could not afford to buy it , though I thould have liked to prethent it to the Britith Mutheum . It wath a long pieth of bone with thome hairth or brithells on it ; do you follow me , boythe ?' " ' Thirtainly , Thir , ' said the boys . " ' Well , what do you think it wath V " The boys guessed all sorts of things ; but at last gave it up . " ' ' . Do you give it up V Mr . B . asked , as if it were a riddle .

" ' Oh , thirtainly Thir , ' said the boys . " ' Well , ' said Mr . B ., in a tone of great solemnity , ' It loath Tliaint Johnth toothbrutli ! " ' Indeed , ' said the boys , ' how very extraordinary . ' "And it was extraordinary , wasn ' t it ? " Mark said , turning to Mabel , who laughed a pretty musical laugh , and observed that she couldn ' t believe anyone would tell such tales .

" You seem to have bad some amusement even out of your Masters , " the Vicav remarked , "By the way , how did they feed you there , —and how did you like the clothes , —and the absence of a hat . " " Oh , as to the matter of that I can ' t say much , " Fitz answered . " The costume I liked , ancl I hate to wear a hat ; but when we were there we were half starved , and that ' s a fact . " " You don ' t mean to say , " Miss Griss observed , with a look of horror , " that the

boys hadn't enough to eat ?" " I do , most emphatically , " Fitz replied ; " I know I never had a good meal all tl > e time I was there . Did you , Mark ?" " Can't say I ever did , " that worthy answered . " Well , now tell us what you had . " " Oh , bread and milk for breakfast at ei ght—the milk sky-blue , and the cow with the iron tail being brought into requisition to a considerable extent . " " Dear me ! dear me ! " Miss Griss remarked with amazement . " Wonder * w never cease . I never heard before of a cow with an iron tail . "