to have been engaged in sports ill suited to the heat of the weather; and now, with flushed faces, they lay or lounged in different positions in all parts of the room. * * * * "It is far too warm to help in any romp now," said Adelaide Seymour. "Do pray be quiet, boys, now," exclaimed Maria. "You have led us a long chase over the garden, and we shall not be cool again for the rest of the day. How I do wish it would not be so hot as this in holiday time!" Selina. Oh! I do not know that you should say that. We were very comfortable in the morning; and by-and-by, when it is cool again, we can have a good game in the garden. Adelaide. Yes, but that is only a part of the day, and it is so disagreeable to have a good half of it wasted in this way. I am glad all the summer holidays are not like this. William. What would you say to the heat of India? This is nothing to it. Selina. No, there we are obliged to stay indoors and be perfectly quiet always, throughout the day. Indeed, we are so hot that we never care to run about as you do here. Maria. How glad you must be to leave India. William. Yes, for some things. But then the houses there are better contrived for coolness than yours. The blinds are so shady and cool when they are wetted with water; and at dinner-time the large punkah makes such a delicious wind. It is quite refreshing. Maria. What is a punkah? William. It is a large broad fan at the top of the room, which waves backwards and forwards all the time we are at table. Selina. Just imagine that a square thing, larger than that door, was fastened to the ceiling and drawn backwards and forwards by ropes. There is always a servant above, or in the next room, who pulls it. Robert. Why do we not have such comfortable things in England? I am sure I should have liked a punkah waving over me at dinnertime to-day. Suppose we try to make one. Adelaide. How could we do it? We have no hooks to fasten it to, and nothing to make it of. Robert. Just look here! This screen seems meant on purpose. Pull this leaf out of the case; it will be quite a good use to put it to in this summer weather when we do not have fires. Fetch me some string, and I will show you how to do it. Run, Maria, do! Maria. Will a skipping-rope do? There are two in the hall. Robert. Yes, anything, only make haste. Bring them both. That's right, there is a useful girl! Now bring that high chair. Stay, we must clear the table and put the chair on the top of that. Here, Adelaide and Selina, take away your paper and work, and all come and help to push the table up to this wall. There, that will do. Now I will get up and fasten this string across from that hook to the book-case opposite. Adelaide. But you have nothing to fasten the screen to the skipping-rope. William. And nothing to pull it by when it is up. Robert. All in good time, my friends, only we want a great deal more string. Fetch in the string-box, or-stay! here is a piece round the leg of this chair. William. No, that is not half strong enough; you must get some stout cord. Maria. Would not our pocket-handkerchiefs do? Here is a piece of ribbon which Gerald had to draw his horse along with; I am sure we may have that; it is very broad and strong. Robert passed the ribbon all round the screen, and tied it tightly. The small screen was made of crimson moreen stretched upon a wooden frame, and it had a border of wood on one side which projected a little; and, as the ribbon was tied below this, the screen was kept from slipping out of it. Then Robert took one skipping-rope and tied it to the ribbon on one side of the screen, and the other skipping-rope he tied just opposite on the other side. Then he mounted the table, and climbed from thence on to the chair. William and Adelaide got up after him on the table, and held the screen for him whilst he fastened one end of the skippingrope to the hook upon which the picture was hung. And now half the work seemed to be done, but not the most difficult half, as the young people found presently; for the bookcase was far away at the other side of the room, and the table must travel across to help Robert up to the ceiling there. The screen, too, must be held up in its place until the second string was tied. After a few minutes' thought, the young people spied a small table, which certainly looked too frail to bear the weight of the chair with Robert upon it; but, after shaking it a little, they determined to run all risks. The table was brought, and the high chair placed upon it, and, with the necessary help from the others, Robert at last succeeded in stretching the skipping-rope and fastening it to the corner of the book-case. But the punkah hung of course quite still, and the question was how it should be moved backwards and forwards. Maria proposed taking a stick and pushing it backwards and forwards, but Robert said they must certainly have strings by which to pull it. He asked for his sisters' handkerchiefs, and tying several together, fastened them with stout pins to the bottom of the screen; then, taking one himself, and giving the other to William, they stood at opposite ends of the room and waved it to and fro by alternate pulls. A shout of joy arose from the whole party as the punkah swung above their heads; but, before it had made many journeys, the hook upon which the picture hung gave way, and brought down, in one sudden fall, picture and punkah. The picture fell just below, and was not much injured; but the punkah, with its many guides and ropes, fell heavily against the glass door of one the book-cases, and thence upon the head of poor little Maria. The child screamed with pain. Adelaide ran quickly to her and began to comfort her. "What shall we do? poor Maria is so much hurt. Call mamma, do, as fast as you can.” * * Robert ran out of the room without further question, and made his way into the drawing room where his mamma was sitting. His terrified and eager look prepared her for the news of the accident, and she was soon in the midst of the scene of confusion. Before asking any questions, she took Maria to her room, and bathed her head. Then having carefully bound up the wound, she returned to the other children and commenced the examination. William, during her absence, had disentangled the screen from its trappings, and put it by in its case, and now he stood forward eagerly to tell his tale. William. We hung a string on that hook, aunt, and the hook came out and the picture fell. I am afraid the corner of the frame is broken, but some glue will soon set that to rights. Shall I call John to drive in the nail P Mrs. Seymour. No, stay a moment. How could the picture break this bookcase door? We Robert. Let me tell you all, mamma. were talking of the punkahs they have in India, and at last we resolved to make one, and we took the leaf of the folding-screen and tied it across the room by ropes, and as William and I were pulling it backwards and forwards, the hook gave way as you see, and the picture fell. Mrs. Seymour. You know well you should not have touched the screen, as it is not one of your toys; nor should you have attempted anything so dangerous with the younger chil dren below. I believe that the hurt Maria has received will lead you to more consideration for her in future, but I must also teach you more care of my property. I cannot allow you to play in this room for the re |