PHONNY’S LETTER. 21

 

The time expires. Phonny begins to read his letter. Phonny’s letter.

 

 

however, very busy, and several minutes elapsed before
either of them spoke.

At length Caroline shut up her book, rose from her
chair, and said,

“Come, children, the school is done,——or at least it is
time for the recess.”

“Wait a minute,” said Phonny, “just till I sign my
name.”

“ Yes,” said Malleville, “and by that time I shall get
through this book; there are only four leaves more.”

So Malleville and Phonny continued their studies a
few minutes longer. Then Phonny wished to read his
letter aloud to Caroline. Caroline said that she should
be glad to hear it. She accordingly went to the desk.
Malieville came up too. Phonny read as follows:

“FRANCONIA, Wednesday Morning.

“ DEAR BEECHNUT,

“Tam now at Mr. Keep’s. I have got to write
to you about our house burning up last night. The
way it took fire was this. JI went up with Malleville
into the garret in the evening to get a piece of string
off my kite-twine. I unwound as much as I wanted,
and then, as I had not any knife or scissors, I burned
it off with the lamp. Then Malleville and I came down-
stairs.

“ By and by, when it was time for me to go to bed,
and I went up-stairs with Hepzibah, she smelled some-
thing burning. She opened a closet, and there she saw
sparks and embers dropping down from a place above,
where the fire had burned through. The garret was all
on fire. We ran down-stairs calling fire, and the men