"But at first we altered the letters so many times, that father said he would not help us, unless we made a decree that they should stay as they were for ever," said Gladys. "Johnnie had stolen the letter I, and made it stand for one. So it does still, though it is a vowel. Janie has a form of our plan. Hand it up, Janie." Janie accordingly produced a little bag, and unfolded a paper of which this is a copy:-- JANIE MORTIMER Fecit This. 1 2 3 I.T. N.B. M.Y. 4 5 6 R.Q. C.J.V. D.S. 7 8 9 K.G. H.P. F.L. Ought W.X.Z. A & E & O & U dont count. You're to make up the sentence with them. "The rule is," said Gladys, "that you make a sentence of words beginning with anyone of those letters that stand for the figures you want to remember. Miss Crampton wanted us to know the dates of all Wellington's battles; of course we couldn't; we do now, though. You see Britannia's scroll has on it, 'I'll put _on_ Wellington boots,' that means 1802. So we know, to begin with, that till after she put on Wellington boots, we need not trouble ourselves to remember anything particular about him." "There's a portrait of Lord Palmerston," whispered Crayshaw, "he has a map of Belgium pasted on his breast. He says, 'I, Pam, managed this."' "Yes, that means the date of the independence of Belgium," said Gladys. "Johnnie made it, but father says it is not quite fair." "The best ones," Johnnie explained, "ought not to have any extra word, and should tell you what they mean themselves. 'I hear navvies coming,' is good--it means the making of the first railway. Here are four not so good:--Magna Charta--'The Barons _extorted_ this Charter,' 1215. The Reformation--'They came _out of_ you, Rome,' 1534. Discovery of America--'In re _a_ famous navigator,' 1492. And Waterloo--Bonaparte says it--'Isle perfide tu _as_ vaincu,' 1815." "I have thought of one for the Reform Bill," said Emily: "get a portrait of Lord Russell, and let his scroll say, 'They've passed my bill.'"