The Children of the New Forest

what might be the consequences if his days were shortened. What would become of them-living in so sequestered a spot that few knew even of its existence-totally shut out from the world, and left to

, the second, also promised well; but still they were all children. "I must bring them up to be useful-to depend upon themselves; there is not a moment to be lost, and not a moment shall be lost;

hildren were dressed, and in the sitting-room, opene

y the name of Armitage, and not that of Beverley; and you must dress like children of the forest, as you do now, and you must do as children of the forest do-that is, you must do every thing for yourselves, for you can have no servants to wait upon you. We must all work-but you will like

umphrey, "I'l

ve Edward to work with you when there is work to be done. Alice, dear, you must, with Humphrey, light the fire and clean the house in the morning. Humphrey will go to the spring for water, and do all the hard work; and you must learn to wash, m

ll the little chickens when they

on you will, and then it will be all play. I must teach you all, and every day you will do it better, till you want no teaching at all. A

except the

e and Edith to read in the evenings, when we have nothing to do. It wi

hed their work under his directions; and then they all sat down to breakfast, which was a very plain one, being generally cold meat, and cakes baked on the embers, at which Alice was soon very expert; and little Edith was very useful in watching them for her, while she busied herself about her other w

g is no use unless the stag is badly wounded, when the dog will take him. Smoker knows his duty well, and will hide himself as close as we do. We are now going into the thick wood ahead of us, as there are many little spots of cleared ground in it where we may find the deer; but we must keep more to the left, for the wind is to the eastward, and we must walk up against it. And now that we are coming into the wood, recollect, not a word must be said,

ter Edward. This tedious approach was continued for some time, and they had neared the stag to within half the original distance, when the animal again lifted up his head and appeared uneasy. Jacob stopped and remained without motion. After a time the stag walked away, fol

ng, and is very uneasy. Now we must go through the woods till we come to the lee of him on the other side of the dell. You see h

him, do you thi

he fern after me, you broke a piece of rot

at made but

ecks will happen, and have happened to me a hundred times, and then all the work is to be done over again. Now t

came to the fern at the side of the wood, and crawled through it as before, but still more cautiously as they approached the stag. In this manner they arrived at last to within eighty yards of the animal, and then Jacob advanced his gun ready to put it to his shoulder, and, as he cocked the lock, raised himself to fire. The click occasioned

on. Jacob commenced reloading his gun, and stopped Edw

ver do that again; never shout in that way-on the co

the stag

hat we both had guns, and that the report of mine had started another stag lying in the fern within shot, you would have been able to shoot it; or if a stag was lying at a distance, the report of the

"I was wrong; but I shall

et us go to our quarry. Ay, Edward, this is a noble be

hart roya

ld, at four years he is a staggart; at five years a warran

o you know

a warrantable stag but four; at six years old, the antlers increase in number until they sometimes have twenty or

animal, and afterward cut off i

Jacob, as he wiped his hunting

ot the

l lead you home by the shortest path. I will stay here, and you can saddle White Billy and come back with him, for he must carry the venison back. It's mo

e animal, came after them. During the walk home, Jacob initiated Edward into the terms of venery and many other points connected with deer-stalking, with which we shall not trouble our readers. As soon as they arrived at the cottage, the venison was hung up, the pony put in the stable, and then they sat down to dinner with an excellent appetite after their long morning's walk. Alice and Humphrey had cooked the dinner themselve

I intend to buy you a gun, that you may learn to stalk deer yourself without me; for, recollect, if any accident should happen to me, who is there but you to provide for your brother and sisters? At Lymington I am known to many; but out of all who know me, there is not one who knows where my cottage is; they know that I live in the New Forest, and that I supply them venison, and purchase other articles in return. That is all that they know: and I may there

he had a sack of oatmeal, some spades and hoes, a saw and chisels, and other tools; two scythes and two t

was reckoned the best shot in the Forest. I know the gun, for I have seen it on his arm, and have taken it in my hand to exa

I will try if I can not kill as much venison as will

fect in your woodcraft, I shall take Humphrey in hand, for there is nothing like having two strings to your bow. To-morrow we will not go out: we have meat enough for three weeks or mor

ing that he had a very good eye; and, after two or three hours

out by myself," said Edwar

great deal to learn yet; but I tell you what you shall do: any time th

will do," re

ed almost altogether within doors. Jacob and the boys went

for it would be very useful, and White Billy would then have somet

build a cart, perhaps I can buy one. It would be useful if it were only to take the dung out of t

it home in the cart, instead of dragging it in this way;

ut just now the roads are so blocked up, that I do not think we could ge

lthough at first he had many failures, and wasted nails and wood, by degrees he learned to use his tools with more dexterity, and made several little useful articles. Little Edith could now do something, for she made and baked all the oatmeal cakes, which saved Alice a good deal of time and trouble in watching them. It was astonishing how much the children could do, now that there was no one to do it for them; and they had daily instruction from Jacob. In the evening Alice sat down with her needle and thread to mend the c

ant, and his arrival at that age when he could in person support and uphold the cause. He longed to be in command, as his father had been-to lead his men on to victory-to recover his property, and to revenge himself on those who had acted so cruelly toward him. This was human nature; and much as Jacob Armitage would expostulate with him, and try to divert his feelings into other channels-long as he would preach to him about forgiveness of injuries, and patience until better t

; and this feeling, perhaps, more than any other, held him in some sort of check; and as the time when he might have an opportunity appeared far di