Probable Sons

willing to fill his house with his London friends, he was better pleased to live the greater part of the year in seclus

ssary arrangements for her comfort. Accordingly he had a long interview with her nurse the following morning. It proved to be satisfactory. The nur

sent down to you in the evening-at

he dubiously. "Is it necessary? I thought

do not dine so late as some do. I thought y

hed for the fruit on the table, and did not herself engross the whole conversation, he became quite reconciled to

e stables, her arms round the stable cat, and the grooms holding a voluble conversation with her, or among the cows at the bottom of the paddock, or feeding the pigs and fowls in the poultry yard. Generally she was attended

e usual formula: "Now run away child, to nurse," by singing out cheerfully: "I am just off, uncle," and by the time he ha

en for some minutes she and Fritz seemed to be having a kind of a game of hide and seek with one another, until she pushed him into a bush and commanded him to stay there. Suddenly dog and child darted at each other, and then, to Sir Edward's amazement, he saw his little niece

t sharply, "come to me at

ace to his, she placed herself in her favorite attitude when in his prese

ou are so rough with him? Were you tr

xertions, "I was trying to kill him! He's a bear

dward's comprehension. He looked

cont

came, and they both tried to get the lamb. Nurse was the lion one

own in that fashion. He might hu

wful; then brighte

? That's Goliath. He is looking at me now. Do you see where his eyes come? Just up there in those first branches. When it's windy he sha

ly interested. He leaned again

t think I d

e a man to come and fight me.' He's saying that to me now. I'm Da

with a tiny calico bag, which she opened very carefully a

ing, he says, which would kill anything. But it's all right; I pretend I have a sling, you know. Now you wait here; I'm going to

pped out with regular even steps until she was abou

ody to be pecked at and eaten by the birds; but you won

lung her stones one by one at the tree, pa

in looking up at him with those earnest eyes of hers, "quite dead; and if I had a sword I would play

ick reply. Then taking his cigar

r play consist in

nd lion and Goliath, because t

cont

ong walk, but I get happier and happier as I go, and I get to walk very quick at last, and then I run when I see my father. Do you see that nice big old tree right up there with the red leaves, uncle? That's him, and I run up and say, 'Father, I have sinned; I am not fit to come back, but I am so sorry that I left you,' and then I just hug him and kiss him; and, do you

Edward. "I somehow think it is not quite correct," and

Bible so much, you see. Nurse tells me the stories ever so often, and I know

d desires filled his soul. Gradually he wandered farther and farther away from the right path, and when he came into his property he took possession of it with no other aim and object in life than to enjoy himself in his own way and to totally ignore both the past and future. Beyond going to church once on Sunday he made no profession of religion, but that custom he conformed to most regularly, and the vicar of the parish had nothing to co