Teddy's Button

ing fo

ment of the crowded schoolroom had not lessened the superabundance of energy and high spi

Platt!' 'Young Ted, wh

eneral cry. But Teddy

n kept in?'

He's up in the

a beauty! And his eyes sort o' wandered away from it, as if it had been

g but soldiers?" And Ted he got as red as fire, and says, "It's full of them to-day, sir"; and teacher said, "Go down to the bottom of the class till you can empty it of them then, and tell me wh

soon as he's big enough, and I'

e impatient ones; 'if Ted's not

school were soon forgotten

His little feet sped swiftly along, and as he ran he talked in a whisper to himself, which was his way when anything special was weighing on his mind. 'I'll go right into the

there, peeping round corners, and thrusting his curly head in amon

n leaves above him to the sunny blue sky beyond, he stood with clasped hands and parted lips for a moment or two in perfect silence. The soft wind played gently with his curls, and rustled amongst the leafy boughs overhead, and in the distance the birds' sweet voices were the only sounds that met his ears. As the boy's eyes ca

e Your soldier for ever and ever. Will You please keep me always? I never want to go back from being Your soldier. Make me fight a grand fight, and help me to hold Your colours up well; and please, God, will You tell father I've enlisted this afte

d be stamped on his memory as long as he lived. And now that the deed was done a great load seemed to be lifted off his mind. He came into the midst of the boys on the green a short time afterwards with a radiant face, and took his sha

for, s

too late, do you think? I

upon the eager littl

hen; but don

econd time that week Teddy w

med breathlessly, as soon as he was us

have you b

te beehives. Then, noting the disappointed look on the child's face, and recognising who it was, he added briskly, 'Ah! it

ned. 'I enlisted th

? No short-service

troops abroad, and it was his knowledge of

or life

e to Himself, my boy,

y, 'Please, sir, you said you would show

of the many-whic

ive one,"

ember. Come

ont of a large mirror reaching down to the g

aid in a disappointed tone, thou

enemy, and the older you live the more you will disc

r, I don't

Jesus Christ, you will find that you will have two Teddies to deal with-a good one and a bad one. Th

ll about her. I-I

will. Now you must fight against the bad Teddy, and overc

Teddy thoughtfully. 'La

s from the Park orchard.

ut I thought it would b

my good sel

n. Our Officer always leads, and rememb

e law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.... Who shall deliver me from the body of this

ly at meal-times Teddy chose to make his observ

liest name that cou

s grandmother. 'And who may

about as old as me. What d

always seems to fit. I knew two boys named Tobiah and Eli. I didn't like the names at firs

asserted Teddy; 'some name that w

call any one by it,' observed

y. 'I expect I'll find one for myself,' he s

out to the woods. When out of sight he began a brisk conversation with himself,

k him. I hope I shan't have to wait long, for I want it all settled, so that I can begin to fight properly with him. Now I've got to find Nancy. Mr. Upton said I was to be friends with her, and I've got to hold up my banner of love over her. I hope she'll like it. She's a horrid-Aha, that's m

t the nimble way Nancy was climbing up an old beech-tree. He gave a shrill wh

d little button-boy.

onder at her rapid ascent, and the fearless way in which she seemed to plant her small feet on the most fragile-looking branches. Up they went, p

ht me. I can go up the rigging as far as any sailor boy, and this i

r a moment. Each child was trying to recover breath, and Teddy was

ft blue eyes to the clear sky above. 'I wonder if that's the reason birds in

arrel, and you didn'

t wo

But Teddy was too intent upon pulling something out of his pocket to notice her correction. He slowly unrolled a large white po

Jake for one of his best handkerchiefs. He gave it to me last night

, uneven black letters that oc

curiously; 'wha

that I'm going to carry

to love e

ed. 'I don't want you

got to

you going

m never going to be angry w

I've got to tell you I'm sorry I wouldn't let you cross th

red inquisitively into the d

ally sorry?

st part of me is; my

ond Nancy's

ngry, or set those horr

never

oduced hastily out of the other pock

little teeth met in it she said, with one of he

tter, because it wi

then, if you'l

t is

at old butt

gasped at t

ad, or chopped into little tiny bits! I'll never give it up! It's going to be on my coats and waistcoats till I'm

he young orator

he said

n't eat or drink nothing, but I'd go sadly to my grave and lay my head down, and the next morning you

ancy was silent. At last she said, 'I'll ne

ke me a litt

at,' she repli

r say you don't bel

going to

'I'll hear some more of your stories first. I want to hear one

slowly, 'I make believe I do, but I

e a sto

round a bough, and with

and the light spa

ak-tree, and found a little door leading down

lories, thrilling adventures and escapes. Was it any wonder that with such a gift for story-telling Teddy was the king of the village? It came to an end at last, and Nancy drew

ed, with a quick little nod of her head

was gaining supremacy over her, 'but I'm going home now. I

ed, as after a scramble down, they stood at the foot of th

'and His banner is love, so I have to lo

hy

e to, and I'm one o

us any s

answer was given with a slight air of

believe He has sailors just as well as

there's nothing about Jesus' sailors in the Bible; but I'll ask mother, and

ampered in different directions, Nancy calling out, like a true littl