Elsie's Vacation and After Events

val Academy. Till his name was called, he had hardly hoped there would be anything for him, and then as a letter

w sentences of fatherly advice and affection the captain had found time to pen before the Dolphin weighed anchor the previous evening. He knew the homesickness th

nto his pocket to read again and ponder upon when he cou

were possible, was the lad that his was t

py and proud of his first-born, it shall not b

d by the cadets, who one and all thought him a splendid specimen

that lay in his power, so very conscientious about obeying rules and doing his duty in everything, and brave in facing ridicule, insolence, and co

n September are styled,-with scorn, as knowing less than themselves; but that soon changed under the exhibition Max was able to make of all he had learned from his father during the weeks on

is education, and Hunt and others who had hoped for some fun in watching his maiden effort had to o

evident satisfaction. He wrote frequently and with much openness to that father, telling of his duties and pleasures and asking advice in any perplexity as

ommendation, encouragement, and the best of advice; also telling everything about the doings and happenings in the fami

eated their contents almost word for word; and every perusal increased the lad's desire and determination to be and do all those dea

was honest and true, and sin

the scenes of revolutionary events in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and, though far from regr

tter; none came the next day; but then it occurred to him that the Dolphin was probably on her homeward way and

t of the events of the last days spent in Philadelphia, the return voy

the concluding sentences of his father's letter re

with it. He made that very clear to the lad, calling him his dear son, his joy and pride, and telling him that until he was a father

to my kindest and best of fathers. How glad I am to have the chance! How than

each other from the first, and se

heir room in order, each trying to outdo his mate in the thoroug

arters, in which the whole battalion is formed into a fire-brigade, and when the fire-bell is sounded each cadet hastens to his proper place in the troop, and the steam fire-engine and h

re roused from sleep by the sound of the fire-bell, and springing up and running

ginning a very hurried toilet, Max doing the same, "and now we'll have

dit to our training here i

nguished, the brigade returned to the Academy, and the lads to their sleeping-

with material for an interesting letter to

ed Grace, when her father had finished reading aloud, to his wife a

rtant part of their education. There are

ay much about his own share in the work, I feel very sure he

his eyes. "It may be all parental partiality, but my boy

" said Violet. "I am very proud of my hus

upon the letter, his face expres

d; "something more that you c

turned; then

nd I were allowed to go into the city. We were walking along one of the sid

with earth and stones; its head was down, and it looked ready to drop, while the savage wretch (not worthy to be called a man) was

seemed to come from its mouth-'Aren't you ashamed to be beating me so, and swearing at m

ly one fellow said, 'It's the story of Balaam and his ass over again. There must be an angel somewhere round,' glancing from side to side as he spoke, i

ut didn't seem to be

on earth?' he said. 'Oh, there must be a ventriloquist somewher

wered, in a tone as if he was rather disgusted at my stupidity. 'How else

loquists, and so will be afraid to ill-use the poor creature any more.' 'I hope so, indeed,' he said. 'See, the crowd are stroking an

ooking at my watch, I saw that it was

d some of his tricks. Some of them remarked, in a wondering way, that I seemed very indifferent about it, and then I told them of Cousin Ronald and his doings at Ion, which interest

used his talent to do good

hope that poor horse will, as a conseque

so dreadfully," remarked Grace, with a sigh of relief. "I never thought bef

irth often does good like a medicine; but power to rescue even a dumb beast from ill-treatment is still more