grievances known there. Bursting into the parlour, where his mother and sister were sitting at work, he exclaimed, throwing his cap with much indignation on the floor, and himself into a rocking-chair, 'I declare, if this isn't the meanest country I ever saw in my life! When I am a man you just catch me going to fight for it. I wouldn't if the rebels beat us hollow; we deserve it, that we do!' • What now, Hal? I suppose that means that your flag is torn, and you want me to mend it; or your cannon has. burst; or, more likely, that the purse is low, and you want a little help from the "Soldiers' Aid Society," said his sister Emma, laughing.

'No, it doesn't!' said Hal very crossly; 'and I'll just thank you, Miss Emma, with all your fine airs, to remember you are only two years older than I am, and needn't be quite so grandmamma-ish; it means just what I say, that a country that is managed as ours is is a contemptible affair, and doesn't deserve to rank among nations.'

'Don't talk so, my son,' said his mother gently. 'You either do not mean or do not understand what you are saying.'

'I do, mother! I know if my father were killed in battle, and I had to give up going to school and go into a butcher's shop to earn my living and yours and Emma's, we should all think it was a pretty hard measure.'

Emma laughed, and said: 'I am afraid some of us should if you had to earn our living, as you call it. Hal, what are you talking about?'

'Why, about Ned Randall, of course; don't you know anything? I heard father say only this morning he was

afraid they would have to wait a long time for the pension, for there was so much business to be gone through first. There is no manner of doubt the man was killed; but his body has not been sufficiently identified, and then it is thought that, after all, he may be a prisoner, so there is no knowing when the family will see the first instalment. In the meantime, what does Ned do, like a great goose, but give up going to school and college, and all those things that we have planned together for years, and go into a butcher's shop-a butcher's shop of all things! There he is this very minute! O, it makes me so mad!' And Hal snatched up his сар, and gave it a kick with his boot as if it was the only relief he could find.

'I am very sorry for Ned,' said his mother, gravely; 'but I don't know, Hal, that your best cap is in any way accountable for it. It looks childish to see you give vent to your impatience in such a way. Pick it up, and hang it in its place.'

Hal looked a little ashamed as he rose to obey his mother; but as he came back, he said testily, 'What is the use of having a country, if it can't treat its dead soldier's family decently?'

Do be sensible, Hal,' said Emma; 'you know as well as we do that you are talking nonsense. If you feel so old, behave more like a man.'

'All very fine talking! but in the meantime what is to become of Ned Randall ?-just answer me that, will you ? for that is the point in debate.'

'I thought it was the miserable country we lived in. I don't know about Ned. What does he say?'

'Why, he talks as you might know he would! Says there is no help for it; that he might be a great deal worse off than he is, for he has health, strength, and willingness; that it is only little by little, and it will be all done, and a lot more such stuff, that it made me real angry to hear! I just scolded him right out!' said Hal, the tears suddenly coming into his eyes and his voice trembling; 'I was as mad as a March hare!'

'You were a very gentle, pleasant comforter, then, Hal!' said his mother. 'Didn't it occur to you that it was hard enough for the boy without your making it any harder?'

No, mother!' And Hal, with one of those changes of feeling to which he was subject, began to see the matter in a new light; and before five minutes were past had forgotten to blame his country, but was piling quite as many hard names on himself. While he was in this mood the door opened noisily, and they all, when they heard a step, knew Aunt Betty was coming.

'What's the matter, now, pet?' she said, as she saw the frown on Hal's face. 'A little boy who has everything and everybody in this world to make him happy should see what I have seen this very day, if he wants to be shamed into being contented and happy!'

'What is that?' asked Hal's mother, glad of anything that would make a diversion.

'It's a little born and bred gentleman, I'll answer for it he is, doing work of which you wouldn't think.'

'I know; she has been down to Mr. Jenkins's shop and seen Ned,' broke in Hal; 'I told you it was a sin and a shame, and now you hear.'

'How did he know?' asked Aunt Betty, looking at him in much surprise. It is, sure enough.'

'O, I am not a goose, Aunt Betty, and Ned Randall is the dearest friend I have in the world. I should think I might know; I have been down there tormenting him half of the morning.'

Tormenting him?'

'Yes, tormenting him! Shouldn't you call it torment, if you had fought it out, and done what you thought was right in the end, and somebody came and told you, you were a sneak and a fool for your pains, and if you had a little more spirit in you, you would have done differently? Well, that's what I did; and now what do you think of me?

'That you are a very mean boy, and deserve to be whipped,' said Aunt Betty, looking over her spectacles very ominously at Hal. 'I would have cut my tongue out first.'

'Don't blame him,' said his mother; he is more sorry for it than I can tell you; and really, if he had not loved Ned very much, he would not have done so. You know Hal always has very odd ways of showing his affection.'

CHAPTER V.

THE APPRENTICE.

T was an unusually busy season in Mr. Jenkins's shop; so far the war, instead of being any check to business, had rather given it a start. Stock poured in from all parts of the country to Harland for its market; and so tempting were the opportunities to trade which were offered, that after a little hesitation, Mr. Jenkins resolved to accept an appointment which was proffered him, to supply with meat the camp established for volunteers in a town only a few miles distant. This of course, in addition to his ordinary run of customers at home, very much increased his business, and he soon found that, instead of giving Ned a chance to study, as he had expected, he must have a new apprentice to help him. Unfortunately, his choice was not a very large one, and he was obliged for the time being to employ a boy of fourteen years of age, noted alike for his carelessness and bad ways. He did not intend to have him in his shop, but thought he would answer to drive to and from the camp; and his active habits, if he could be kept steadily at his work, would make him quite useful.

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