will; but I'm very glad
I can be one of God's soldiers without waiting to grow up. And I think I
shall be a recruiting sergeant for God now; I'm sure He wants lots more
soldiers, doesn't He?'

'Indeed He does, my boy. Now go to sleep; you have had a very exciting
day.'

'But the best of all is,' said Teddy sleepily, 'that Bouncer has
enlisted.'

There was quite a crowd of villagers and children the next morning round
the Hare and Hounds. The soldiers were drawn up outside, waiting for the
approach of their regiment from the town to fall in and march on with
them. Teddy and Nancy were, of course, there; the little girl, in spite
of her alleged disdain of soldiers, was delighted to be in their
vicinity. Teddy could not get near his friend Bouncer, but he received a
friendly nod from him in the distance, and as for Bouncer's face, it was
like sunshine itself, a marked contrast to the day before. As the band
was heard approaching, cheers were given to the men now leaving, and a
tall corporal who had much enjoyed his tea the night before stooped to
ask of Nancy, who was standing close to him, 'What's the name of that
curly-headed youngster who got us the tea?'

Nancy looked up at him mischievously: 'The button-boy! That's what I call
him, and I shan't never call him anything else!'

Then the corporal's voice rang out clear and loud,--

'Three cheers for the little button-boy !' which was taken up
enthusiastically by the soldiers, and Teddy hardly knew whether he was on
his head or heels from excitement and delight. But he had to pay a
penalty for his prominent position. From that day the title of the
'button-boy' stuck to him, and it became his nickname in the village by
all who knew him.

On came the regiment, with the colours flying and the band playing in the
most orthodox style, and Teddy was bitterly disappointed when the warning
bell of school prevented him from marching along the road with them.

The schoolmaster was very lenient with the boys that morning, or else
they would have been in dire disgrace, for lessons were imperfectly
learned and said, and never had he found it so difficult to keep their
attention.

But if Teddy was inattentive and careless at school, he was doubly
troublesome at home, and for the next few days his mother's fears were
realised. The excitement of all that had taken place seemed to have quite
turned his head for the time. He jumped on Kate Brown's back--the hired
girl--when she