she said.

10. "I listened and heard a horse in the lane before the door,
neighing,--I can't tell you exactly how it was,--as though he would call
up the house. It was rather queer, I thought, so I got up and looked out
of the window, and it seemed to me he had a saddle on. He stamped, and
pawed, and then he gave another neigh, and stamped again.

11. "Said I to my wife, 'There is something wrong here,' and I dressed and
went out. When he saw me, he acted in the strangest way you ever saw;
thought I, if ever an animal wanted to speak, that animal does. When I
tried to catch him, he shot off, ran down the lane a bit, and then came
back acting as strangely as ever.

12. "I went into the house and woke up my brother, here, and we saddled
our horses and started. Away went yours ahead, stopping every minute to
look around and see if we followed. When we came to the water I rather
hesitated, but it was of no use; the horse would have us go on and on,
till we found you. I never heard of such a thing before, in all my life."
Gilbert did not speak, but two large tears slowly gathered in his eyes,
and rolled down his cheeks. The men saw his emotion, and respected it.

13. In the light of the cold, keen dawn, they reached a snug farmhouse, a
mile from the Brandywine. The men lifted Gilbert from the saddle, and
would have carried him immediately into the house, but he first leaned
upon Roger's neck, took the faithful creature's head in his arms, and
kissed it.

DEFINITIONS.--2. Pros'pect, ground or reason for hoping, antic-ipation. 5.
Breast'ed (pro. brest'ed), opposed courageously. 6. Numb, without the
power of feeling or motion. Re-laxed', loosened. 12. E-mo'tion, excited
feeling, agitation.

LXXXVII. THE BEST CAPITAL (245)

Louisa May Alcott was born at Germantown, Pa., in 1833, and, among other
works, wrote many beautiful stories for children. During the Civil War she
was a hospital nurse at Washington. The following selection is adapted
from "Little Men." She died in 1888.

1. One would have said that modest John Brooke, in his busy, quiet, humble
life, had had little time to make friends; but now they seemed to start up
everywhere,--old and young, rich and poor, high and low; for all
unconsciously his influence had made itself widely felt, his virtues were
remembered, and his hidden charities rose up to bless him.

2. The group about his coffin was a far more eloquent eulogy than any that
man could utter. Ther