of
money, and give him all necessary directions. If on the
other hand he appears to be a little afraid, send some one
with him. Perhaps Beechnut could come."

Here Mrs. Henry raised her eyes from the letter as if she had read all
that related to the subject, and Phonny immediately exclaimed.

"Send me, mother; send _me_. I'll go and take care of him. Let me go,
Stivy, that will be the best plan." As he said this Phonny, using his
hoe for a vaulting pole, began to leap about the yard with delight at
the idea.

Stuyvesant remained where he was, with a pleased though thoughtful
expression of countenance, but saying nothing.

"I'll give you two hours to think of it," said Mrs. Henry, addressing
Stuyvesant. "You must set off either alone or with Beechnut to-morrow
morning."

"Well," said Stuyvesant, "I will think of it and come to tell you. And
now, Phonny, let us go and put away the tools."

In the course of the two hours which Stuyvesant was allowed for
considering the question, he made a great many inquiries of Beechnut
in respect to the journey, asking not only in relation to the course
which he should pursue at the different points in the journey if every
thing went prosperously and well, but also in regard to what he should
do in the various contingencies which might occur on the way.

"Do you advise me to try it?" said Stuyvesant.

"Yes," said Beechnut, "by all means; and that is very disinterested
advice, for there is nothing that I should like better than to go with
you."

Mrs. Henry herself afterward asked Beechnut if he thought it would be
safe for Stuyvesant to go alone.

"Just as safe," said Beechnut, "as it would be for him to go under my
charge. There is always danger of accidents, in traveling," he added,
"but there is no more danger for Stuyvesant alone than if he were in
company."

"But will he know what to do always," said Mrs. Henry, "in order to
get along?"

"I think he will," said Beechnut. "I shall explain it all to him
beforehand."

"But there may be some accident," said Mrs. Henry. "The train may run
off the track, or there may be a collision."

"That is true," replied Beechnut, "but those things will be as likely
to happen if I were with him as if he were alone. It seems to me that
when a boy gets as old as Stuyvesant, the only advantage of having
some one with him when he is traveling is to keep him from doing
careless or foolish things,--and Stuyvesant can take c