liable.'"

"Yes, Walter, you must be diligent and reliable. Haven't I always told
you that? And they require 'Dt. Ref.'; but you are that, thank God."

"Yes, mother, he's that all right."

"Stoffel, don't you think you'd better write the letter?"

"But it says 'in own handwriting.'"

"That's so! But if you write the letter in your own handwriting--that
will be better than for such a child to write it."

Stoffel had some difficulty in making it plain to his mother that
"own handwriting" meant Walter's own handwriting; but she finally
saw the point, and Walter was given a seat at the table.

"Well? What must I write at the top?"

"Now, have you forgotten that again? Such a simple thing? Have you
got down the date? Then write 'Gentlemen,' in business style. It says,
'responsible business firm.'"

"Yes," said the mother, "and add that your father had a business,
too. We sold shoes from Paris. Otherwise they will think we're only
shoemakers."

"And write that you are the first in school."

"And that you belong to the Dutch Reform Church."

"And that you are moral and well-behaved."

"And that you are diligent and reliable. Don't you see, you may get
a salary then right away."

At last the letter was ready. It only remained to stamp it and post
it. But why couldn't the young applicant deliver the letter in person
and save the postage? Stoffel thought there would be no impropriety
in such a course. Even a responsible business firm ought to overlook
such a detail.

With a heavy heart Walter started out on his important errand. He was
entering the real world, and was about to become a worshiper of the
great god of "business." He was depressed by his lack of confidence,
and felt that it was unbecoming in himself to make application to a
"responsible business firm."

If he met a man that looked well-to-do, he would ask himself if
the gentleman was a "business man," and belonged to a "responsible
business firm." This last high-sounding expression embodied mysteries
which he did not attempt to understand. He would learn it all later.

Walter stammered an excuse to the young fellow in the shop for not
having sent his letter by post. The fellow didn't understand him, but
threw the letter carelessly into a box containing a few dozen others
that were awaiting the favorable consideration of Messrs. Motto,
Business & Co.

The fellow was busy with some Turkish battles in glaring colors,
and declined to enter into an