ave tried, if it had been any real
advantage to you."

"Well, I hope he will approve. I must speak to him as soon as I can find
him with his mind tolerably disengaged."

The scene that ensued that evening in the magic lantern before
Margaret's bed, did not promise much for the freedom of her father's
mind. Harry entered with a resolute manner. "Margaret, I wanted to speak
to you," said he, spreading himself out, with an elbow on each arm of
the chair. "I want you to speak to papa about my going to sea. It is
high time to see about it--I shall be thirteen on the fourth of May."

"And you mean it seriously, Harry?"

"Yes, of course I do, really and truly; and if it is to come to pass, it
is time to take measures. Don't you see, Margaret?"

"It is time, as you say," answered Margaret reflectingly, and sadly
surveying the bright boy, rosy cheeked, round faced, and blue eyed, with
the childish gladsomeness of countenance, that made it strange that his
lot in life should be already in the balance.

"I know what you will all tell me, that it is a hard life, but I must
get my own living some way or other, and I should like that way the
best," said he earnestly.

"Should you like to be always far from home?"

"I should come home sometimes, and bring such presents to Mary, and
baby, and all of you; and I don't know what else to be, Margaret. I
should hate to be a doctor--I can't abide sick people; and I couldn't
write sermons, so I can't be a clergyman; and I won't be a lawyer, I
vow, for Harvey Anderson is to be a lawyer--so there's nothing left but
soldiers and sailors, and I mean to be a sailor!"

"Well, Harry, you may do your duty, and try to do right, if you are a
sailor, and that is the point."

"Ay, I was sure you would not set your face against it, now you know
Alan Ernescliffe."

"If you were to be like him--" Margaret found herself blushing, and
broke off.

"Then you will ask papa about it?"

"You had better do so yourself. Boys had better settle such serious
affairs with their fathers, without setting their sisters to interfere.
What's the matter, Harry--you are not afraid to speak to papa?"

"Only for one thing," said Harry. "Margaret, I went out to shoot
pee-wits last Saturday with two fellows, and I can't speak to papa while
that's on my mind."

"Then you had better tell him at once."

"I knew you would say so; but it would be like a girl, and it would be
telling of the two fellows."

"Not at