f you."

For his mother's grief called forth his manliness.

She meant to be cheerful; but Horace knew she did not look or seem like
herself: he thought he ought to try to make her happy.

Whenever he asked for money, as he too often did, she told him that now
his father was gone, there was no one to earn anything, and it was best
to be rather prudent. He wanted a drum; but she thought he must wait a
while for that.

They were far from being poor, and Mrs. Clifford had no idea of
deceiving her little son. Yet he _was_ deceived, for he supposed that
his mother's pretty little porte-monnaie held all the bank-bills and all
the silver she had in the world.

"O, Grace!" said Horace, coming down stairs with a very grave face, "I
wish I was grown a man: then I'd earn money like sixty."

Grace stopped her singing long enough to ask what he meant to do, and
then continued in a high key,--

"Where, O where are the Hebrew children?"

"O, I'm going as a soldier," replied Horace: "I thought everybody knew
that! The colonels make a heap of money!"

"But, Horace, you might get shot--just think!"

"Then I'd dodge when they fired, for I don't know what you and ma would
do if _I_ was killed."

"Well, please step out of the way, Horace; don't you see I'm sweeping
the piazza?"

"I can't tell," pursued he, taking a seat on one of the stairs in the
hall: "I can't tell certain sure; but I may be a minister."

This was such a funny idea, that Grace made a dash with her broom, and
sent the dirt flying the wrong way.

"Why, Horace, you'll never be good enough for a minister!"

"What'll you bet?" replied he, looking a little mortified.

"You're getting to be a dear good little boy, Horace," said Grace,
soothingly; "but I don't _think_ you'll ever be a minister."

"Perhaps I'd as soon be a shoemaker," continued Horace, thoughtfully;
"they get a great deal for tappin' boots."

His sister made no reply.

"See here, now, Grace: perhaps you'd rather I'd be a tin-pedler; then
I'd always keep a horse, and you could ride."

"Ride in a cart!" cried Grace, laughing. "Can't you think of anything
else? Have you forgotten papa?"

"O, now I know," exclaimed Horace, with shining eyes: "it's a lawyer
I'll be, just like father was. I'll have a 'sleepy partner,' the way
Judge Ingle has, and by and by I'll be a judge."

"I know that would please ma, Horace," replied Grace, looking at her
little brother with a good deal of pride.

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