n strict in discipline, and his little son had stood in awe of
him. Now that he had gone away, there seemed to be some danger that
Horace might fall into bad ways. His mother had many serious fears about
him, for, with her feeble health, and the care of little Katie, she
could not be as watchful of him as she wished to be. She remembered how
Mr. Clifford had often said, "He will either make something or
nothing," and she had answered, "Yes, there'll never be any half-way
place for Horace." She sighed now as she repeated her own words.

In his voyages of discovery Horace had found some gunpowder. "Mine!"
said he to himself; "didn't aunt Madge say we could have everything we
found up-attic?"

He knew that he was doing wrong when he tucked the powder slyly into his
pocket. He knew he did wrong when he showed it to Gilbert, saying,--

"Got any matches, Grasshopper?"

They dug holes in the ground for the powder, and over the powder crossed
some dry sticks. When they touched it off they ran away as fast as
possible; but it was a wonder they were not both blown up. It was
pleasant, no doubt, to hear the popping of the powder; but they dared
not laugh too loud, lest some one in the house should hear them, and
come out to ask what they could be playing that was so remarkably funny.

Mrs. Clifford little thought what a naughty thing Horace had been doing,
when she called him in one day, and said, with a smiling face,--for she
loved to make him happy,--"See, my son, what I have bought for you! It
is a present from your father, for in his last letter he asked me to get
it."

Horace fairly shouted with delight when he saw the beautiful Zouave
suit, gray, bordered with red, and a cap to match. If he had any twinges
of conscience about receiving this present, nobody knew it.

Here is the letter of thanks which he wrote to his father:--

"DEAR PAPA.

"I am sorry to say I have not seen you since you went to the
war. Grandpa has two pigs. I want a drum so much!

"We have lots of squirrels: they chip. We have orioles: they
say, 'Here, here, _here_ I be!'

"I want the drum because I am a _captain_! We are going to
train with paper caps.

"I get up the cows and have a good time.

"Good-by. From your son,

"HORACE P. CLIFFORD.

"P.S. Ma bought me the soldier-clothes. I thank you."

About this time Mrs. Clifford was trying to put together a barrel of
nice things to sen