ildren the
'desert,' because nothing grew there but a few stunted shrubs. He left
the younger ones to play about there, while he passed on and walked
along the high road to meet his two elder brothers, Honorius and John,
who attended a day school in the neighbourhood, and always came home at
twelve and returned in the afternoon. Willie was of an age to go to
school too; but his father, who was not a rich man, could not afford to
send him just then, and therefore instructed him himself, together with
Duncan and Seymour, though rather in a desultory fashion, as he was a
doctor, and could not command much uninterrupted time.

The Doctor's seven sons were well known in the neighbourhood, and
acknowledged by every one to be 'nice, gentlemanly boys;' so Willie had
to receive and return some greetings both from high and low as he passed
along. But before he had gone far he descried an elder boy with some
lesson-books in his hand coming towards him, whereupon he shouted 'Is
that you, old fellow? What have you done with Johnnie?' and bounded to
his side.

Honorius was, like his name, grave and dignified,--at least as much so
as a boy of fourteen can be without affectation. He answered quietly
that Johnnie had taken the path through the fields in order to hunt for
sticklebats in Farmer Merryman's pond, and that he did not know when
they might expect to see him again. But at that very moment a bright,
mischievous face peered over the hedge at one side of the road, and
then, with a warning to them to stand clear, and 'a one, two, three, and
away,' Johnnie--for he it was--took a running leap, cleared the hedge,
and stood beside them. Willie explained his reason for coming to meet
them, and the three boys took their way to the desert, lamenting that
the ground was not smooth enough there to admit of their playing
cricket, as they did on the lawn.

'Do you know I've been thinking,' said Willie suddenly, 'that it would
be very jolly if we could dig up the desert, and make it a nice place
for mamma to walk in when she gets better? We might have paths this way
and that, and then flower-beds or turf between; though, to be sure, papa
_did_ say that when he could afford to have it cultivated, he would
plant some of it with potatoes.'

'Oh, plebeian notion!' said Johnnie, tossing his handsome head, 'he will
propose keeping pigs next! What do you say to it, my Emperor? is not
your royal mind duly horrified?' The Emperor, as his brother ca