ged to wear humiliating garments.
Actually there was lace on his collar. And the boy wore curls! not long
ones, but curls nevertheless. G. W. had by this time acquired tact
sufficient to forbid mention of these pitiful details, but he said
slowly, "I'se right sorry fur de Boy, Colonel, kase he's 'bliged to stay
away frum being wid you!"

G. W. was too sincere to be laughed at, and the Boy's father replied
gently:

"Well, you see, comrade, it is this way: the Boy is serving his country
as well as you. He'd like to be here first-rate,--a drum-call sets him
prancing like a war horse,--but there's the Mother, you know. It would
never do to leave her quite alone--he's taking my place by her side
until the country needs me no longer and I may go home. There are a good
many ways of serving, old man.

"G. W., once I was walking through a gallery of an ancient castle, and I
noticed among the armor and weapons which lined the walls a little
gauntlet and sword. So very small were they that I questioned the guide,
and he told me this story:

'In the dark days of long ago, when a man's castle had to be
defended from his foes, and every one was on guard against an
attack, there was a knight who had four sons and one fair daughter.
Three of the sons were great stalwart fellows, but the fourth was a
crippled lad who lay upon his bed in the turret chamber week after
week, dreaming his dreams and looking out across the wide parks
over which he was never to ride to wage war against a cruel foe.
The pretty sister sat much with him and wove wondrous stories from
her busy brain to help while away the weary hours; and she got the
father to have the slender gauntlet and sword made, so that the
patient soldier upon the bed might the better believe himself like
the strong, brave heroes of her tales.

'Now it came to pass that a very wicked lord of an adjoining
country wished to marry the pretty sister, and take her to his
gloomy castle. To that the father and brothers said, "No!" They
vowed that they would fight to the end rather than that the wicked
lord should have his way. And soon they saw that they must indeed
fight if they would keep her, for rumor reached them that the lord
had raised a mighty company and was nearing their castle. Then
every man prepared himself for battle, and in the turret room the
small warrior lay upon his be