every comfort will be provided
for him, so that he may depart from this world without a pang, when,
in the course of years, he shall have lived beyond the period at
which he can work and be useful."

"But look at Mr Crasweller, father. Who is more useful than he is?"

Nothing had been more unlucky to me as the promoter of the Fixed
Period than the peculiar healthiness and general sanity of him who
was by chance to be our first martyr. It might have been possible
to make Jack understand that a rule which had been found to be
applicable to the world at large was not fitted for some peculiar
individual, but it was quite impossible to bring this home to the
mind of Mrs Neverbend. I must, I felt, choose some other opportunity
for expounding that side of the argument. I would at the present
moment take a leaf out of my wife's book and go straight to my
purpose. "I tell you what it is, young man," said I; "I do not intend
to be thwarted by you in carrying on the great reform to which I
have devoted my life. If you cannot hold your tongue at the present
moment, and abstain from making public addresses in the market-place,
you shall go out of Britannula. It is well that you should travel and
see something of the world before you commence the trade of public
orator. Now I think of it, the Alpine Club from Sydney are to be in
New Zealand this summer, and it will suit you very well to go and
climb up Mount Earnshawe and see all the beauties of nature instead
of talking nonsense here in Gladstonopolis."

"Oh, father, I should like nothing better," cried Jack,
enthusiastically.

"Nonsense," said Mrs Neverbend; "are you going to send the poor boy
to break his neck among the glaciers? Don't you remember that Dick
Ardwinkle was lost there a year or two ago, and came to his death in
a most frightful manner?"

"That was before I was born," said Jack, "or at any rate very shortly
afterwards. And they hadn't then invented the new patent steel
climbing arms. Since they came up, no one has ever been lost among
the glaciers."

"You had better prepare then to go," said I, thinking that the idea
of getting rid of Jack in this manner was very happy.

"But, father," said he, "of course I can't stir a step till after the
great cricket-match."

"You must give up cricket for this time. So good an opportunity for
visiting the New Zealand mountains may never come again."

"Give up the match!" he exclaimed. "Why, the English sixteen are
co