‘What have you been doing, sonny?’ asked the young mother, whose eyes had brightened at the sight of him.

‘Telling father’s story,’ replied Teddy with alacrity.

A shadow came over his mother’s face, her lips took a distressed curve, but she said nothing, only occupied herself with attending to the child’s wants.  ‘Your father was never late for his meals,’ the grandmother put in with asperity.

’Never, granny?  Not when he was a boy?  I shall be always in time when I’m a soldier.’

‘Better begin now, then; bad habits, like weeds, grow apace!’

Teddy had no answer for this; his mouth was full of bread and butter, and he did not speak till the meal was over.  Then, whilst tea was being taken away by the women, he turned to his uncle, who, pulling out a pipe from his pocket, sat down by the open door to smoke.

‘Uncle Jake!’

A grunt was the only response; but that was sufficient.  The two perfectly understood each other, and a minute after Teddy was perched on his knee.

‘I’m wondering if I can’t get an enemy!’ the boy proceeded, folding his small arms and looking up at his uncle steadily; ’all good people had enemies in the Bible, and I haven’t one, I should like to have a good right down enemy!’

‘To fight?’ asked his uncle.

’To carry on with, you know; he would lay traps for me, and I would for him, like David and Saul; we should have a fine time of it.  And then perhaps, if he did something dreadfully wrong, mother would give me leave to fight him, just once in a way.  Don’t you think that would be nice?’

‘Fightin’ ain’t the only grand thing in this world; peace is grander,’ was the slow response to this appeal.

’That’s what mother says.  She made me learn this morning—­“Blessed are the peacemakers!” but you must have an enemy to make peace with, and I haven’t got one.’

There was silence; the uncle puffed away at his pipe; he was a good man, and had more brains than his appearance warranted, but Teddy’s speeches were often a sore puzzle to him.  The boy continued in a slow, thoughtful tone, ’I saw some one to-day that I feel might be an enemy, but she’s a girl; men don’t fight with women.’

’I’d rather tackle a man than a woman any day.  They be a powerful enemy sometimes, lad!  And what have this young maid done to you?’

’She said,’—­and Teddy’s eyes grew bright whilst the blood rushed into his cheeks—­’she said she didn’t believe a word of father’s story—­not a word of it!  And she laughed, and walked away.’

‘That was coming it strong; and who is she, to talk so?’

’She’s a stranger; Sam said she’s come to live with old Sol at the turnpike.’

‘That must be Grace’s child,’ said old Mrs. Platt, coming up and joining in the conversation.  ’I heard she was coming to stay with her father this summer, and glad I am of it too—­the old man is very lonely.  I suppose her husband is at sea again.’