“But suppose the rebels should fire at you,” said Frank, amused.  “What would you do then, Charlie?”

Charlie looked into the fire thoughtfully for a moment, as if this contingency had not presented itself to his mind until now.  Suddenly his face brightened up, and he answered.  “I’d run away just as fast as I could.”

All laughed at this, and Frank said:  “But that wouldn’t be acting like a brave soldier, Charlie.  You ought to stay and make the enemy run.”

“I wouldn’t want to stay and be shooted,” said Charlie ingenuously.

“There are many older than Charlie,” said Mr. Frost, smiling, “who would doubtless sympathize entirely with him in his objection to being shooted, though they might not be quite so ready to make confession as he has shown himself.  I suppose you have heard the couplet: 

          " ’He who fights and runs away
               May live to fight another day.’ "

“Pray don’t speak about shooting,” said Mrs. Frost, with a shudder.  “It makes me feel nervous.”

“And to-night we should only admit pleasant thoughts,” said her husband.  “Who is going to write me letters when I am gone?”

“I’ll write to you, father,” said Alice.

“And so will I,” said Maggie.

“I, too,” chimed in Charlie.

“Then, if you have so many correspondents already engaged, you will hardly want to hear from Frank and myself,” said his wife, smiling.

“The more the better.  I suspect I shall find letters more welcome than anything else.  You must also send me papers regularly.  I shall have many hours that will pass heavily unless I have something to read.”

“I’ll mail you Harper’s Weekly regularly, shall I, father?” asked Frank.

“Yes, I shall be glad enough to see it.  Then, there is one good thing about papers—­after enjoying them myself, I can pass them round to others.  There are many privations that I must make up my mind to, but I shall endeavor to make camp-life as pleasant as possible to myself and others.”

“I wish you were going out as an officer,” said Mrs. Frost.  “You would have more indulgences.”

“Very probably I should.  But I don’t feel inclined to wish myself better off than others.  I am:  willing to serve my country in any capacity in which I can be of use.  Thank Heaven, I am pretty strong and healthy, and better fitted than many to encounter the fatigues and exposures which are the lot of the private.”

“How early must you start to-morrow, father?” inquired Frank.

“By daylight.  I must be in Boston by nine o’clock, and you know it is a five-mile ride to the depot.  I shall want you to carry me over.”

“Will there be room for me?” asked Mrs. Frost.  “I want to see the last of you.”

“I hope you won’t do that for a long time to come,” said Mr. Frost, smiling.

“You know what I mean, Henry.”

“Oh, yes, there will be room.  At any rate, we will make room for you.  And now it seems to me it is time for these little folks to go to bed.  Charlie finds it hard work to keep his eyes open.”