Page:Stories told to a child.djvu/95

 cobbler's wax, and the cabbage-nets, and the packthread, and the fishing-hooks, and the knife, and the new fishing-rod that I asked for when she came to see me, we should all be very glad.

'We have dug a hole in the playground nearly fifteen feet deep, we mean to dig till we get to water, and on half-holidays we fish in the water on the common, where there is an island. The boys want to make a bridge to reach it, but we haven't got anything to make it of. We have not got any fish yet, only newts out of that water, but we saw a good large one on Saturday, and Cooper says he is determined he'll have him. Cooper can fish beautifully.

' Dear father, the thieves have stolen all the apples out of the garden, which is a great pity. I send my love to my mother.

' I remain, dear father, your dutiful son,

''

This interesting letter was read by his parents with tears of joy; indeed, from this time till their son was fifteen years old, he gave them neither trouble nor anxiety, excepting twice—namely, when he took the measles, and when he fought with another boy, and came home with a black eye.

At fifteen, he was apprenticed to his father, and during his apprenticeship his career was as brilliant as could have been desired. Of course he liked to be well dressed, which his mother felt to be the natural consequence of his good looks. He also liked now and then to spend an afternoon in the parks, looking about him, which his father was glad of; for with such Rh