om the wars. Did you ever
read them, my friend? They are worth reading, and I will quote them
for you:

"My father was a farmer good,
With corn and beef in plenty.
I mowed, and hoed, and held the plow
And longed for one and twenty;
For I had quite a martial turn,
And scorned the lowing cattle;
I burned to wear a uniform,
Hear drums, and see a battle.

"My birth-day came; my father urged,
But stoutly I resisted;
My sister wept, my mother prayed,
But off I went, and 'listed.
They marched me on through wet and dry,
To tunes more loud than charming,
But lugging knapsack, box and gun,
Was harder work than farming.

"We met the foe--the cannons roared--
The crimson tide was flowing--
The frightful death-groans filled my ears--
I wished that I was mowing.
I lost my leg--the foe came on--
They had me in their clutches--
I starved in prison till the peace,
Then hobbled home on crutches."

This young hero gives the other and darker side of war, you see. There
is reality in what the poor fellow says, if he does tell his story in
rather a humorous vein. I tell you what it is, little friend, there is
nothing good in war. It is a terrible thing; and though I don't
pretend to say that it is never necessary, I consider it one of the
worst curses with which a nation is ever visited--worse than
pestilence, worse than famine. That is the reason why I do not quite
like to see boys so fond of war, and so full of the war spirit.

But we must proceed with the story.

CHAP. X.

THE GLASS OF GIN.

Soon after breakfast was over that morning, Samuel and his companion
strolled out into the village. None but those who are kept constantly
at work in a close room, almost every day in the year, except Sunday,
can imagine with what light hearts these two boys walked the streets
of that factory village, on the morning of that memorable holiday. I
say memorable. It proved to be a day which neither of these boys could
well forget.

As they passed along through the village in the course of the
forenoon, they saw a great many sights, which to their young eyes,
were worth going a great way to see. There were tents erected on the
square in front of the meeting house--tents in which there were scores
of eatable and drinkable things to sell. In one of these tents, there
was a boy, who seemed very much at home, dea