said Mr. Mortimer, affectionately gazing upon the whole group, 'if
you are but good and amiable. I should be very glad to see my young
Fred a brave grenadier,' added the fond father placing his hand upon
the head of his young son: 'but I shall be much better pleased to see
him a good man. But now who is for a walk?--the morning is bright and
fair, and those who do not mind the cold, away for your great coats
and hats, and I will take a walk with you to the ice-house, and see if
the men are beginning to fill it.'

It was not necessary to repeat this invitation, and towards the
ice-house the party immediately proceeded. As they passed through the
park they went by a sheet of water, on which during the summer, had
been a boat, but which now was caked over with ice, and had every
appearance of being hard enough to bear the weight of a man with his
skates on. John and Frederick were both running to the edge: and had
not their father been with them would have immediately ventured on an
amusement, hardy and bracing when followed with prudence, but which
requires the caution of experience, not to be carelessly indulged in.

'Wait till to-morrow, boys,' said Mr. Mortimer, 'the ice is not strong
enough to bear you to-day. In another four and twenty hours, I think
it will be safe, should the frost continue, and I have directed James
to prepare my skates.'

The boys both desisted, for they had been very early taught to submit
to the opinion of their father: but Frederick could not help saying,
'I think it _would_ bear, papa:' and feeling more disappointment than
his looks perhaps expressed.

'We can very well wait another day, Frederick,' said John, as he saw
his brother's disappointment on walking on.

'Perhaps the frost may be broken then,' replied Frederick; but he soon
found other amusement, and bounded over the stile into the lane,
before the rest of the party had scarcely lost sight of the sheet of
water in the park.

'Oh, here are the men with a load,' said Frederick, as his father
came in sight, 'fine thick ice, papa--oh, so thick, I am sure it must
be hard enough to slide where that thick ice comes from.'

'That ice is taken from a mere hole,' replied Mr. Mortimer: 'from that
dirty little patch of water by the side of yonder hedge--do you see?
It is very shallow, and is therefore soon encrusted: but even before
it was cut by the pickaxe, it would not have been smooth enough to
have slidden upon, and now you see it