diers in their
shining armour!"

"I hope you will see them some day, my dear boy, if you continue to be
good and obedient." I then explained my parable fully, and applied the
moral to each of my sons directly.

"You, Fritz, should take warning from the people who planted wild fruit,
and wished to make them pass for good fruit. Such are those who are
proud of natural virtues, easy to exercise,--such as bodily strength,
or physical courage; and place these above the qualities which are only
attained by labour and patience.

"You, Ernest, must remember the subjects who laid out their land in
flowery gardens; like those who seek the pleasures of life, rather than
the duties. And you, my thoughtless Jack, and little Francis, think of
the fate of those who left their land untilled, or heedlessly sowed
tares for wheat. These are God's people who neither study nor reflect;
who cast to the winds all instruction, and leave room in their minds for
evil. Then let us all be, like the good labourers of the parable,
constantly cultivating our ground, that, when Death comes for us, we may
willingly follow him to the feet of the Great King, to hear these
blessed words: 'Good and faithful servants! enter into the joy of
your Lord!'"

This made a great impression on my children. We concluded by singing a
hymn. Then my good wife produced from her unfailing bag, a copy of the
Holy Scripture, from which I selected such passages as applied to our
situation; and explained them to my best ability. My boys remained for
some time thoughtful and serious, and though they followed their
innocent recreations during the day, they did not lose sight of the
useful lesson of the morning, but, by a more gentle and amiable manner,
showed that my words had taken effect.

The next morning, Ernest had used my bow, which I had given him, very
skilfully; bringing down some dozens of small birds, a sort of ortolan,
from the branches of our tree, where they assembled to feed on the figs.
This induced them all to wish for such a weapon. I was glad to comply
with their wishes, as I wished them to become skilful in the use of
these arms of our forefathers, which might be of great value to us, when
our ammunition failed. I made two bows; and two quivers, to contain
their arrows, of a flexible piece of bark, and, attaching a strap to
them, I soon armed my little archers.

Fritz was engaged in preparing the skin of the margay, with more care
than Jack had shown