and said I was too young to understand what he meant."

"The world to come," returned the dean, "is where we shall go after
death; and there no distinction will be made between rich and poor--all
persons there will be equal."

"Aye, now I see what makes it a better world than this. But cannot this
world try to be as good as that?"

"In respect to placing all persons on a level, it is utterly impossible.
God has ordained it otherwise."

"How! has God ordained a distinction to be made, and will not make any
Himself?"

The dean did not proceed in his instructions. He now began to think his
brother in the right, and that the boy was too young, or too weak, to
comprehend the subject.

CHAPTER XIV.

In addition to his ignorant conversation upon many topics, young Henry
had an incorrigible misconception and misapplication of many _words_. His
father having had but few opportunities of discoursing with him, upon
account of his attendance at the court of the savages, and not having
books in the island, he had consequently many words to learn of this
country's language when he arrived in England. This task his retentive
memory made easy to him; but his childish inattention to their proper
signification still made his want of education conspicuous.

He would call _compliments_, _lies_; _reserve_, he would call _pride_;
_stateliness_, _affectation_; and for the words _war_ and _battle_, he
constantly substituted the word _massacre_.

"Sir," said William to his father one morning, as he entered the room,
"do you hear how the cannons are firing, and the bells ringing?"

"Then I dare say," cried Henry, "there has been another massacre."

The dean called to him in anger, "Will you never learn the right use of
words? You mean to say a battle."

"Then what is a massacre?" cried the frightened, but still curious Henry.

"A massacre," replied his uncle, "is when a number of people are slain--"

"I thought," returned Henry, "soldiers had been people!"

"You interrupted me," said the dean, "before I finished my sentence.
Certainly, both soldiers and sailors are people, but they engage to die
by their own free will and consent."

"What! all of them?"

"Most of them."

"But the rest are massacred?"

The dean answered, "The number who go to battle unwillingly, and by
force, are few; and for the others, they have previously sold their lives
to the state."

"For what?"

"For soldiers' and sailors' pay."