204 Lom Seven Years Old.

usual, and he felt it was too unhappy to
keep quite alone through the whole of another
night.

“Father,” he said, after a minute—for his
father had not answered him—*“ why don’t you
speak? Aren’t you listening? Don't you
think it’s very hard ?”

He stopped; he had really told all. Then
he heard his father moving nearer to him in
the dark, and then he felt him close beside
him.

“You see,’ whispered Walter, “I wanted
to be a great man, like Washington, or Lord
Nelson, or the Duke of Wellington. Bernard
and James may, but I never can.”

“ Walter,” said his father, “ Washington and
Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington did
not choose their work. They only did what
they were called upon to do, but they did it
so well that all the world rose up and praised
them. Nobody can choose their work—they
have just to do what they a are called upon
to do.”

“Yes, said Walter; “but nothing has been