THE LITTLE SOLDIER. “T don’t know anything about that.” “Didn’t you try, grandpa ?” “T tried to conquer the enemies of my country who came across the sea to destroy it,” said grandpa. “A great many of them got killed) We had to kill them or they would have killed us. It is wrong to hurt other people if they let us alone, but if they try to hurt and destroy us, we must defend ourselves. So long as there are bad people in the world there will be fight- ing, for unless the good defended themselves, the bad would utterly destroy them.” By this time the sword was finished, and then grandpa showed Freddy how to hold and use it. Before he got through with the exercise, Freddy was feeling every inch a soldier, marching about and cutting and thrusting in splendid style. “Té would be bad for the dragons and wolves if they were to show themselves now, wouldn’t it, Freddy ?” said grandpa. “T’d cut them all up!” shouted Freddy, slashing around with his sword. After the little fellow had marched about, and cut and thrust with his sword to his heart’s content, he came and leaned against grandpa, saying,— “T guess I’ve killed ’em all.” “Tt was hard fighting, though, and my little soldier is hot and tired,” said grandpa, smiling, as he lifted Freddy upon his knee. “When you grow up to be a man, I hope you'll be as strong a fighter as now, and slay every dragon and bear and wolf that comes in your way.” “Dragons and bears?” returned Freddy. “It was only make believe! There won’t be any dragons and bears to fight with when I’m a man.” “T don’t know about that,” said grandpa. “By dragons and bears I mean things that do us harm, that will destroy us unless we destroy them. Now, the world is full of these dragons and BO)