LINKS.

But Lydia had another sort of reward in the fun she and Herbert got out
of the alphabet, when he was grown familiar with it, and found no more task
in the matter, but was quite delighted to discover that c-a-t spelled cat, and
d-o-l-1 doll, and that he could leave a message which nurse could understand,
by laying “I-n” or “ O-u-t” on the hall table.

While papa and mamma were away, a brother of papa’s came and stayed
awhile in the great house. He was a little younger than papa, but he looked
older, because he had lived much in India, and his face had grown bronzed and
lined and his hair grizzled. The children stood in awe of him at first, because
they knew that he had seen and done many wonderful things, and had been in
terrible dangers, and could speak with strange tongues. But they soon learned
to understand the grave warrior’s rare tenderness and consideration, — qualities
which seldom come to perfection except in those strong characters which have
stood firmly, and perhaps even sternly, in great storms and stresses. So, by-
and-by, the children carried on all their little sports and pursuits under his
very eyes, assured that he looked upon them kindly and was ready to take
favorable interest in everything. .

“What! does Herbert know the alphabet?” asked the General one day as
he strolled through the drawing-room, where Lydia was perched on a settee,
with the open book on her knee, and her little brother leaning over her.
‘TI thought such early lessons were not the fashion in this house,” said the
General.

“Tt has not been a lesson,” answered Lydia, ‘‘ for I taught him.”

“Oh! and I suppose it is the governess only who can teach lessons,”
observed the General, amused. ‘ Well, did not you find this teaching a great
trouble?”

Lydia raised her clear, true eyes. It would not be true to say it had not
been a trouble. It would not be the whole truth to say it had been.

“ T liked doing it,” she answered simply.

“What made you think of doing this?” asked the General.

It was not likely that Lydia could remember that Nurse Snow’s casual
praise of a little village girl had first put the idea into her head. But she
could well remember the wish which had inspired her earliest efforts.

‘‘T thought it would please papa and mamma,” she said.

The General stood silently looking down on the two children. It came
into his head that he could not remember how or when he himself had learned