know it Madam" (which I certainly need not
for the Major was quite audible) " but he is
a boy!"

In this way Jemmy grew and grew and went to
day-school and continued under the Major too,
and in summer we were as happy as the days
were long and in winter we were as happy as
the days were short and there seemed to rest a
Blessing on the Lodgings for they as good as
Let themselves and would have done it if there
had been twice the accommodation, when sore
and hard against my will I one day says to the
Major

"Major you know what I am going to break
to you. Our boy must go to boarding-school."

It was a sad sight to see the Major's countenance
drop, and I pitied the good soul with all
my heart.

"Yes Major" I says " though he is as popular
with the Lodgers as you are yourself and though
he is to you and me what only you and me
know, still it is in the course of things and Life
is made of partings and we must part with our
Pet."

Bold as I spoke, I saw two Majors and half
a dozen fireplaces, and when the poor Major put
one of his neat bright-varnished boots upon
the fender and his elbow on his knee and his
head upon his hand and rocked himself a little
to and fro, I was dreadfully cut up.

"But" says I clearing my throat "you have
so well prepared him Major—he has had such a
Tutor in you—that he will have none of the first
drudgery to go through. And he is so clever
besides that he'll soon make his way to the front
rank."

"He is a boy" says the Major—having sniffed
—"that has not his like on the face of the
earth."

"True as you say Major, and it is not for us
merely for our own sakes to do anything to keep
him back from being a credit and an ornament
wherever he goes and perhaps even rising to be
a great man, is it Major? He will have all my
little savings when my work is done (being
all the world to me) and we must try to make
him a wise man and a good man, mustn't we
Major?"

''Madam" says the Major rising "Jemmy
Jackman is becoming an older file than I was
aware of, and you put him to shame. You are
thoroughly right Madam. You are simply and
undeniably right—And if you'll excuse me, I'll
take a walk."

So the Major being gone out and Jemmy being
at home, I got the child into my little room here
and I stood him by my chair and I took his
mother's own curls in my hand and I spoke to
him loving and serious. And when I had
reminded the darling how that he was now in his
tenth year and when I had said to him about his
getting on in life pretty much what I had said
to the Major I broke to him how that we must
have this same parting, and there I was forced
to stop for there I saw of a sudden the well
remembered lip with its tremble, and it so
brought back that time! But with the spirit
that was in him he controlled it soon and he
says gravely nodding through his tears, " I
understand Gran—I know it must be, Gran—
go on Gran, don't be afraid of me." And when
I had said all that ever I could think of, he
turned his bright steady face to mine and he
says just a little broken here and there "You
shall see Gran that I can be a man and that I
can do anything that is grateful and loving
to you—and if I don't grow up to be what you
would like to have me—I hope it will be—
because I shall die." And with that he sat
down by me and I went on to tell him of the
school of which I had excellent recommendations
and where it was and how many scholars
and what games they played as I had heard and
what length of holidays, to all of which he
listened bright and clear. And so it came that at
last he says " And now dear Gran let me kneel
down here where I have been used to say
my prayers and let me fold my face for just
a minute in your gown and let me cry, for you
have been more than father—more than mother
—more than brothers sisters friends—to me!"
And so he did cry and I too and we were both
much the better for it.

From that time forth he was true to his word
and ever blithe and ready, and even when me
and the Major took him down into Lincolnshire
he was far the gayest of the party though
for sure and certain he might easily have been
that, but he really was and put life into us only
when it came to the last Good-by, he says with
a wistful look "You wouldn't have me not really
sorry would you Gran?" and when I says " No
dear, Lord forbid!" he says " I am glad of that!"
and ran in out of sight.

But now that the child was gone out of the
Lodgings the Major fell into a regularly moping
state. It was taken notice of by all the
Lodgers that the Major moped. He hadn't
even the same air of being rather tall that he
used to have, and if he varnished his boots with
a single gleam of interest it was as much as he
did.

One evening the Major came into my little
room to take a cup of tea and a morsel of
buttered toast and to read Jemmy's newest letter
which had arrived that afternoon (by the very
same postman more than middle-aged upon the
Beat now), and the letter raising him up a little
I says to the Major:

"Major you mustn't get into a moping
way."

The Major shook his head. "Jemmy Jackman
Madam," he says with a deep sigh, " is an
older file than I thought him."

"Moping is not the way to grow younger
Major."

"My dear Madam," says the Major, "is there
any way of growing younger?"

Feeling that the Major was getting rather
the best of that point I made a diversion to
another.

"Thirteen years! Thir-teen years! Many
Lodgers have come and gone, in the thirteen
years that you have lived in the parlours Major."