The Thorogood Family | Page 2

the sun,--beginning wi' mother."
Then silence reigned for a time--a profound silence--while upwards of two hundred teeth went to work. Ere long most of the children were buttered to the eyes, and their rosy cheeks glistened like ripe apples. Soon the blacksmith drew a long breath and paused. Looking round with a benign smile he asked little Jim how he got along.
"Fust rate," said Jim.
"How I wish," said Dick, with a sad look at the toast, "that we might go on eatin' for ever."
"Is it right, daddy," asked Tom, during a pause, "to eat with all our might?"
"Certainly, my boy, till you've had enough. After that it's wrong to eat at all. `Enough's as good as a feast,' you know. Now, Old Moll, one more cup to wash it all down, and then we'll go in for a confabulation round the fire."
Now, nothing rejoiced the hearts of that family so much as a confabulation round the fire on a winter night, or under the great elm in front of the forge on the village green in summer.
The table was cleared as if by magic, for every member of the family helped. Soon, little Jim was sleeping as sound as a top in his crib, and Mrs Thorogood, with her knitting, joined the others at the fire, by the light of which the blacksmith made a little boat for Harry with a gully knife and a piece of stick.
"It's a stormy night," said Mrs Thorogood, as a violent gust of wind came down the chimney and rattled the window-frames.
"Ah, it was on just such a night that, my dear old father and mother were burnt out of house and home," said the blacksmith; "well do I mind about it, for I was over ten years old at the time. We never found out what it was that set the house alight, but when it had once caught, it fetched way like lightning--the wind was so high. The first thing that woke me was sneezin' wi' the smoke. Then, I'd just opened my eyes when I saw the head of a ladder come crash through the window. It was the fire-escape. Father tried to save mother, but he was lame, and fell down half-choked. I tried to help him, but I was too young. Then a strapping fireman stepped in at the window, as cool as a cucumber, pitched us all into the escape, one after another; and so, through God's mercy, we were saved. I've loved the firemen ever since. They are the boys to show you how to do things well; to do things with might and main, and no fuss, and to submit to discipline without a word."
"Oh, father!" cried Harry with blazing eyes, "I should dearly like to be a fireman, an' go fightin' the flames."
"And Dick?" asked Mrs Thorogood, "wouldn't you like to be one, too?"
"No, mother. It's very grand, but I don't like smoke. I'd rather be a lifeboat-man, to fight wi' the storm, and save people from the roarin' waves."
Tom glanced at one of his toy ships, and said he'd like to fight the battles of his country on the sea. Bob looked affectionately at a wooden sword and gun which stood in a corner, and thought he'd prefer to fight his battles on the land.
"You're all for fighting, I see," chimed in soft-eyed Molly; "I wonder what little Jim would like to be, if he was awake."
"I know what battles I would like to see him fighting," said Mrs Thorogood.
"Why," exclaimed the blacksmith in surprise, "I thought you hated fighting of all kinds?"
"No, not all kinds. I should like to see little Jim fighting the battle of the Prince of Peace."
Of course there was a clamorous questioning as to what that meant, but we must not devote space to this subject. Neither can we afford to follow the history of each member of this family step by step. We will grow them up at once, and tell you what came of all their enthusiastic desires and lofty aspirations in succeeding chapters.
Only thus much will we say in conclusion; when the blacksmith said it was time to be off to bed that night, the children rose at once; gave and received a hearty kiss all round, and went off to "turn in," as sailors express it, "with a will." They had learned obedience--the most difficult lesson that man has got to learn--the lesson which few learn thoroughly, and which our Lord sets us as a test of our loyalty to Himself, when He says says,--"If ye love Me, keep My commandments."
CHAPTER TWO.
It was what sailors call a "dirty night." When you looked out upon the sea, it seemed as if there were nothing there but horrible darkness. If you went down to the beach, however,--close under