Teddy's Button by Amy Le Feuvre

'You young rascal, what have you been doing? You're never a day
out of mischief. If I was your mother I'd give you a good whipping; but
she spoils you.’
'And you do, too, granny!’
Teddy's laughing blue eyes, as he raised them to the grim face before
him, conquered, as they generally did.
'There, go to your mother, she's in the dairy; I wash my hands of
you.'
But Teddy crept up to his little room to change his wet clothes
before he met his mother, and then was very silent about his adventure,
merely saying, by way of explanation, that he had fallen into the brook;
but at tea, a short time after, he suddenly said,—'If you put a sailor and a
soldier together, which would you choose,Uncle Jake?'
'Eh, my laddie? Well, they're both good in their way. I couldn't say,
I'm sure.'
'Mother, wouldn't you say the soldier was the bravest?'
'Perhaps I might, sonny; but a sailor can be quite as brave.'
Teddy's face fell. 'I never thought a sailor could fight at all,' he said,
in a disappointed tone; 'I thought they just took care of our ships, and
now and then fired a big gun off.’
'Who's been bringing up the sailors to you?' asked his
grandmother.
'That little girl I told you of—Nancy her name is.’
'Where have you seen her?’
'Down by the brook; we fell into the water together, because we
both wanted to cross at once.’
'But, my boy, that was naughty for you not to give place to her,' and
Mrs. John spoke reprovingly.
'I know it was, mother, but I wasn't going to turn back. That would
be running away from the enemy. You see, we met in the middle, and
15 of 95