TRUE COURAGE. "MAMMA, William says he really will go into the water to-day; so he may get his towel and come with us, mayn't he?" asked Alfred Castleton of his mother. "I doubt William's heart will fail him when he gets to the water's edge, Alfred; but he may walk to the park with you, certainly," replied Mrs. Castleton. "Thank you, mamma, thank you: I'm glad he is going. Halloo, William, get your towel! Papa is waiting with Arthur and Taunton. haste!" shouted Alfred, and in three minutes Make Mrs. Castleton, as she sat at work, saw her husband, with their four boys, walking down the road to their pretty retired bathing place on the banks of the canal in Brakeley park. It was the pleasant Midsummer holidays, and the four brothers were all at home. The chief delight of Arthur, Alfred, and the youngest boy, Taunton, consisted in bathing. William liked it not; yet he tried very hard to conquer the terror which he felt at the idea of being under water; and after having for several days witnessed the delight with which his brothers had dabbled about; and having borne their jests at his alarm very patiently, he had this day resolved to go in without flinching. In about an hour after the party had left Woodside cottage, the smacking of whips, and the sound of merry voices coming up the road, announced to Bel Castleton and her mother, that the bathers were returning; and in a few minutes in they came, flacking their towels, and laden with news and wild flowers. "Well, I was certain he would not go in!" exclaimed Arthur. "La! and the water is so shallow where I bathed,-only up to my shoulder blades; and yet he wouldn't come in, though I stood close to him and ducked. Oh, how I did duck! didn't I, Alfred ?" said little Taunton. "Oh, I never knew any thing so stupid! If you had but seen him, mamma!" exclaimed Alfred. "Before we got there I knew what would happen, for he was lagging behind us; and then, when Arthur and I were swimming-we can both strike out four times now-there he stood on the edge of the pond, all of a tremble, with one leg in his trousers and the other dabbing about, up and down, over the water, like a May fly, and" "And though Taunton held out his hand to him, and told him it was so shallow, William would not even wet his foot. How cowardly!” exclaimed Arthur. 66 'Yes, isn't he a coward, Bel ?" said Taunton. “I'll never ask for him to go again, I know,” said Alfred. "Well, really I am quite astonished to think what valiant boys I possess-three courageous sons, I mean," exclaimed Mrs. Castleton. "As to William's dislike of the water, it is not of the |