This reminds me of the story of a certain royal prince going to an educational establishment and being asked who his parents were. On his reply, the senior--or 'John'--gave him a terrific _cuff_ on the side of the head saying:-- 'That's for your father, the prince.' And before the half-stunned boy recovered, he received a stinging blow on the other ear with:-- 'That's for your mother, the princess, and now black my boots.' His Highness could say nothing, but in time he grew to be the biggest and the worst bully. Then the younger brother of his former tormentor came, and the prince sent for him, and telling him what his brother had done some years before, made him bend down and flogged him so unmercifully that he had to go into hospital. Years after, when in an important position, he met his former victim, now a general, and congratulating him on his career said:-- 'Perhaps I made your success by giving you that tanning at Sandhurst.' I wonder whether there was murder in the heart of the grim old warrior at the recollection. Of course that would not be strange, for many a time officers have been actually shot in action by their own men. Here is a perfectly true story, only neither the men nor the officer need be specified. A colonel who had grossly mismanaged the regiment knew his fate was sealed. So when the men paraded for the engagement, he said:-- 'I know you mean to shoot me to-day, but for God's sake don't do so until we have won the battle.' This was greeted with a cheer, and he came back safe to be decorated and to play whist at his club as badly as any member in it. I am not sure that cards ought not to be considered part of every lad's training. If a man goes through life without touching a card, he probably loses a good deal of innocent amusement, and debars himself from much pleasant society. If he learns to play when grown up, he may find it a costly and unsatisfactory branch of education. But if he is taught to play reasonably well as a boy, and is shown that excellent games can be had without gambling--I do not consider an infinitesimal stake, in proportion to his means, gambling--he will have an extra amusement made for him and a relaxation after his day's work. A near relative of my own gets his club cronies to play bridge with his son, aged eighteen, and pays his losses, in order that he may be thoroughly grounded in the game. The lad is a capital boy, and all the better for his early association with elder men on their own level. One of the resources of my old age is three games of picquet every night after dinner with my wife, and very much I enjoy them. There is often the fashionable bridge played in the room by my children and their friends, but I have never taken a hand, though in younger days I derived a fair amount of diversion from whist. CHAPTER IV FARMING