"But you were reading." "Thoughts of you are never far away from the Bible, nor the Bible from thoughts of you. Where have you been reading this morning, Magnus?" "I've not been reading anywhere. Mother, do you think I had better run up for Cherry? or will she be here all right on time?" "Time for what?" said Mrs. Kindred, rather opening her eyes at this very rapid transit. "Breakfast." "Did she say she would come?" "Why--no," said Magnus. "I took it for granted." "Never take anything for granted about Cherry, except that she will do just what is right. She never goes anywhere, Magnus, until she has given her father his breakfast and seen to his morning comfort in every way." "I should think she might come," Magnus said discontentedly. "It's my first morning home. He could get along for once." The mother smiled a little at the wide space demanded by the young people in these days, and the side corner deemed enough for the elder; but the usurpers are too lovely and beloved to be resisted. And besides, there is a sort of "while they can"--that checks many a word; the tender, pathetic force of Dr. Bonar's thought: "Take thou my place, and be thy feast Sweeter than mine has been!" "Cherry will not come, Magnus," she said. "She never gets free before ten or eleven o'clock. So tell me why you have done no reading to-day." "Out of the habit," said Magnus. "I never do it in the morning." "What is your Bible time?" "Well, if I can be said to have one, it is more apt to be at night," said Magnus. "I don't always read then, but most generally I do." "At night?" said the mother, carefully hiding all signs of the underground shock that made her heart tremble. "I like to read at night, too. But then, dear, if you do not read in the morning as well, you have no fresh heartful of the blessed words to live by through the day." And she looked round at Magnus with such eager, anxious, pleading eyes as went straight to his heart. Which truly was not far to seek, that morning. He jumped up and put himself in the other chair, drawing it up to her. "Mammy," he said, "let me tell you about it. It's this way. The gun wakes me up. And I tumble downstairs half dressed, and declare at the top of my voice that I am myself, and nobody else. That is, the first sergeant calls 'Kindred!' and I yell back 'Here!' Then I rush in again, and tumble into bed, clothes and all, and get the very best nap you ever dreamed of." "Another nap? For how long?" "Two minutes and a quarter, drum time. Then I finish dressing and go to breakfast. And after breakfast, we don't have very much time before recitation." "Cannot you read then?" "Once in a while I do," said Magnus. "Not always. Maybe I do a little boning in math. Maybe I take a walk with the nicest girl there is round." His mother could not help smiling. "Can you always get the nicest?" she said.