Captain Dabber. ^^ 



disposition and prepossessing appearance who had dis- 

 appeared oddly enough about the same time that Charlie 

 had) the old man, gathering up his hat and umbrella, fairly 

 bolted from the house. 



When the prodigal son did return (the poor boy had 

 been to Margate for a little fresh air, at which vivacious 

 watering-place, just about the same period, the abandoned 

 Betsy might also have been seen flaunting about in an 

 alarming hat and feathers) his father talked to him 

 like a book, you may depend, and Charlie, struck with 

 remorse, promised to return to his duties in the City and 

 be a good boy for the future. But it was no good. In 

 spite of all his good resolutions he at length came to the 

 conclusion that quill-driving was not his forte. A hunt- 

 ing-saddle he liked much better than a three-legged stool 

 to sit upon, and a "Joe Manton " to handle was infinitely 

 preferable to the office ruler. Accordingly he discarded 

 the counting-house in the City, or rather, to be strictly 

 accurate, I should say, the counting-house in the City 

 discarded him. 



The old folks at home, now, did not know what on earth 

 to do with him. They tried him at engineering, they tried 

 him at land surveying, then they tried farming, but finally 

 Charlie chucked them all up one after another. He 

 liked farming certainly the best of the lot, for he found 

 the big grass meadow at the back of the house was the 

 place of all others to shoot pigeons in, and he amused him- 

 self and his friends accordingly. 



Then he started a steeplechaser or two, and broke 

 down his own fences and rode over his own wheat with 

 the greatest pleasure in life, whilst giving them their 

 gallops. 



