RAILROAD BUILDING.

"COME, boys," said Will to the others, "I'm tired of this humdrum play. Let's get up something new and big."

"Agreed," came from the others; "but what shall it be, Will?"

"A railroad," was the prompt reply.

And they all shouted, "A railroad! Hurrah, boys! That's just grand. We'll do it. But who knows how?"

"I do," came from Will. "Father's an engineer, and you see I hear him talk to mother about it every day."

"Your father an engineer!" exclaimed several. "Don't Mike Rilley and Tim Sullivan run all the engines?"

And Will answered with a loud "Ha, ha, ha! Run engines! ha, ha, ha!" and his sides shook with laughter. "Compare my father to Mike and Tim! My father builds railroads."

And they all said "Oh!"

"But what's the first thing, Will, to build a road? A spade and hoe, or what?"

"Money; ten hundred thousand dollars, and just as much more as you can get. Father says you can do anything with money; but all the money in the world couldn't have saved little sister Rose from dying." At that a large tear came to Will's eye and the boys all looked at him in silence.

Then he wiped his eyes and went on, "Come, boys, say how much you'll give to the new railroad."

Thereupon Will smoothed off a spot in the sand and wrote his name, and opposite he put, "The right of way and no charge for engineering."

"And what's 'the right of way?'" they asked.

"You can't build roads in the air. You must have ground, and when you get it, you've 'The right of way.' See? I'll get that from father, down in the orchard, along the trout brook."

"Good for you, Will," they all shouted.

"Here, Rob, you sign for the ties; Alec, for the rails, and Jim for the rolling stock; Dan must build the depot. Come up, now, and sign like men of enterprise. Be liberal and prompt, and we'll have the cars running by the first of June, and declare a dividend—of fun at least—every day."

All this speech from Will. And each one wrote his name under Will's, saying what he would give or do.

Then came the word of command from our young engineer:

"Now to business. Each one to his home as fast as his legs will carry him, and bring an axe or spade or hoe or some tool. I'll run to father for the charter—what's that? Then let's make the dirt fly."

When I went by a few days after, by the foot of the orchard, sure enough, there they were; coats off, each one busy as a bee, Will acting as engineer.

The grading—what's that?—was nearly all done. Will said they would lay the ties—what are they?—and rails(?) the next Monday, and soon I should hear the whistle.

True to his promise, on the appointed day came the "toot, toot, toot," louder and louder till the hills sent back the sound.

I looked, and there came the train, built of wood "from stem to stern," and drawn by two stout goats, instead of steam, while Jim sat on the engine with a tin horn to his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like two pumpkins.

That's years ago. Will is now Mr. William —, a first class railroad man. So are some of the others.

But when I see them building those fine roads, I wonder if they will ever travel on "The King's Highway of Holiness." Have you a ticket to go up in His chariot one of these days and enter the City of God?