Max was in his room at the Academy, busy with his tasks, trying determinately to forget homesickness by giving his whole mind to them, and succeeding fairly well.

Very desirous, very determined was the lad to acquit himself to the very best of his ability that he might please and honor both his Heavenly Father and his earthly one.
By the time the welcome sound of gun-fire and tattoo announced that the day's work was over he felt fully prepared for the morrow's recitations.
But he was in no mood for play.

The quiet that had reigned through the building for the last two hours was suddenly broken in upon by sounds of mirth and jollity--merry boyish voices talking, singing, some accompanying themselves with the twang of a banjo or the tinkle of a guitar; but Max, closing and putting his book aside, kept his seat, his elbow on the desk, his head on his hand, while with a far-away look in his dark eyes, he indulged in a waking dream.
He seemed to see the _Dolphin_ steaming down the bay, his father, perhaps, sitting in the saloon with the other grown folks (the younger ones would be pretty sure to have retired to their state-rooms), and thinking and speaking of his absent son.

Or, it might be, pacing the deck alone, his heart going up in prayer to God for his first-born--his "might and the beginning of his strength,"-- that he might be kept from sin and every danger and evil and enabled to prove himself a brave, true follower of Christ, never ashamed or afraid to show his colors and let it be known to all with whom he had to do that he was a disciple, a servant of the dear Lord Jesus.
"Lord, help me; help me to be brave and faithful and true," was the silent petition that went up from the boy's heart.
"Homesick, bub ?" asked a boyish voice, in mocking tones.

"I believe most of the fellows are just at the first, but they get over it after a bit without much doctoring." "I'm inclined to think it is not a dangerous kind of ailment," returned Max, in a pleasant tone, lifting his head and turning toward his companion with a smile that seemed rather forced.