"MR. PETER McDUFF,
St. John.

"Dear Sir: I have some strawberries which I am going to pick myself. I
want to buy a scout suit, and Miss Arabella has given me her berries.
What will you give me for them? I will send them down on the boat when
I hear from you.

"Yours very truly,

"ROD ROYAL."


Rod carried this letter to the office, mailed it, and brought back a
number of berry-boxes from the store in his little hand-waggon. The
rest of the afternoon he spent in making a crate to hold the boxes.
Long and patiently he toiled, and at times Mrs. Royal went into the
workshop to see how he was getting along. When supper time came it was
a queer ramshackle affair he had constructed, which would hardly hold
together long enough to reach the wharf, let alone the rough handling
it would receive on the steamer.

That evening after Rod was in bed, Parson Dan took a lamp and went out
to the workshop. His heart was strangely moved as he looked upon the
pathetic efforts of the little lad. Casting aside his coat, he started
to work, and in about half an hour he had fashioned a neat strong
crate, capable of standing the strain of travel. Into this he put the
berry-boxes, placed upon it a good strong cover, and went back into the
house.