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remained quite permanently,” she replied. “His name is really Marcus and he is just five years old.”
“Well, well, and what do you want to be when you grow up, my young friend?” asked Mr. Schaller.
“An army general,” unhesitatingly replied the small boy. After these words the gentleman got up.
“It seems to me, my dear Mrs. Halm, that all your children have pretty high-flown ideas,” he said impressively. “I can only hope that before long they will learn that in this world it is not possible for everybody to do what he pleases.”
The mother approved this good wish, but added: “I have to tell you, though, that Mux has gotten this idea from his favorite book, where the picture of a general on horseback interests him more than anything else. This, of course, is a passing impression, like many others.”
“One can never urge proper and successful work too soon nor too often; please do not overlook that, my friend!” With these words the
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