"Was there ever a civil war in England, mamma?"
"Yes, my dear, more than once. The last was because many people thought they should like to have no king at all; I am going to buy you a little history of England, and then you will read about it."
"I shall like to read about it," said Charles, "but what did the people do when they thought they should like to have no king?"
"They said the king had done a great many things that were wrong, and so they put him in prison, and at last had his head cut off; do you know, Charles, which king it was who was beheaded?"
"Yes, mamma; it was Charles the first."
"Well, after Charles the first was beheaded, some of the people declared that his son should be king, and others said they would have no king at all, but that they would have somebody instead to manage the affairs of the country."
"And I know who that was, mamma," said Charles, "it was Oliver Cromwell, I know he was not a king, but I did not understand how it was before."
"And I suppose you also understand now, why this caused a civil war?" said his mamma.
"Of course I do," replied Charles; "some people fought for the king, and some for Oliver Cromwell."
"Yes," replied Mrs. Barker, "and for a long time the country was in a very unhappy state. The king was obliged to hide himself, for if he had been caught he would perhaps have been beheaded, as his poor father was. But at last he got away in a ship, and went to Holland, where he lived for some years; but at last his party was victorious, and he came back to England."