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“FINISHING THEIR SNOW MAN.â€â€”
jofton Boys;
HARRIET MARTINEAU.
WITH NUMEROUS! ILLUSTRATIONS.
EDITED BY
ALFONZO GARDINER.
JOHN HEYWOOD,
DEANSGATE AND RIDGEFIELD, MANCHESTER,
29 & 30, SHOE LANE, LONDON, E£.C,
22, PARADISE STREET, LIVERPOOL.
83, Briper Street, BRISTOL.
15, Briacate, LEEDS.
PREFACE,
Tus pleasing tale, of how a brave boy had to
fight his way at a boarding-school, and how he
battled with his own faults of temper and dis-
position, requires no words to commend it to
our young readers.
There is no need, in order to prove we can
be brave, that any of us should be placed in
special difficulties. The circumstances of our
daily life give to us all opportunities of showing
what we are made of. As Browning says—
**T count life just the stuff
. To try the soul’s strength on.â€
And he who can overcome the infirmities of his
own nature, think no evil of his friends, and
put the best construction on the actions of his
enemies, whilst he keeps a strict guard upon
all he does and says, has accomplished no mean
thing.
The time when the incidents Happened that
are here narrated is the early part of the nine-
teenth century. Railways, telegraphs, chloroform,
penny postage, gas, and numberless other com-
forts and conveniences of our daily life, were yet
in the future, but the troubles and trials of
a child were the same then as now, and a
mother’s love for her careless and erring boy has
suffered no change with the lapse of time.
ALFONZO GARDINER.
LEEDs, OCTOBER, 1895.
MISS _MARTINEAU.
Few women have enjoyed more fame from their
writings than has Miss Harriet Martineau. She
was born at Norwich in 1802, her father, Thomas
Martineau, being a manufacturer of worsted goods,
for which the city was then very noted. Mr.
Martineau died while Harriet was young, the
business was broken up, and the young girl had
to find some means to earn bread for herself
and to assist in keeping her mother and sisters.
She was never very strong, and while quite a
‘child a serious illness which she passed through
left her with a partial deafness, which lasted all
her life.
She commenced writing short tales when she
was only nineteen years old, and soon after gained
a prize, offered by the religious body to which she
belonged, for three essays. A list of all the books
that Miss Martineau wrote would be a very long
one, but amongst the most noted are a series
of stories as Illustrations of Political Economy,
Forest and Game Law Vales, and A History of the
Thirty Years’ Peace. She wrote for several papers
and magazines, especially The Daily News, House-
hold Words, and Once a Week. In 1839 she went
abroad, but returned very ill, and went to live at
Tynemouth, where she remained, a complete in-
MISS MARTINEAU. v.
valid, until 1844. During her illness she wrote a
long tale, called The Hour and the Man, and four
volumes of children’s tales, of which The Crofton
Boys is one.
On her recovery, she went and settled near
Lake Windermere, and built herself a house at
Ambleside, in which she lived until her death, in
1876. She was buried in the family burying-
place at Birmingham.
In spite of ill-health, Miss Martineau did much
for the improvement of the condition of her poorer
friends. Her kindness of heart, honesty of purpose,
and straightforwardness, won for her the love and
esteem of everyone with whom she came in
contact. She was an earnest advocate for the
abolition of slavery in America; she aided
Florence Nightingale in her schemes for im-
proving the condition of our soldiers, especially.
in sickness; and she took an active part in
relieving the wants of the spinners and weavers
of Lancashire during the Cotton Famine of 1861.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE
MISS
CHAP.
£
II.
- TI,
Iv.
Vv.
Vi.
VIL.
VIL.
1X.
XI.
XIL.
XILL
XIV.
XV.
MARTINEAU
ALL THE. PROCTORS BUT PHIL ...
WHY MR. TOOKE CAME
MICHAELMAS DAY COME...
MICHAELMAS DAY OVER
CROFTON PLAY
FIRST RAMBLE
WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME...
A LONG DAY...
CROFTON QUIET
LITTLE VICTORIES
DOMESTIC MANNERS
HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY
TRIPPING ... ° ees
HOLT AND HIS HELP...
CONCLUSION
Page.
li.
lv.
18
24
34
4d
57
78
89
101
109
117
125
1389
159
163
THE CROFTON BOYS.
CHAPTER I.
ALL THE PROCTORS BUT PHIL.
R. PROCTOR, the chemist and druggist,
kept his shop and lived in the Strand,
London. His children thought that there
was never anything pleasanter than the way they
lived. Their house was warm in winter, and such
a little distance from the church, that they had
no difficulty in getting to church’ and back again,
in the worst weather, before their shoes were wet.
They were also conveniently near to Covent Gar-
den Market ;* so that, if any friend dropped in to
dinner unexpectedly, Jane and Agnes could be off
to the market, and buy a fowl, or some vegetables
or fruit, and be back again before they were
missed. It was not even too far for little Harry
to trot with one of his sisters, early on a summer's.
morning, to spend his penny (when he happened
to have one) on a bunch of flowers, to lay on papa’s
plate, to surprise him when he came in to.break- |
fast. Not much further off was the Temple
Garden,* where Mrs. Proctor took her children
_ every fine summer evening to walk and breathe
the air from the river Thames; and when Mr,
B ee
2 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Proctor could find time to come to them before
the younger ones must go home to bed, it seemed
to the whole party the happiest and most beautiful
place in the whole world—except one. They had
once been to Broadstairs,’ when the children were
in poor health after the measles; and for ever
after, wher they thought of the waves beating on
the shore, and of the pleasures of growing strong
and well among the sea-breezes, they felt that there
might be places more delightful than the Temple
Garden. ;
The greatest privilege of all, however, was that
they could see the river without going out of their
own house. There were three back windows to
the house, one above another; and from the two
uppermost of these windows there was, what the
children called, a view of the Thames,with vessels of
every kind passing up. or down. Outside the
second window were some leads, affording space
for three or four chairs ; and here it was that Jane ©
and Agnes liked to sit at work on certain hours of
fine days. There were times when these leads
were too hot, the heat of the sun being reflected
from the surrounding brick walls; but at an
earlier hour before the shadows were gone, and
when the air blew in from the river the place was
cool, and the little girls delighted to carry their
stools to the leads, and do their sewing there.
There Philip, their eldest brother, would conde-
scend to spend a part of his mornings, in his
Midsummer holidays, frightening his sisters with
THE CROFTON BOYS. 3
climbing about in dangerous places, or amusing
them with stories of school pranks, or raising his
younger brother Hugh’s envy of the boys who
were so happy as to be old enough to go to Mr.
Tooke’s boarding-school® at Crofton.
The girls had no peace from their bieitens
climbing about in dangerous places. Hugh was,
if possible, worse than Philip for this. He imitated
all Philip’s feats, and had some of his own besides.
In answer to Jane’s lectures, and the entreaties of |
Agnes, Hugh always declared that he had a right
to do such things, as he meant to be a soldier or a
sailor; and how should he be able. to climb the ©
mast of a ship, or the walls of a city, if he did not
begin to practise now? So Agnes only sighed,
and. bent her head closer over her work, as she
heard Hugh talk about the adventures he meant:
to have when he should be old enough to get away
from old England.
There was one person who laughed ‘at Hugh for
this fancy of his—Miss Harold, the daily governess,
who came to keep school for three hours every
morning. When Hugh forgot his lesson, and sat
staring at the upper panes of the window, in a
reverie about his future travels; or when he was
found to have been drawing a soldier on his slate
instead of doing his sum, Miss Harold reminded
him what a pretty figure a soldier would cut who
knew no geography, or a sailor who could not make
‘his reckonings for want of attending early. to his
arithmetic. Hugh could not deny this; but he
4 THE CROFTON BOYSs
was always wishing that school hours were over,
that he might get under the great dining-table to
read “ Robinson Crusoe,†or might play at ship-
wreck, under pretence of amusing his little brother
Harry.
It did not make him ashamed to see how his
two sisters got on, from the mere pleasure of learn-
_ ing, and without any idea of ever living anywhere
but in London, while he, who seemed to have so
much more reason for wanting the very knowledge
that they were obtaining, could not settle his mind
to his lessons. Jane was beginning to read. French
books for her amusement in leisure hours, and
Agnes was often found to have covered tio slates
with sums in -Practice, just for pleasure, while he
could not master the very moderate lessons Miss
Harold set him. It is true, he was two years
younger than Agnes; but she had known more of
everything that he had learned at seven years old
than he now did at eight.
Hugh began to feel very unhappy. He saw
that Miss Harold was dissatisfied, and was pretty
sure that she had spoken to his mother about him,
and he felt that his mother became more strict in
making him sit down beside her in the afternoon
to learn his lessons for the next day; and he was —
pretty sure that Agnes went out of the room
because she could not help crying when his sum
was found to be all wrong, or when he made
mistakes in his grammar, or when he said (as he
did every day, though regularly warned to mind
THE GROFTON BOYS. 5
what he was about) that ‘four times seven are
~ fifty-six.â€
Every day these things weighed more on Hugh’s
spirits; every day he felt more and more like a
dunce; and when Philip came home for the Mid- ©
summer holidays, and told all manner of stories
about all sorts of boys at school, without describing
anything like Hugh’s troubles with Miss Harold,
Hugh was seized with a longing to go to Crofton
at once, as he was certainly too young to go at
present into the way of a shipwreck or a batile.
The worst of it was, there was no prospect of his
going yet to Crofton. In Mr. Tooke’s large school
there. was not one boy younger than ten; and.
- Philip believed that My. Tooke did not like to take
little boys. Hugh was aware that his father and
mother meant to send him to school with Philip
by-and-bye ; but the idea of having to wait—to do
his lessons. with Miss Harold every day till he
should be ten years old—made him full of despair.
Philip. was betiveen eleven and twelve. He was
happy. at school;:and: he liked to talk all about it
at home. These. holidays,.Hugh made a better
listener than even his sisters; and he was a more
amusing one—he knew so little about the country.
He had not learned half that he wanted to know,
and his little head was full of wonder and mysterious
notions when the holidays came to an end, and
Philip had to go away. From that day Hugh was
heard to talk less of Spain, and the sea, and desert
islands, and more of the Crofton. boys; and his
6 THE CROFTON BOYS.
play with little Harry was all of being at school.
At his lessons, meantime, he did not improve
at all.
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“TOUR TIMES SEVEN ARE ‘FIFTY-SIX,’â€
One very warm day at the end of August, five
weeks after Philip had returned to school, Miss
Harold had stayed-full ten minutes after twelve
THE CROFTON BOYS. ~ 7
o'clock to hear Hugh say one line of the multi-
plication-table over and over again, to cure him of
saying that “four times seven are fifty-six ;’ but
all in vain, and Mrs. Proctor had begged her. not
to spend any more time that day,upon it. :
When Miss Harold went away, the girls took their
‘sewing, and sat down at their mother’s work-table,
while Hugh was placed before her, with his hands
‘behind his back, and desired to look his mother
full in the face, to begin again with “four times
one are four,†and go through the line, taking care
what he was about. He did so; but before he
came to “four times seven†he sighed, fidgeted,
looked up at the corners of the room, off into the
-work-basket, out into the street, and always, as if
by a spell, finished with “four times seven are
fifty-six.’
His mother looked with svaniey in his face ; he
began the table a fourth time, when, at the third
Geare, he started as if he had been shot. It was
only a: knock at the door he had heard—a treble
knock, which startled nobody else, though, from
the parlour door being open, it sounded pretty
loud. Hugh gazed into the passage through the
open door, when he heard a man’s step there.
The maid announced “Mr. Tooke, of Crofton.†Mr,
Tooke walked in and shook hands with Mrs.
Proctor, and, as he agreed to stay to dinner, Hugh’s
sisters were desired to carry their work elsewhere—
_-. to the leads, if they liked—and he was told that
' . he might go to play...
8 | THE CROFTON BOYS.
' They had played some time, Hugh acting a
naughty boy who could not say his Latin lesson
to the usher,’ and little Harry punishing him with
far more words than a real usher uses on such an
occasion, when they heard Agnes calling them
from above their heads. She was leaning over
from the leads, begging Hugh to come up to her.
that very moment. Harry must be left below, as
the leads were a forbidden place for him. So
Harry went to Jane, to see her dish up greengage
plums, which he must not touch; and Hugh ran
up the stairs. As he passed through the passage
his mother called him. Full of some kind of hope
(he did not himself know what), he entered the
parlour, and saw Mr. Tooke’s eyes fixed on him.
But his mother only wanted him to shut the door
as he passed—that was all. It had stood open, as
it usually did on warm days. Could his mother
wish it shut on account of anything she was
saying ? It was possible.
“Oh, Hugh!†exclaimed Agnes, as soon as he
set foot on the leads. “What do you think?—But
is the parlour door shut? Who shut it?â€
“Mother bade me shut it as I passed.â€
“Oh, dear!†said Agnes, in a tone of disap-
pointment; “then she did not mean us to. hear
what they were talking about.â€
“What was it? Anything about the Crofton '
boys? Anything about Phil?â€
“T cannot tell you a word about it, Mamma
did not know I heard them. How plain one can
THE CROFTON BOYS. 90
hear what they say in that parlour, Hugh, when
the door is open! What do you think I heard
mamma tell Mrs. Bicknor last week, when I was
jumping Harry off the third stair?â€
“Never mind that. Tell me what they are
talking about now. Do, Agnes.â€
Agnes shook her head.
“Now do, dear.â€
Tt was hard for Agnes to refuse Hugh anything,
at any time, more still when he called her “ dear,â€
which he seldom did; and most of all when he
put his arm round her neck, as he did now. But
she answered—
“JT should like to tell you every word, but I
cannot now. Mamma has made you shut the door.
She does not wish you to hear it.â€
“Me! Then will you tell Jane?â€
“Yes, I shall tell Jane, when we are with
mamma at work.â€
“That is too bad!†exclaimed Hugh. “What
does Jane care about Crofton and the boys to what
I do?â€
* « There is one boy there that Jane cares about
more than you do, or I, or anybody, except papa
and mamma. Jane loves Phil.â€
“Qh, then, what they are saying in the parlour
is about Phil.â€
“T did not say that.â€
- You pretend you love me as Jane loves Phil!
and now you are going to tell her what you won't
tellme! Agnes, I will tell you everything I know
c
10 THE CROFTON BOYS,
all my whole life, if you will just whisper this now,
Only just whisper—or, I will tell you what! I-will
guess and guess; and you can nod or shake you
head. That won't be telling.â€
“For shame, Hugh! Phil would laugh at you
for being a girl,-if you are so curious. What
mamma told Mrs. Bicknor was that Jane was her
right hand. What do you think that meant
exactly ?â€
“That Jane might give you a good slap when
_ you are so provoking,†said Hugh, rolling over and
_over, till his clothes were covered with dust; and
Agnes really thought once that he was fairly
going over the edge into the yard.
“There is something that I can tell you, Hugh ;
something that I want to tell you, and nobody
else,†said Agnes, glad to see him stop rolling
about, and raise himself on his anny elbow to look
at her.
“Well, come, what is it?â€
“You must promise beforehand not to be angry.â€
“Angry! when am I angry, pray? Come, tell
me.â€
“You must—you really must—I have a par-
ticular reason for saying so—you must learn how
much four times seven are. Now, remember, you
promised not to be angry.â€
‘Hugh carried off his anger by balancing himself. -
on his head, as if he meant to send his heels over,
but that there was no room. From upside down,
his voice was heard baying that he knew that as
well as Agnes.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 11
« Well, then, how much is it?â€
« Twenty-eight, to be sure. Who does not know
that ?†,
“Then pray ne not call it fifty-six any more.
Miss Harold.
“There’s the thing,†said Hugh. “ When Miss
Harold is here, I can think of nothing but fifty-six.
It seems to sound in my ears, as if somebody spoke
it, ‘four times seven is fifty-six.’ â€
“You will make me get the mistake by heart
too, if you say it so often,†said Agnes. “You had
better say ‘twenty-eight’ over to yourself all day
long. You may say it to me as often as you like.
I shall not get tired. Come, begin now— four
times seven
“T have had enough of that for to- day—tiresome
stuff! Now I shall go and play with Harry again.’
“But wait—just say that line once over, Hugh.
T have a reason for wishing it. I have, indeed.â€
“Mother has been telling Mr, Tooke that I
cannot say my multiplication table! Now, that-is
too bad!†exclaimed Hugh. “And they will make
me say it after dinner ! “What a shame!â€
“Why, Hugh! you know mamma does not like—
you know mamma would not—you know mamma
never does anything unkind. You should not say
such things, Hugh.â€
“Ay, there! you cannot say that she has not
told Mr. Tooke that I say my tables wrong.â€
“Well, you know you always do say it wrong to
her.â€
12 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“T will go somewhere. I will hide myself. I
will run to the market while the cloth is laying.
I will get away, and not come back till Mr. Tooke
is gone. I will never say my multiplication-table
to him!†.
“ Never?†said Agnes, with an odd smile and a
sigh. ‘However, do not talk of running away, or
hiding yourself. You will not have to say any-
thing to Mr. Tooke to-day.â€
“How do you know?â€
“T feel sure you will not. I do not believe Mr.
Tooke will talk to you, or to any of us. There you
go! You will be in the water-butt’ in a minute,
if you tumble so.â€
“T don’t care if Iam. Mr. Tooke will not come
there to hear me say my tables.. Let me go!†he
cried, struggling, for now Agnes had caught him
by the ankle. ‘If J do tumble in, the water is
not up to my chin, and it will be a cool hiding-
place this hot day.â€
“But there is Susan gone to lay the cloth for
dinner, and you must be brushed, for you are all
over dust. Come up, and I will brush you.â€
Hugh was determined to have a little more dust
first. He rolled once more the whole length of
the leads, turned over Jane’s stool, and upset her
work-basket, so that her thimble bounded off to a
far corner, and the shirt-collar she was stitching
fell over into the water-butt below.
“There! what will Jane say?†cried Agnes,
picking up the basket, and peeping over into the
THE CROFTON BOYS. 13
small part of the top of the water-butt which was
not covered.
“There never was anything like boys for mis-
chief,†said the maid Susan, who now appeared to
pull Hugh in, and make him neat. Susan always
found time, between laying the cloth and bringing
up dinner, to smooth Hugh’s hair, and give a par-
ticular lock a particular turn on his forehead with
a wet comb.
“Let that alone,†said Hugh, as Agnes peeped
into the butt after the drowning collar. “I will
have the top off this afternoon, and it will make
good fishing for Harry and me.’
Agnes had to let the matter alone, for Hugh was
So dusty that she had to brush one side of him
while Susan did the other. Susan gave him some
hard knocks-while she assured him that he was not
going to have Harry up on the leads to learn his
tricks, or to be drowned. She hardly knew which
of the two would be the worst for Harry. It was
lucky for Hugh that Susan was wanted below
directly, for she scolded him the whole time she
was parting and smoothing his hair. When it was
done, however, and the wet lock on his forehead
took the right turn at once, she gave him a kiss in
the very middle of it, and she knew he would be a
good boy.
Hugh would not go in with Agnes, because he
knew Mr. Tooke would shake hands with her, and
take notice of any one who was with her. He
waited. in the passage till Susan carried in the fish,
14 THE CROFTON BOYS.
when he auton behind her, and slipped to the
window till the party took their seats,-when he
_hoped Mr. Tooke would not observe who sat
between Agnes and his father. But the very first
thing his father did was to ask him whether he
had persuaded Mr. Tooke to tell him all about the
Crofton boys.
Hugh did not wish to make any answer; but
his father said “Eh?†and he knew he must speak;
so he said that Phil had told him all he wanted to
know about the Crofton boys.
“Then you can get Mr. Tooke to tell you about
Phil, if you want nothing else,†said Mr. Proctor.
Mr. Tooke nodded and smiled; but Hugh began °
to hand plates with all his might, he was so afraid
that the next thing would be a question how much
four times seven are.
The dinner went on, however, and the fish was
eaten, and the meat, and the pudding; and the
dessert was on the table, without any one having
even alluded to the multiplication-table. Before
this time, Hugh had become quite at his ease, and:
had looked at Mr. Tooke till he knew his face quite
well.
Soon after dinner Mr. Proctor was called. away
on ‘business; and Hugh slipped into his father’s
arm-chair, and crossed one leg over the other knee,
as he leaned back at his leisure, listening to Mr,
Tooke’s conversation with his mother about. the
sort. of- education that he considered most fit for
some boys from India, who had only a certain time
THE GROFTON BOYS. 15
to devote to school learning. In the course of this
conversation some curious things dropped about
the curiosity of children from India about some
_ things very common here—their wonder at snow
and ice, their delight at being able to slide in
the winter, and their curiosity about the harvest
and gleaning, now approaching. Mr. Proctor came
back just as Mr. Tooke was telling of the annual .
holiday of the boys at harvest-time, when they
gleaned for the poor of the village. As Hugh had
mever seen a cornfield, he had no very clear idea
of harvest and gleaning, and he wanted to hear all
he could. When obliged to turn out of the arm-
chair, he drew a stool between his mother and Mr.
‘Tooke, and presently he was leaning on his arms
on the table, with his face close to Mr. Tooke’s, as
if swallowing the gentleman’s words as they fell.
This was inconvenient, and his mother made him
draw back his stool a good way. Though he could
hear very well, Hugh did not like this, and he
slipped off his stool and came closer and closer.
“And did you say,†asked Mr. Proctor, who had
returned, “that your youngest pupil is nine ?â€
“Just nine—the age of my own boy. I could
have wished to have none under ten, for the reason
you know of. But——â€
“TI wish,†cried Hugh, thrusting himself in so
that Mr. Tooke saw the boy had a mind to sit on
his knee—‘“ I wish you would take boys at eight
and a quarter,†’
“That is your age,†said Mr. Tooke, smiling, and
making room between his knees,
16 THE CROFTON BOYS,
“How did you know? Mother told you.â€
“No; indeed she did not—not exactly. My boy
was eight and a quarter not very long ago; and.
he——â€â€™ ,
“MR, TOOKE SHOOK HANDS WITH HIM,â€
“Did he like being in your school?â€
“He always seemed very happy- there, though he.
was so much the youngest. And they teased him
sometimes for being the youngest. Now,you know,
z= ok
THE CROFTON BOYS, 17
if you came you would be the youngest, and they
might tease you for it.†:
“T don’t think I should mind that. But do not
you really take boys as young as I am?â€
“Such is really my rule.â€
It was very provoking, but Hugh was here called
away to fish up Jane’s work out of the water-butt.
As he had put it in, he was the proper person to
get it out. He thought he should have liked the
fun of it; but now he was in a great hurry to get
back,.to hear Mr. Tooke talk. It really seemed as
if the shirt-collar was alive, it always slipped away
so when he thought he had it. At last he brought
up the work, dripping and soiled. By that time
tea was ready—an early tea, because Mr. Tooke
had to go away directly after.
He turned round full upon Hugh, just as he was
going. Hugh stepped back, for it flashed upon
him that he was to be asked how much four times
seven were. But Mr. Tooke only shook hands with
him, and bade him grow older as fast as he could.
1. One of the main streets in
London, parallel with the north
bank of the Thames. It was for-
merly the water-side road be-
tween the City of London and
Westminster. Between it and
the river, were the great palaces
of the nobles, and, on the other
side, green fields and gardens
stretched away to the north.
2. The Church of St. Mary-le-
Strand, at the east end of the
Strand.
3. The great fruit and flower
market of London. It was for-
merly the Convent garden of
Westminster, and occupied a
large area. The present building
was erected in 1795. .
_4 Beautiful gardens in connec-
tion with The Temple, a pile of
D
buildings and a church between
Fleet.Streetand the Thames. The
Temple was the home of the
Knights’ Templars, who built
there a church in imitation of the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre at
Jerusalem. The buildings were
afterwards let to ‘Professors of
the Law,†about the reign of
Richard II, (1377 to_ 1399), and
have remained in their hands
ever since.
5. A watering-place a little to
the south of the North Foreland.
6, Aschool where pupils receive
board (food), lodging, and instruc
tion, only coming home at week-
ends or holidays.
7, An assistant-master.
8. A large barrel for collectin
rain water.
CHAPTER II.
- WHY MR. TOOKE CAME.
AFTER tea the young people had to learn their
' lessons for the next day. They always tried to get
these done, and the books put away, before Mr,
Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the
business of the day being finished. He liked to —
find his children at liberty for a little play, or half |
an. hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter
evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
Little Harry had been known to be kept up far
too late, that he might hear the violin, and that
his papa might enjoy the fun of seeing him run
about among the rest, putting them all out, and
fancying he was dancing. All believed there
would be time for play with papa to-night, tea had
been so much earlier than usual. But Agnes soon
feared there would be no play for Hugh. Though
Jane pored over her German, twisting her forefinger
in the particular curl which she always twisted
when she was deep in her lessons; though Agnes
rocked herself on her chair, as she always did when
she was learning by heart; and though Mrs.
Proctor kept Harry quiet at the other end of the
room with telling him long stories, in a very low
voice, about the elephant and Brighton pier, in the
picture-book, Hugh could not learn the names of
the capital cities of Europe. He even spoke out
twice, and stopped himself when he saw all the
THE- CROFTON BOYS. 19
heads in the room raised in surprise. Then he set
himself to work again, and he said ‘‘ Copenhagen â€
so often over that he was not likely te forget the
word; but what country it. belonged to he could
not fix in his mind, though Agnes wrote it down
large on the slate, in hopes that the sight of the
letters would help him to remember. . Before he
had got on to “Constantinople,†the well-known
sound was heard of the shop-boy putting up the
shutters, and presently papa came bustling in, and
gave Harry a long toss, and several topplings over
his shoulder, and yet Hugh was not ready.
“Come, children,†said Mr. Proctor to Agnes and
Hugh, “‘we have all done enough for to-day.
Away with books and slates!â€
Merry was Hugh’s play this evening. He stood
so perfectly upright on his father’s shoulders that
he could reach the top of his grandmamma’s
picture, and show, by his finger-ends, how thick
the dust lay upon the frame; and neither he nor
his father minded being told that he was far too
old for such play.
In the midst of the fun, Hugh had a misgiving,
more than once, of his mother having’ something
severe to say to him when she should come up to
his room, to hear him say his prayers, and to look
back a little with him upon the events of the day. .
Besides his consciousness that he had done nothing
well this day, there were grave looks from his
mother which made him think that she was not
pleased with him. When he was undressing,
20 THE GROFTON BOYS.
therefore, i listened mate some anxiety for her
footsteps, and, when she appeared, he was ready
with his confession of idleness. She stopped hini -
in the beginning, saying that she had rather not
hear any more’such confessions. She had listened
to too many, and had allowed him to spend in
confessions some of the strength which should
have been applied to mending his faults For the
present, while she was preparing a way to help
him to conquer his inattention, she advised him to
say nothing to her, or to anyone else, on the
‘subject; but this need not prevent him from.
praying to God to give him strength to overcome
his great fault.
“Oh, mother, mother!†cried Hugh, in an
agony, “you give me up! What shall I do if you
will not help me any more?â€
His mother smiled, and told him he need not
fear any such thing. It would be very cruel to
leave off providing him with food and clothes,
because it gave trouble to do so; and it would be
far more cruel to abandon him to his faults for
such a reason. She would never cease to help him
till they were cured; but, as all means yet tried
~ had failed, she must plan some others; and mean-
time, she did not wish him to become hardened to
his faults by talking about them every night, when
there was no amendment during he day.
Though she spoke very kindly, and kissed him
before she went away, Hugh felt that he was
punished. He felt more unhappy than if his
THE GROFTON BOYS. 21
mother had told him all she thought. of his
idleness. Though his mother had told him to go to
sleep, and blessed him, he could not help crying a
little, and wishing that he was a Crofton boy. He
supposed the Crofton boys all got their lessons
done somehow, as a matter of course; and then
they could go to sleep without any uncomfortable
feelings, or any tears.
In the morning Hugh fell into a reverie at the
_breakfast-table, keeping his spoon suspended in
his hand as he looked up at the windows, without
seeing anything. Jane asked him twice to hand
the butter before he heard.
“He is thinking how much four times seven are,â€
observed Mr. Proctor; and Hugh started at the words
“T tell you what, Hugh,†continued his father ;
“if the Crofton people do not teach you how much
four times seven are when you come within four
weeks of next Christmas Day, I shall give you up,
and them too, for dunces all.â€
All the eyes round the table were fixed on Mr.
Proctor in an instant.
“There, now!†said he, “I have let the cat out
of the bag.’ The secret is, that Hugh is going to
Crofton next month.â€
“Am I ten, then?†asked Hugh in his hurry
and. surprise.
“Searcely, since you were only eight and a
‘quarter yesterday afternoon,†replied his father. _
“T will tell you all about it by-and-bye, my
dear,†said his mother. So Mr. Proctor beckoned
22 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Harry to come and see whether the cat had not
got into the bag again, as she was not to be seen
anywhere else. It is true, the bag was not much
bigger than a cat’s head; but that did not matter
to Harry, who never cared for that sort of considera-
tion, and had been busy for half an hour, the day
before, in trying to put the key of the house door
into the keyhole of the tea-caddy.
_ By the time the table was cleared, Miss Harold
had arrived. Hugh brought his books with the
rest, but, instead of opening them, rested his
elbow on the uppermost, and stared full at Miss
Harold.
“Well, Hugh!†said she, smiling.
“T have not learned quite down to ‘Constan-
tinople,’†said he. “Papa told me I need not.â€
“Why, Hugh! hush!†cried Jane.
“ He did—he said exactly that. But he meant,
Miss Harold, that I am to be a Crofton ie
directly, next month.â€
“Then have we done with one another, Hugh 7 2â€
asked Miss Harold, gently. “Will you not learn
any more from me?â€
“That is for your choice, Miss Harold,†observed
Mrs. Proctor. ‘Hugh has not deserved the pains
you have taken with him; and if you decline '
more trouble with him now he is going into other
hands, no one can wonder.â€
Miss Harold feared that he was but poorly
prepared for school, and was quite ready to help
him if he would give his mind to the effort. She’
THE CROFTON BOYS. 23
thought that play, or reading books that he liked,
was less waste of time than his common way of
doing his lessons; but if he was disposed really to
work, with the expectation of Crofton before him,
“she was ready to do her best to prepare him for the
real hard work he would have to do there.
His mother proposed, that as she had to go out.
this morning, Hugh might go with her, if he liked};
and, as they returned, they would sit down in the
Temple Garden, and she would tell him all about
the plan. .
1. To disclose a secret is called “‘ letting the cat out of the bag.â€
CHAPTER III.
MICHAELMAS DAY COME,
Huau was about to ask his mother again and
again during their walk why Mr. Tooke let him go
to Crofton before he was ten, but Mrs. Proctor
was grave and silent; and though she spoke
kindly to him now and then, she did not seem
disposed to talk. At last they reached the Temple
Garden, and sat down where there was no one to
overhear them. Then Hugh looked up at his
mother. She saw and told him what it was that
he wanted to ask.
“It is on account of the little- boys themselves,â€
said she, “that Mr. Tooke does not wish to have
them very young, now that there is no kind lady
in the house who could be like a mother to them.â€
“But there is Mrs. Watson. Phil has told me a
hundred things about Mrs. Watson.â€
“Mrs, Watson is the housekeeper. She is care-
ful, I know, about the boys’ health and comfort :
but she has no time to attend to the younger ones,
as Mrs. Tooke did—hearing their little troubles,
and being a friend to them like their mothers at
home.â€
“There is Phil .
“Yes, you will have Phil to look to. But neither
Phil nor any one else can save you from some
troubles you are likely to have from being the
youngest.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS, 25
“ Such as Mr. Tooke told me his boy had—being
put on the top ofa high wall, and plagued when
he was tired, and all that? I don’t think I should
much mind those things.â€
“So we hope—and so we believe. Your fault
is not cowardice——’. ra
Hugh first looked up at his mother, and then
down on the grass—his cheeks glowed so, She
went. on—
“You have faults—faults which give your father
and me great pain; and though you are not
cowardly about being hurt in your body, you sadly
want courage of a better kind—courage to mend
the weakness of your mind. You are so young
that we are sorry for you, and mean to send you
where the example of other boys may give you
the resolution you want so much.†|
“All the boys learn their lessons at Crofton
observed Hugh.
“Yes; but not by magic. They have to give
their minds to their work. You will find it pain-
ful and difficult. to learn this, after your idle habits
at home. I give you warning that you will find
it much more difficult than you suppose; and I
should not wonder if you wish yourself at home
with Miss Harold many times before Christmas.â€
Mrs. Proctor was not unkind in saying this.
She saw that Hugh was so delighted about going
that nothing would depress his spirits, and that
the chief fear was his being disappointed and un-
happy when she should be far away. It might
E
d9
x
26 THE CROFTON BOYS.
then be some consolation to him to remember that
she was aware of what he would have to go
through. ;
“If you can bring yourself to learn your lessons -
well,†said his mother, “you need not fear the
usher. But remember, it depends upon that.
You will do well enough in the playground, I have
no doubt.†:
After this, there was only to settle the time that
was to pass—the weeks, days, and hours before
Michaelmas Day ;' and whether these weeks and
days should be employed in preparing for Crofton
under Miss Harold, or whether he should take his
chance there unprepared as he was. Mrs. Proctor
saw that his habits of inattention were so fixed, and
his disgust at lessons in the parlour so strong, that
she encouraged his doing no lessons in the inter-
val. -Hugh would have said beforehand that three
weeks’ liberty to read voyages and travels, and
play with Harry, would have made him perfectly
happy; but he felt that there was some disgrace
mixed up with his holiday, and that everbody
would look upon him with a sort of pity, instead
of wishing him joy; and this spoiled his pleasure
‘a good deal.
His spirits were up and down many times
during the next three weeks. He thought these
weeks would never be over. Every day dragged
on more slowly than the last; at every meal he
was less inclined to eat, and his happiest time was
when.going to bed, because he was a day nearer
Crofton.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 27
At last the day came—a warm, sunny, autumn
day, on--which anyone might have enjoyed the
prospect of a drive into the country. The coach’
was to set off from an inn in Fleet Street at noon,
and would set Hugh down at his uncle Shaw’s.
door in time for dinner, the distance being twenty-
eight miles. His uncle’s house was just two miles
-from the schoo]. Phil would probably be there to
meet his brother, and take him to Crofton in the:
afternoon. :
How to get rid of the hours till noon was the
question. Hugh had had everything packed up,
over which he had any control, for some days.
He had not left himself a plaything of those:
which he might carry; and it frightened him
that his mother did not seem to think of packing
his clothes till after breakfast this very morning.
When she entered his room for the purpose, he
was fidgeting about, saying to himself that he
should never be ready. Agnes came with her
mother, to help; but before the second shirt was
laid in the box, she was in tears, and had to go
away.
As Hugh stood beside her, handing stockings
and handkerchiefs to fill up the corners of the
box, she said but a few words; but Hugh never:
forgot them.
“You know, my dear, that I do not approve of
dwelling upon troubles. And yet I tell you,†she
continued, “that you will not be nearly so happy
at Crofton as you expect—at least, at first. It
grieves me to see you so full of expectation——â€
28 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“ Does it indeed, mother ?â€
“Tt does indeed. But my comfort is
“ You think I can bear it,†cried Hugh, holding
up his head. “ You think I can bear anything,’
I think you are a brave boy, on the whole.
But that is not the comfort I was speaking of, for
there is a world of troubles too heavy for the
bravery of a thoughtless child like you. My
comfort. is, my dear, that you know where to -
go to for strength when your heart fails you.
You will be away from your father and me;
but a far wiser and kinder Parent will be always
with you. If I were not sure that you would
continually open your heart to Him, I could not
let you go from me.†Ba
“T will—I always do,†said Hugh, in a low
voice. ;
- “Then remember this, my boy. If you have
that help, you must not fail. Knowing that you
have that help, I expect that you will do your own
duty, and bear your own troubles like a man. If
you were to’be all alone in the new world you are
going to, you would be but a helpless child; but
remember, when a child makes God his friend,
God ‘puts | a0 the youngest and weakest the spirit
of a man.’
“You will ask Him too, mother; you will pray
Him to make me brave, and—and.
« And-what else?†she inquired, ae her eyes
upon him.
“And steady,†replied Hugh, casting down his
eyes; “for that is what I want most of all.â€
32
THE CROFTON BOYS, 29
- “Tt is,†replied ne mother. ‘I do, and ee
will, pray for you.â€
There were just two minutes to spare when
Hugh, with his father, mother, Jane, and Agnes,
reached the inn yard. The horses were pawing
and fidgeting, and some of the passengers had
mounted. Mr. Proctor spoke to two men who
were on the roof, just behind the coachman, and
OFF TO CROFTON ON THE COACH,
they agreed to let Hugh sit between them, on the
assurance that the driver would look to his con-
cerns, and see that he was set down at the right
place. :
“Now, my boy, up: with you!†said his father,
as he turned from speaking to these men.. Hugh
was so eager that he put up his foot to mount,
“without remembering to bid his mother and sisters
good-bye. Mr. Proctor laughed at this, and
30 THE CROFTON BOYS.
nobody wondered; but Agnes cried bitterly, and
she could not forget it from that time till she saw
her brother again. When they had all kissed
him, and his mother’s earnest look had bidden
him remember what had passed between them
that. morning, he was lifted up by his father, and
received by the two men, between whom he found
a safe seat.
Then he wished they were off. It was uncom-
fortable to see his sisters crying there, and not to
be able to cry too, or to speak to them. When the
coachman was drawing on his second glove, and
the ostlers held each a hand to pull off the horse-
cloths, and the last moment was come, Mr. Proctor
swung himself up by the step to say one thing
more. It was—
“T say, Hugh, can you tell me ‘how much are
four times seven.?’â€
Mrs. Proctor pulled her husband’s coat-tail, and
he leaped down; the horses’ feet scrambled, their
heads issued from the gateway of the inn yard,
and Hugh’s family were left behind.
In the midst of the noise, the man on Hugh’s
right hand said, “There was some joke, I fancy, in
that last remark of your father’s.â€
“ Yes,†said Hugh.
“ Are you in the habit of saying the multiplica-
tion-table when you travel?†said the other. “If
so, we shall be happy to hear it.â€
“T never say it when I can help it,†said Hugh;
“and I see no occasion now.â€
THE CROFTON. BOYS. 31
The men laughed, and then asked him if he was
going far.
“To Crofton. Iam going to be a Crofton. boy,â€
said Hugh.
“A what? Where is he going?†his companions
asked one another over his head. They were no
wiser when Hugh repeated what he had said, nor
could the coachman enlighten them. He only
knew that he was to put the boy down at Shaw's,
the great miller’s, near thirty miles along the road.
“ Kight-and-twenty,†said Hugh, in correction ;
“and Crofton i is two miles from my uncle’s.â€
“ Hight-and-twenty. The father’s joke lies there,â€
observed the right-hand man.
“No, it does not,†said Hugh. He thought he
was among a set of very odd people—none of them
knowing what a Crofton boy was. One of the men
asked him if he was sure he was going for the first
time—he seemed so thoroughly informed of every-
thing about Crofton. Hugh replied that it was a -
good thing to have an elder brother like Phil.
Phil had told him just what to take to Crofton, and
how to take care of his money, and everything.
“Ay! and how do the Crofton boys take care of
their money ?â€
Hugh showed a curious little inner pocket in his
jacket, which nobody would dream of that did not
know. His mother had let him have such a pocket
in both his jackets; and he had wanted to have all
his money in this one now to show how safely he
could carry it. But Mrs. Proctor had chosen to
32 _ THE CROFTON BOYS,
pack up all his shillings in his box. In this
pocket there was only sixpence now—the sixpence
he was to give the coachman when he was set
down.
Then he went on to explain that this sixpence
was not out of his own money, but given him by
his father, expressly for the coachman. Then his
right-hand companion congratulated him upon his
spirits, and began to punch and tickle him; and
when Hugh writhed himself about, because’ he
could not bear tickling, the coachman said he
would have no such doings, and bade them be
quiet. Then the passengers seemed to forget
Hugh, and talked to one another of the harvest in.
the north, and the hopping in Kent.
Hugh was not'thinking of time or distance when
he saw the coachman glance round at him, and felt
that the speed of the horses was slackening. Still
he had no idea that this was any concern of his,
till he saw something that made him start.
“Why, there’s Phil!†he exclaimed, jumping to
his feet.
“This is Shaw’s mill, and there is Shaw ; which
is all I have to do with,†said the coachman, as he
pulled up.
Hugh was soon down, with his uncle and Phil,
and one of the men from the mill to help. His
aunt was at the window, too; so that altogether
Hugh forgot to thank his companions for his safe
seat. He would have forgotten his box, but for the
coachman, One thing more he also forgot.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 33
“T say, young master,†said the driver ; “remem-
- ber the coachman. Where’s your sixpence ?â€
“Oh, my sixpence!†cried Hugh, throwing down
what he held, to feel in his curious inner pocket,
which was empty.
“Lest you find a hole in your pocket, here is a
sixpence for you,†cried the right-hand passenger, °
tossing him his own sixpence. ‘Thank you for
teaching us the secret of such a curious pocket.â€
The coachman was impatient, got his money,
and drove off, leaving Hugh to make out why he
had been tickled, and how his money had changed
hands. With avery red face, he declared it was
too bad of the man; but the man was out of his
hearing, and could never know how angry he was.
“A pretty story this is for our usher to have
against you, to begin with,†was Phil’s consolation.
“Every boy will know it before you show yourself ;
and you will never hear the last of it, I can tell you.â€
“Your usher!†exclaimed Hugh, bewildered.
“Yes, our usher. That was he on the box,
beside the coachman. Did not you find out that
much in all these eight-and-twenty miles?â€
“How should I? He never told me.â€
Hugh could hardly speak to his uncle and aunt,
he was so taken up-with trying to remember what
he had said, in the usher’s hearing, of the usher
himself, and of everybody at Crofton.
1. The 29th September. It used 2. At the time of this tale there
to be a great feast dayin memory werenorailways. Thechief way
of St. Michael the Archangel. In. of travelling from one town to
England, Michaelmas is one of another was by means of the
the regular days for paying rents, stage-coach,
F
CHAPTER IY,
MICHAELMAS DAY OVER.
Mrs. Suaw ordered dinner presently ; and while
it was being served, she desired Phil to brush his
_ brother’s clothes, as they were dusty from his ride.
All the while he was brushing (which he did very
roughly), and all the first part of dinner-time,
Phil continued to tease Hugh about what he had
‘said on the top of the coach. Mrs. Shaw spoke of
the imprudence of talking freely before strangers ;
and Hugh could have told her that he did not
need such a lecture at the very time that he found
_ the same thing by his ea penente: He did wish
Phil would stop.
After dinner, Phil iioueht it time to be off to
Crofton. He had missed something by coming away
at all to-day, and he was not going to run the
chance of losing the top of the class by not having
time to do his lessons properly. Mrs. Shaw said
they must have some of her plums before they
went, and Mr. Shaw ordered the gig, saying he
would drive them, and thus no time would be lost,
though he hoped that Phil would not mind being
at the bottom of every class for once to help his
brother, seeing how soon a diligent boy might work
his way up again. Phil replied that that was not
so easy as people might think, when there was oneâ€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 35
like Joe Cape determined to keep him down, if he
‘could once get him down.
“JT hope you will find time to help Hugh up
from the bottom, in a class or two,†said Mr. Shaw.
- “You will not be too busy about your own affairs
to look to his, I suppose.â€
“Where is the use of my meddling?†said Phil.
“He can’t rise for years to come. Besides——â€
“Why can’t I rise?†exclaimed Hugh, with
glowing cheeks.
“That is right, Hugh,†said his uncle. “Let
nobody prophesy for you till you show what you
can do.â€
“Why, uncle, he is nearly two years younger
than any boy in the school; and——
“And there is little Page above you in algebra.
He is about two years younger than you, Phil, if I
remember right.†;
Hugh could not help clapping his hands at the |
prospect this held out to him. Phil took the act
for triumphing over him, and went on to say, very
insultingly, that a little fellow who had been
brought up among the girls all his life, and had
learned of nobody but Miss Harold, could not be
expected to cut any figure among boys. Hugh
looked so grieved for a moment, and then suddenly
so relieved, that his kind uncle-wondered what was
in his mind. He took the boy between his knees
‘and asked him.
_ .Hugh loved his uncle already, as if he had
always known him. He put his arms round his
36 THE CROFTON BOYS.
neck, and whispered in his ear what he was think-
ing of—his mother’s saying that God could and —
~ would, if He was sought, put the spirit of a man
‘into the feeblest child.
“True—quite true! Iam glad you know that,
my boy. That will help you to learn at Crofton,
though it is better than anything they can teach
you in their school-room.â€
The sun was near its setting when they came in
sight of Crofton House. A long range of windows
glittered in the yellow light, and Phil said that the
lower row all belonged to the school-room—that
whole row.
In the midst of his explanations Phil stopped,
and his manner grew more rough than ever—with
a sort of shyness in it too. It was because some
of the boys were within hearing, leaning over the
pales which separated the playground from the
road.
“T say! hallo, there!†cried one. “Is that
Prater you have got with you?â€
“ Prater the Second!†cried another. ‘“ He could
not have had his name if there had not been Prater
the First.â€
“There—there’s a scrape you have got me into
already!†muttered Phil.
“Be a man, Phil, and bear your own share,â€
said Mr. Shaw; “and no spite, because your words
come back to you.â€
The talk at the palings still went on, as the gig
rolled quietly in the sandy by-road. .
THE- CROFTON BOYS. 37
“Prater!†poor Hugh exclaimed. “What a
name!â€
“Yes; that is you!†said his uncle. “You
know now what your nickname will be. Every
boy has one or another; and your’s might have
_been worse, because you might have done many a
worse thing to earn it.â€
“ But the usher, uncle!â€
“ What of him?â€
‘He should not have told about me.â€
Mr. Tooke was out taking his evening ride; but -
Mr. Shaw would not drive off till he had seen Mrs.
' Watson, the housekeeper, and introduced his
younger nephew to her, observing to her that he
was but a little fellow to come among such a
number of rough boys. Mrs. Watson smiled kindly
at. Hugh, and said she was glad he had a brother
in the school to prevent his feeling lonely at first.
It would not take many days, she hoped, to make
him feel quite at home. Mr. Shaw slipped half-a-
crown into Hugh’s hand, and whispered to him to
try to keep it safe in his inner pocket. Hugh ran
after him to the door, to tell him that: he had five
shillings already, safe in his box; but his uncle
would not take back the half-crown. He thought
that, in course of time, Hugh would want all the
money he had.
_ Mrs. Watson desired Phil to show his brother
where he was to sleep, and to help him to put
by his clothes. Phil was in a hurry to get to
his lessons; ‘so that he was not sorry when Mrs.
38 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Watson herself came up to see that the boy’s
elothes were laid properly in the deep drawer in
which Hugh was to keep his things. Phil then
slipped away.
“MRS, WATSON SAW HIS CLOTHES LAID IN THE DEEP DRAWER.â€
When his box was emptied, and his drawer
filled, Mrs. Watson took him into the school-room,
where the boys were at supper. Outside the door
the buzz seemed prodigious, and Hugh hoped
_ THE CROFTON BOYS! 39
that in such a bustle nobody would notice him.
Here he was quite mistaken. The moment he
entered there was a hush, and all eyes were
turned upon him, except his brother’s. Phil
hardly looked up from his book; but he made
room for Hugh between himself and another boy,
and drew the great plate of bread within reach.
Mrs. Watson saw that Hugh had his basin of
milk; and he found it a good thing to have
something to do while so many eyes were upon
him. He felt that he might have cried if he had
- not had his supper to eat. .
The usher sat at the top of the table, reading.
“ Perhaps, Mr. Carnaby,†said Mrs. Watson, “you
will find. something for this young gentleman to
do, when he has had his supper, while the rest are
learning their lessons. To- OTC, he will have
his own lessons; but to-night——
“There is alivays the. multiplication-table,â€
replied Mr. Carnaby. “The young gentleman
is partial to that, I fancy.â€
‘Hugh reddened, and applied himself to’ his
bread : and milk.
“Never mind a joke,†whispered Mrs. Watson.
‘We won't plague you with the multiplication-
table the first evening. I will find you.a book or
something. Meantime, there is a companion for
you—I forgot that.â€
, The good lady went down the room, and
brougiit back a boy who seemed to be doing
all he could to stop crying. He dashed his hand
40 THE GROFTON BOYS,
over his eyes every minute, and could not look
anybody in the face. He had finished his supper,
and was at a loss what to do next, as he had only
arrived that morning, and did not know anybody
at Crofton. . His name was Tom Holt, and he was
ten years old.
When they had told their names and ages, and
where they came from, the boys did not know
what to say next, but Mrs. Watson did not forget
the strangers. She brought them Cook’s Voy-
ages! out of the library to amuse themselves with,
on condition of their delivering the book to Mr.
Carnaby at bed-time. _
The rest of the evening passed away very
pleasantly. Hugh told Holt a great deal about
Broadstairs and the South Sea Islands, and con-
fided to him his own hopes of being a sailor, and
going round the world, and, if possible, making
his way straight through China, the most difficult
country left to travel in, he believed, except some
parts of Africa. He did not want to cross the
Great Desert, on account of the heat. He knew
something of what that was by the leads at home,
when the sun was on them. What was the
greatest heat Holt had ever felt? Then came
the surprise. Holt had last come from his uncle’s
farm; but he was born in India, and had lived
there till eighteen months ago. So, while Hugh
had chattered away about the sea at Broadstairs,
and the heat on the leads at home, his companion
had come fourteen thousand miles over the ocean,
THE OROFTON BOYS. Al
and had felt a heat nearly as extreme as that
of the Great Desert. Holt was very unassuming
too. He talked of the heat of gleaning in his
uncle’s harvest fields, and of the kitchen when
the harvest supper was cooking; owning that
he remembered he had felt hotter in India.
‘Hugh heaped questions upon him about his
native country and.the voyage, and Holt liked
to be asked; so that the boys were not at all
like strangers just met for the first time. At
length Mr. Carnaby declared it high time that
the youngsters should go to bed. Hugh delivered
Cook’s Voyages into his hands, and then bade
Phil good night. He was just going to put his
face up to be kissed, but recollected in time that
he was to leave off kissing when he went to
school. He held out his hand, but Phil seemed
not to see it, and only told him to be sure to
lie enough on one side, so as to leave him room,
and that he was to take the side of the bed next
the window. Hugh nodded, and went off, with
Holt and two more who slept in the same room.
The two who were not new boys were in bed in.
a minute, and when they saw Hugh wash his face
and hands, they sat up in bed to stare. One of
them told him that he had better not do that, as
the maid would be coming for the light, and would
leave him in the dark, and report of him if he was
not in bed. So Hugh made a great splutter, and
did not half dry his face, and left the water in the
basin—a thing which they told him was not
G
42 THE CROFTON BOYS.
allowed. He saw that the others had not kneeled -
down to. say their prayers—a practice which he
had never omitted since he could say a prayer.
He knew the boys were watching him, but he
thought of his mother, and how she had taught
him to pray at her knee. He hid himself as well
as he could with the scanty bed-curtains, and
kneeled. He could not attend to the words he
said while feeling that eyes were upon him, and,
before he had done, the maid came in for the
candle.
Hugh was more tired than he had ever been in
his life. This had been the longest day he had
ever known. It seemed more like a week than a
day. Yet he could not go tosleep. He had for-
gotten to ask Phil to be sure and wake him in time
in the morning, and now he must keep awake till
Phil came, to say this. Then, he could not but
ask himself whether he liked, and should like,
being at school as much as he expected; and when
he felt how very unlike home it was, and how
rough everybody seemed, and how Phil appeared
almost as if he was ashamed of him, instead of
helping him, he was so miserable he did not know
what to do. :
He cried bitterly, cried till his pillow was quite
wet, and he was almost choked with his grief; for
he tried hard not to let his sobs be heard. After
a while, he felt what he might do. Though he had
kneeled he had not really prayed; and if he had,
God is never weary of prayers. It was a happy
THE CROFTON BOYS. ; 43
thought to Hugh that his very best Friend was
with him still, and that he might speak to Him at
any time. He again said his prayers, and dropped
to sleep with the feeling that God was listening to
him.
After a long while, as it seemed to him, though
it was only an hour, there was a light and some
bustle in the room. It was Phil and two others
coming to bed.
“Oh, Phil!†cried Hugh, stating bolt acwiene
and winking with sleep, “I meant to keep awake,
to ask you to be sure and call me in the morning,
time enough—quite time enough, please.â€
The others Jaughed ; and Phil asked whether he
had not seen tle bell as he came, and what it
should be for but to ring everybody up in the
morning.
“ But I might not hear it,†pleaded Hugh.
“ Not hear it! You'll soon see that.â€
“Well, but you will see that I really do sralee:
won't you ?â€
“The bell will take care of that, I tell. pou
was all he could get from Phil.
1, The voyages of Captain James Cook, the celebrated English
navigator; born 1728, died 1779. He sailed on three voyages round the
world, made many discoveries in Australia, or, as it was then called,
New. Holland; New Zealand ; and on the coast of Ni orth America. He
was killed by. the natives of the island of Owarnee, 4 in the Sandwich
group, in the Pacific. :
CHAPTER V.
CROFTON PLAY.
Hues found, in the morning, that there was no
danger of his not hearing the bell. Its clang-clang
startled him out of a sound sleep; and he was
on his feet on the floor almost before his eyes were
open. The boys who were more used. to the bell
did not make quite so much haste. They yawned
a few times, and turned out more slowly; so that
Hugh had the great tin wash-basin to himself longer
than the rest. There was a basin to every three
boys; and, early as Hugh began, his companions
were impatient long before he had done. At first
they waited in curiosity to see what he was going
to do after washing his face; when he went further,
they began to quiz; but when they found that he
actually thought of washing his feet, they hooted
and groaned at him for a dirty brat.
“Dirty!†cried Hugh, facing them, amazed—
‘dirty for washing my feet! Mother says it isa
dirty trick not to wash all over every day.â€
Phil told him that was stuff and nonsense here-
There was no room and no time for such home
doings. The boys all washed their heads and feet’
on Saturdays, He would soon find that he might
be glad to get his face and hands done in the
mornings.
The other boys in the room were, or proténded
to be, so disgusted with the very idea of washing
THE CROFTON BOYS. 45
» feet in a basin, that they made Hugh rinse and
rub out the tin basin several times before they
would use it, and then there was a great bustle to
get downstairs at the second bell. Hugh pulled
his brother’s arm, as Phil was brushing out of the
room, and asked in a whisper whether there
would be time to say his prayers.
~ “There will be prayers in the school-room. You
must be in time for them,†said Phil. “You had
better come with me.â€
“Do wait one moment, while I just comb my
hair.â€
Phil fidgeted, and others giggled, while Hugi
tried to part his hair, as Susan had taught him.
_ He gave it up, and left it rough, thinking he would
come up and do it when there was nobody there
to laugh at him. 7
The school-room looked chilly and dull, as there
was no sunshine in it till the afternoon ; and still Mr.
Tooke was not there, as Hugh had hoped he would
be. Mrs. Watson and the servants came in for
prayers, which were well read by the usher; and
then everybody went to business—everybody but
Hugh and Holt, who had nothing to do. Class
after class came up for repetition; and this repe-
tition seemed to the new boys an accomplishment
they’ should never acquire. ;
' Perhaps the usher saw this, for when he called
zyugh up he was very kind. He looked at the
Latin grammar he had used with Miss Harold, and
saw by the dogs’-ears exactly how far Hugh had
46 | THE CROFTON BOYS.
gone in it, and asked him only what he could
answer very well. Then he was shown the part —
that he was to say to-morrow morning; and Hugh
walked away, all'the happier for having something
to do, like everybody else. He was so little afraid
of the usher that he went back to him to ask where
he had better sit.
“Sit! Oh, I suppose you must have a desk,
though you have nothing to put init. If there is
a spare desk you shall havo it; if not we will find
a corner for you somewhere.â€
Some of the boys whispered that Mrs. Watson’s
footstool,. under her apron, would do; but the
usher overheard this, and observed that it took
some people a good while to know a new boy, and .
that they might find that a little fellow might be as
much of a man as a big one. And the usher called
_ the oldest boy in the school, and asked him to see
if there was a desk for little Proctor. There was;
and Hugh put into it his two or three school-books
and his slate, and felt that he was now indeed a
Crofton boy.. Then, the usher was kinder than he
had expected; and he had still to see Mr. Tooke,
of whom he was not afraid at all) So Hugh’s
spirits rose, and he liked the prospect of breakfast
as well as any boy in the school. y
There was.one more rebuff for him first, however:
' He ran up to his room to finish combing his hair,
while the other boys were thronging into the long:
room to breakfast. He found the housemaids
there, making the beds; and they both cried
“THE CROFTON BOYS. 47
“Out! out!†and clapped their hands at him, and
“ threatened to tell Mrs. Watson of his haviag
broken rules, if he did not go this moment. Hugh
asked what Mrs. Watson would say to his hair if he
went to breakfast with it asit was. One of the maids
was good-natured enough to comb it forhim foronce,
but she said he must carry a comb in his pocket,
as the boys were not allowed to go to their rooms,
except at stated hours.
At last Hugh saw Mr. Tooke. When the boys
- entered school at nine o’clock the master was at
his desk: Hugh went up to his end of the room
with a smiling face, while Tom Holt hung back;
and he kept beckoning Tom Holt on, having told
him there was nothing to be afraid of. But when
at last Mr. Tooke saw them, he made no difference
between the two, and seemed to forget having ever
seen Hugh. He told them he hoped they would
be good boys, and would do credit to Crofton; and
he asked Mr. Carnaby to get them something to
learn. And this was all they had to do with Mr.
Tooke for a long while. ;
This morning in school, from nine till twelve,
seemed the longest these little boys had ever
known. When they remembered that the after-
,noon would be as long, and every morning’ and
}afternoon for three months, their hearts sank.
- Perhaps, if any one had told them that the time
«would grow shorter and shorter by use, and at last,
when they had plenty to do, almost too short, they
would not have believed it, because they could not
48 THE CROFTON BOYS.
yet feel it. But what they now found was only
what every boy and girl finds on beginning school,
or entering upon any new way of life. At length
the clock struck twelve; school was up, and there
was a general rush to the playground.
Now Hugh .was really to see the country.
Except that the sun shone pleasantly into his
room in the morning, through waving trees, nothing
had yet occurred to make him feel that he was in
the country. Now, however, he was in the open
air, with trees sprinkled all over the landscape, and
green fields stretching away, and the old church-
tower half covered withivy. Hugh screamed with
pleasure ; and nobody thought it odd, for almost °
See ;
(on hemrenienens
every boy was shouting. Hugh longed to pick up «.
some of the shining brown chestnuts which he had |
seen yesterday in the road, under the trees; and —
he was now cantering away to the spot, when Phil ;
ran after him, and roughly stopped him, saying he |
would get into a fine scrape for the first day if he |
went out of bounds.
Hugh had forgotten there were such things a
bounds, and was not at all glad to be reminded of
them now. He sighed, as he begged Phil to show
him exactly where hemight go, and where he might)
not. Phil did so in an impatient way, and then’
was off to trap-ball, because his party were waiting
for him.
At the opposite corner of the playground, a good ;
number of his schoolfellows were playing ball
under the orchard wall. Hugh ran to them, and
THE CROFTON BOYS 49
rushed hither and thither, like the rest, trying to
catch the ball, but he never could doit; and he
was jostled, and thrown down, and another boy fell
over him; and he was told that he knew nothing
about play, and had better move off.
_ He did so with a heavy heart, wondering how he
was ever to be like the other boys, if nobody would
take him in hand and teach him to play, or even
‘let him learn, Remembering what his mother
expected of him, he tried to sing to prevent crying,
and began to count the palings round the play-
ground for something to do. This presently
brought him to a tree which stood on the very
boundary, its trunk serving instead of two or three
rails. It was only a twisted old apple-tree, but the
more twisted and gnarled it was, the more it looked
like a tree that Hugh could climb; and he had
always longed to climb a tree. Glancing up, he
saw a boy already there, sitting on the fork of two
- branches, reading.
“Have you a mind to come up ?†asked the boy.
“Yes, I should like to try to climba tree. I
never did.â€
“Well, this isa good one to begin with. Tl
lend you a hand; shall I?†;
«Thank you, sir.â€
“Don’t call me ‘sir’ I’m only a schoolboy, like -
you. Iam Dan Firth. Call me Firth, as lam the
only one of the name here. Youare little Proctor,
T think—Proctor’s brother.â€
“Yes; but, Firth, I shall pull you down if I
slip.â€
7 OE
50 THE GROFTON BOYS,
“Not you; but I’ll come down, and so help you
up to my seat, which is the safest to begin with.
Stand off.†-
Firth swung himself down, and then, showing
Hugh where to plant his feet, and propping him
when he wanted it, he soon seated him on the fork,
and laughed good naturedly when Hugh waved his
cap over his head, on occasion of being up in a tree.
He let him get down and.up again: several times,
till he could do it quite alone, and felt that he
might have a seat here whenever it was not occu-
pied by any one else.
While Hugh sat in the branches, venturing to
leave hold with one hand, that he might fan his
hot face with his cap, Firth stood on the rail of the
palings, holding by the tree, and talking to him.
. Firth told him that this was the only tree the boys
were allowed to climb, since Ned Reeve had fallen
from the great ash and hurt hisspine. He showed
what trees he had himself climbed: before that
accident, and it made Hugh giddy to think of
being within eight feet of the top of the lofty elm
in the churchyard, which Firth had thought
nothing of mounting.
“Did anybody teach you?†asked Hugh.
“Yes; my father taught me to climb when I -
was younger than you.â€
“And had you anybody to teach you games and’
things, when you came here?†;
“No; but I had learned a good deal of that
before I came, and so I soon fell into the ways
here. Have you anybody to teach you?†:
THE CROFTON BOYS. Se BL
“ No—yes—why, no. I thought Phil would
have showed me things; but he does not seem to
mind me at all.†a. Hugh bit his lip, and
fanned himself faster.
“Ah! he attends to you more than you think.â€
“Does he? Then why—but what good does it _
do me?â€
«What good? His holding off makes you pak
your own way. It lets you make friends for sour
self.â€
‘‘T have no friends here,†said Hugh.
“Yes, you have: Here am I. You would not
have had me if you had been at Proctor’s heels at
this moment.â€
“Will you be my friend, then?â€
“That I will.â€
“ What, a great boy like you that sits reading’
in a tree! But I may read here beside you. You
said there was room for two.†:
‘Ay; but you must not use it yet—at least not
often, if you wish to do well here. Everybody
knows I can play at anything. From the time I
became captain of the wall at fives, I have. had
liberty to do what I like, without question. But
you must show that you are up to play before they
will let you read in peace and quiet. :
“But how can I, if—if——
“Once show your spirit—prove that you can
shift for yourself, and you will find Phil open out
wonderfully. He and you will forget ‘all his shy-
ness then. Once show him that he need not be
ashamed of you——â€
52 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“ Ashamed of me!†cried Hugh, firing up.
“Yes. Little boys are looked upon as girls in a
school till they show that they are little men.
And then again, you have been brought up with
girls—have you not?â€
“To be sure; and so was he.â€
“And half the boys here, tI dare say. Well,
they are called Bettys till
“Tam not a Betty!†cried nai again,
“They suppose you are, because you part your
hair, and do as you have been used to do at
home.â€
“What business have they with my hair? I
might as well call them Bruins for wearing theirs
shaggy.†,
“Very true. They will let you and your hair
alone when they see what you are made of; and
then Phil will
“He will own me when I don’t want it; and
now, when he might help me there he is, far off,
never caring about what becomes of me.â€
“Oh, yes; he does. He is watching you all the
_ time, You and he will have it all out some day
before Christmas, and then you will see how he
really cares about you.
“What a nice place this is, to be sure!†cried
Hugh, as the feeling of loneliness went off. “But
the rooks do not make so much noise as I
expected.â€
“You will find what they can do in that way
when spring comes—when they are building.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 53
“ And when may we go out upon the heath, and
into the fields where the lambs are?â€
“We go long walks on Saturday afternoons; but
you do not expect to see young lambs in October,
do you?â€
“Oh, I forgot. I never can remember the
seasons for things.â€
“That shows you are a Londoner. You will
learn all those things here. If you look for hares
in our walks you may chance to see one; or you
may start a pheasant; but take care you don’t
mention lambs, or goslings, or cowslips, or any
spring things, or you will never hear the last of it.â€
“Thank you; but what will poor Holt do? He
is from India, and he knows very little about our
ways.â€
“They may laugh at him; but they will not
despise him, as they might a Londoner. Being an
Indian, and being a Londoner, are very different
things.â€
“And yet how proud the Londoners are over
the country. It is very odd.â€
“People are proud of their own ways all the
world over. You will be proud of being a Crofton
boy by-and-bye.â€
“Perhaps I am now, a little,†said Hugs,
blushing.
“ W hat, already ? Ah! you will do, I see. You
have boasted of being a Londoner-up to this time,
and from this time you will hold your head high
_ as a Crofton boy.â€
54 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“How long? Till when?â€
“Ah! till when? What next? What do you
mean to be afterwards?â€
“A soldier, or a sailor, or a great traveller, or
something of that kind. I mean to'go quite mound
the world, like Captain Cook.â€
“Then you will come home, proud of having paen
round the world; and you will meet with some old
neighbour who boasts of having spent all his life
in the house he was born in.’
“What is the matter there?†cried Hugh: “Oh,
dear! something very terrible must have happened.
How that boy is screaming!â€
“Tt is only Lamb again,†replied Firth. “You
_ will soon get used to his screaming.â€
“What are they doing to him?â€
“Somebody is putting him into a passion, I
suppose. There is always somebody to do that.â€
“What ashame!†cried Hugh.’ ‘
“Yes; I see no fun in it,’ replied Firth. “ Any-
body can do it. You have only to hold your little ©
finger up to put him in a rage.’
Hugh thought Firth was rather eel about the
matter. But. Firth was not so cool when the
throng opened for a moment, and showed what
was really done to the angry boy. Only his head
appeared above ground. His schoolfellows had
put him into a hole they had dug, and had filled
it up to his chin, stamping down the earth, so that
the boy was perfectly helpless, while wild with
rage.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 55
“That is too bad!†cried Firth. “That would
madden a saint.†-
_ And he jumped down from the paling, and ran
_ towards the crowd. Hugh saw him snatch a spade
from a boy who was flourishing it in Lamb’s face.
He saw that Firth was digging, though half a
dozen boys had thrown themselves on his back,
and hung on his arms; but he persevered, till Lamb
had got his right arm out of the ground, and was
striking everything within reach. Then he saw
Firth dragged down and away, while the boys
made a circle round Lamb, putting a foot or hand
within his reach, and then snatéhing it away again,
till the boy yelled with rage at the mockery.
Hugh could look on no longer. He scrambled
down from the tree, scampered to the spot, burst
through the throng, and seized Lamb’s hand.
Lamb struck him a heavy blow, taking him for an.
.enemy; but Hugh cried “I am your friend,†seized
-his hand again, and tugged till he was first red
and then black in the face.
Lamb’s tormentors at first let Hugh alone in
amazement; but they were not long in growing
angry with him too. They hustled him—they pulled
him all ways—they tripped him up; but Hugh’s
_ Spirit was roused, and that brought his body up to
the struggle again and again. He wrenched him-:
self free, he scrambled to his feet again, as often as
he was thrown down; and in a few minutes he had
plenty of support. Phil was taking his part, and
shielding him from many blows. Firth had got
56 - THE CROFTON BOYS.
Lamb out of the hole; and the party against the
tormentors was now so strong that they began to
.. part off till the struggle ceased.
“There stands your defender, Lamb,†said Firth.
“Come, be a man, as he is. Here, help me to fill
up this hole—both of you. Stamp down the earth,
Lamb. Tread it well—tread your anger well down
into it. Think of this little friend of yours here—
a Crofton boy only yesterday!â€
Lamb did help to fill the hole, but he did not
say a word—not one word to anybody, till the
dinner-bell rang. Then, at the pump, where the
party were washing their hot and dirty and bruised
hands, he held out his hand to Hugh, muttering,
with no very good grace.
“T don’t know what made you help me, but I
will never be in a _ passion with you—unless you
put me out, that is.â€
Hugh replied that he had come to help because
he never could bear to see anybody made worse.
It was such a shame to make anybody worse!
amb looked as if he was going to fly at Hugh
now; but Firth put his arm round Hugh’s neck,
and drew him into the house, saying in his ear—
“Don’t say any more that you have no friends |
here. You will do, my boy—when you have got
through a few scrapes. I’m your friend, at any
rate.â€
1. A game of ball, sometimes called hand-tennis. Said to be so
‘named because usually played with five on each side; or because three
fives, or fifteen, are counted on each side, ‘The place where the game
is played is called a jives court.
CHAPTER VI.
- FIRST RAMBLE.
Huen’s afternoon lessons were harder than those
of the morning; and in the evening he found he
had so much to do, that there was very little time
left for writing his letter home. Some time there
was, however; and. Firth did not forget to rule his
paper, and let Hugh use hisink. He now thought
that it would save a great deal of description if he
sent a picture or two in his letter; so he flourished
off, on the first page, a sketch of Mr. Tooke sitting
at his desk at the top of the school, and of Mr.
Carnaby standing at his desk at the bottom of the
school.
The next evening he made oe to fill up the
sheet, for he found his business increasing upon
his hands so fast that he did not know when he
should get his letter off, if he did not dispatch it
at once. He was just folding it up, when Tom
Holt observed that it was a pity not to put some
words into the mouths of the figures, and he
showed Hugh how to doit. Hugh seized on the
idea. He put into Mr. Tooke’s mouth the words
which were oftenest heard from him, “ Proceed,
gentlemen ;†and into Mr. Carnaby’s, “Hold your
din,â€
. Firth was too busy to mind the little boys, as -
they giggled, with their heads close together, over
Hugh’s sheet of paper; but the usher was never
too busy to be aware of any fun which might pos-
I
58 THE CROFTON BOYS.
sibly concern his dignity. He had his eye on the
new boys the whole while. He let Hugh direct
his letter, and paint up a stroke or two which did
not look so well as the rest; and it was not till .
- Hugh was rolling the wafer’ about on his tongue
that he interfered. Mr. Carnaby then came up,
tapped Hugh’s head, told him not to get on so fast,
for that every letter must be looked over before it
went to the post. While saying this he took the
letter, and put it into his waistcoat pocket. In
vain Hugh begged to have it again, saying he
would write another. The more he begged, the
more dismayed Tom Holt looked, the less Mr.
- Carnaby would attend to either. Firth let himself
be interrupted to hear the case; but he could do
nothing in it. It was a general rule, which he
thought every boy had known; and it was too late
now to prevent the letter being looked over.
Mr. Carnaby was so angry at the liberty Hugh
had taken with his face and figure, that, in spite
of all prayers and a good many tears, he walked up
the school with the letter, followed by poor Hugh,
as soon as Mr. Tooke had taken his seat next
morning. Hugh thought that Holt, who had put
him up to the most offensive part of the pictures,
might have borne him company; but Holt was a
timid boy, and he really had not courage to leave
his seat. So Hugh stood alone, awaiting Mr.
Tooke’s awful words, while the whole of the first-
class looked up from their books, in expectation of
what was to happen. They waited some time for
THE GROFTON BOYS. 59
the master’s words, for he was trying to help
laughing. He and Mr. Carnaby were so much
[a
NGLAND
oir: 4 i maean oe
re ; a; mil j a
oe MR, CARNABY TOOK THE LETTER.’
alike in the pictures, and both so like South Sea
Islanders, that it was impossible to help laughing
60 THE CROFTON BOYS.
at the thought of this sketch going abroad as a
representation of the Crofton masters. At last, all
parties laughed aloud, and Mr. Tooke handed
Hugh his wafer-glass,? and bade him wafer up* his
letter, and by all means send it. Mr. Carnaby
could not remain offended, if his principal was not
angry; so here the matter ended.
This incident, and everything which haunted
Hugh’s mind and engrossed his attention, was a
serious evil to him; for his business soon grew to
be more than his habit of mind was equal to. In
a few days, he learned to envy the boys (and they
were almost the whole school) who could fix their
attention completely and immediately on the work
before them, and relax as completely when it was
accomplished. Hugh tried to get the meaning of
his lesson into his head—going over the same
words a dozen times, without gaining any notion. :
of their meaning—suffering, in short, from his long
habit of inattention at home; but he seemed to
get only headaches for his pains, Phil saw enough
to make him very sorry for Hugh before ten days
were over, and his observation of his brother’s toil
and trouble led him to give him some help.
Almost every day he would hear Hugh say his
lesson—or try to say it; for the poor boy seldom
succeeded. Phil sometimes called him stupid, but
there really was very little difference in the result,
whether Phil heard the lessons beforehand or not.
Considering how selfish rivalship is apt to make
boys (and even men), it was perhaps no wonder
THE CROFTON BOYS. 61
that Phil sometimes kept out of Hugh’s way at’
the right hour, saying to himself that his proper
business was to do his own lessons, and that Hugh
must take his chance, and work his own way, as
other boys had to do.
Boys who find difficulty in attending to their
lessons are sure to be more teased with inter-
ruptions than any others. Holt had not the habit
of learning; and he and Hugh were continually
annoyed by the boys who sat near them watching
how they got on, and making remarks upon them.
One day Mr. Tooke was called out of the school-
room to a visitor, and Mr. Carnaby went up to take
the master’s place and hear his class. This was
too good an opportunity for the boys below to let
slip; and they began to play tricks—most of them
directed against Hugh and Tom Holt.
“I declare I can’t learn my lesson—’tis too
bad!†cried Hugh.
Tis a shame!†said Tom Holt, sighing for
breath after his struggle not to laugh, “ We shall
never be ready.â€
“We won't look at them,†proposed Holt. “Let
us cover our eyes, and not look up at all.â€
Hugh put his hands before his eyes, but still his
lesson did not get on. Besides, a piece of wet
Sponge lighted on the very page he was learning
from. He looked up fiercely, to see who had
thrown it. It was no other than Tooke, who
belonged to that class—it was Tooke, to judge by
his giggle, and his pretending to hide his face as
62 THE OROFTON BOYS.
if ashamed. Hugh tossed back the sponge, so as
to hit Tooke on the nose. Then Tooke was angry,
and threw it again, and the sponge passed back-
wards and forwards several times, for Hugh was.
by this time very angry—boiling with indignation
at the hardship of not being able to learn his
lesson, when he really would if he could. While
the sponge was still passing to and fro, Mr.
Carnaby’s voice was heard from the far end of the.
room, desiring Warner, Page, Davison, and Tooke
‘to be quiet, and let the boys alone till Mr. Tooke
came in, when Mr. Tooke would take his own
measures,
Hugh, wondering how Mr. Carnaby knew, at
that distance, what was going on, found that Holt
was no longer by his side. In a moment, Holt
returned to his seat, flushed and out of breath. A.
very slight hiss was heard from every form near,
as he came down the room.
“Oh, Holt! you have been telling tales!†cried
Hugh.
“Telling tales!†exclaimed Holt in consternation,
for he knew nothing of school ways. “I never
thought of that. They asked me to tell Mr.
Carnaby that we could not learn our lessons.â€
“They! Who? Iam sure I never asked you.â€
“ No, you did not; but Harvey and Prince did—
and Gillingham. They said Mr. Carnaby would
soon make those fellows quiet, and they told me to
go.â€
“You hear! They are calling you ‘tell-tale.’
That will be your name now. Oh, Holt, you
THE CROFTON BOYS, 63
should not have told tales. However, I will stand
by you,’ Hugh continued, seeing the terror that
Holt was in.
“T meant no harm,†said Holt, trembling. “Was
not it a shame that they would not let us learn our
lessons? â€
“Ves, it was—but
At this moment Mr. Tooke entered the room.
As he passed the forms the boys were all bent over
their books as if they could think of nothing else.
Mr. Tooke walked up the room to his desk, and
Mr. Carnaby walked down the room to his desk ;
and then Mr. Carnaby said, quite aloud—
“ Mr. Tooke, sir.â€
“Well.â€
Here Holt sprang from his desk, and ran to the
usher and besought him not to say a.word about
what Warner’s class had been doing. He even
hung on Mr. Carnaby’s arm in entreaty; but Mr.
Carnaby shook him off, and commanded him back
to his seat. Then the whole school heard Mr.
Tooke told about the disorder, and the trouble of
the little boys. Mr. Tooke was not often angry,
but he now stood up, and called before him the
little boy who had informed. Hugh chose to go
with Holt, though Holt had not gone up with him ~
about the letter the other day; and Holt felt how
kind this was. Mr. Tooke desired to know who
the offenders were; and as they were named, he
called to them to stand up in their places. Then
came the sentence. Mr. Tooke would never forgive
advantage being taken of his absence. If there _
: 2
64 THE OROFTON BOYS.
were boys who could not be trusted while his back
was turned, they must be made to remember him
when he was out of sight, by punishment. Page
must rémain in school after hours, to learn twenty
lines of poetry; Davison twenty; Tooke forty——â€
Here everybody looked round to see how Tooke
bore his father being so angry with him.
« Please, sir,†cried one boy, “I saw little Proctor
throw a sponge at Tooke. He did it twice.â€
“ Never mind,†answered Tooke. “I threw it at
him first. It is my sponge.â€
“And Warner,†continued the master, as if he
had not heard the interruption, “considering that
Warner has got off too easily for many pranks of
late—Warner seventy.â€
Seventy! The idea of having anybody con-
demned, through him, to learn seventy lines of
poetry by heart, made Holt so miserable, that the
. word seventy seemed really to prick his very ears. :
Though Mr. Tooke’s face still showed anger, Holt
ventured up to him.
“Pray, sir——â€
“ Not a word of intercession for those boys!†said
the master. ‘I will not hear a word in their favour.â€
“Then, sir is
“Well?â€
“T only want to say, then, that Proctor told no
tales, sir. I did not mean any harm, sir, but I told
because——â€
“Never mind that,†cried Hugh, afraid that he
would now be telling of Harvey, Prince, and
Gillingham, who had persuaded him to go up.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 65
“T have nothing to do with that. That is your
affair,†said the master, sending the boys back to
their seats. .
Poor Holt had cause to rue this morning for long
after. He was weary of the sound of hissing, and
of the name “tell-tale,†and the very boys who had
prompted him to go up were at first silent, and
then joined against him. He complained to Hugh
of the difficulty of knowing what it was right to
do. He had been angry on Hugh’s account chiefly;
and he still thought it was very unjust to hinder
their lessons, when they wished not.to be idle; and
yet they were all treating him as if he had done
something worse than the other boys. Hugh
thought all this was true; but he believed it was
settled among schoolboys (though Holt had never
had the opportunity of knowing it) that it was a
brave thing for boys to bear any teasing from one
another than to call in the power of the master to
help. A boy who did that was supposed not to be
able to take care of himself; and for this he was
despised, besides being disliked, for having brought
punishment upon his’ companions.
- Holt wished Hugh had not been throwing
sponges at the time—he wished Hugh had pre-
vented his going up. He would take good care
how he told tales again.
“You had better say so,†advised Hugh, “and
then they will see that you had never been at
school, and did not know how to manage.â€
The first Saturday had been partly dreaded, and
partly longed for, by Hugh. He had longed for
J
66 THE CROFTON BOYS.
_ the afternoon’s ramble, but Saturday morning was
the time for saying tables, among other things. _
Nothing happened as he had expected. The after-
noon was so rainy that there was no going out;
and, as for the tables, he was in a class of five, and
“four times seven†did not come to him in regular
course... Hight times seven did, and he said
“fifty-six†with great satisfaction, Mr. Carnaby
asked him afterwards the dreaded question, but
he was on his guard; and as he answered it
right, and the usher had not found out the
joke, he hoped he should hear no more of the
matter. i
The next Saturday was fine, and at last he was
to have the walk he longed for. The weekly repe-
titions were over, dinner was done, Mr. Carnaby
appeared with his hat on, the whole throng burst
into the open air and out of bounds, and the new
boys were wild with expectation and delight.
Firth saw Hugh running and leaping hither and
thither, not knowing what to do with his spirits ;
he called him, and putting his arm round Hugh’s
neck, so as to keep him prisoner, said he did not -
know how he might want his strength before he
got home, and he had better not spend it on a bit
of sandy road. So Hugh was made to walk quietly,
‘and gained his breath before the breezy heath
was reached.
On the way, he saw that a boy of the name of
Dale, whom he had never particularly observed
before, was a good deal teased by some boys who
kept calling one another Amelia, with great affec-
THE CROFTON BOYS. 67
tation. Dale tried to get away, but he was
- followed whichever way he turned.
“What do they mean by that?†inquired Hugh
of Firth.
“Dale has a sister at a school not far off, and
her name is Amelia; and she came to see him to-
day. Ah! you have not found out yet that boys
are laughed at about their sisters, particularly if
the girls have fine names.’
“What a shame!†cried Hugh; words which he
had used very often already since he came to
Crofton.
He broke from Firth, ran up to Dale, and said
to him, in a low voice, “I have two sisters, and one
of them is called Agnes.†Nes
“Don’t let them come to see you, then, or these
fellows will quiz you as they do me. As if I could
help having a sister Amelia!â€
Then the two boys wandered off among the
furze-bushes, talking about their homes; and in
a little while they had so opened their hearts to
each other, that they felt as if they had always
been friends. Nobody thought any more about
them when once the whole school was dispersed
over the heath. Some boys made for a hazel
copse, some way beyond the heath, in hopes of
finding a few nuts already ripe. Others had boats
to float on the pond.
leap-frog, and some ran races. Myr. Carnaby threw
himself down on a soft couch of wild thyme, on a
rising ground, and took out his book. So Dale
and Hugh felt themselves unobserved, and they.
68 THE CROFTON BOYS.
chatted away at a great rate. Not but that an
interruption or two did occur. They fell in with -
a flock of geese, and Hugh did not much like their
appearance, never having heard a goose make a
noise before, He had eaten roast goose, and he
had.seen geese in the feathers at the poulterers’;
but he had never seen them alive, and stretching
their necks at passers by. He flinched at the first
moment. Dale, who never imagined that a boy
who was not afraid of his schoolfellows could. be
afraid of geese, luckily mistook the movement,
and said, “Ay, get a switch,—a bunch of furze
will do, and we will be rid of the noisy things.â€
He drove them away, and Hugh had now
_ learned, for ever, how much noise geese can make,
and how little they are to be feared.
They soon came upon some creatures which
were larger and stronger, and with which Hugh
was no better acquainted. Some cows were
grazing, or had been grazing, till a party
of boys came up. ‘They were now restless,
moving uneasily about, so that Dale him-
self hesitated for a moment which way to go.
Lamb was near—the passionate boy, who was
nobody’s friend, and who was therefore seldom at
play with others. He was also something of a
coward, as anyone might know from his frequent
bullying. He and How happened to be together
at this time; and it was their appearance of fright
at the restless cows which frightened Hugh. One
cow at last began to trot towards them at a pretty
good rate. Lamb ran off to the right, and the two
" ‘THE GROFTON BOYS. 69
little boys after him, though Dale pulled at Hugh’s.
hand to make him stand still, as Dale choose to do
himself. He pulled in vain—Hugh burst away,
and off went the three boys, over the hillocks and
through the furze, the cow trotting at some dis-
tance behind. They did not pause till Lamb had
led them off the heath into a deep lane, different
from the one by: which they had come. . The cow
stopped at a patch of green grass, just at the
entrance of the hollow way, and the runners
therefore could take breath.
_ “Now we are here,†said Lamb, “I will show
- you a nice place—a place where we can get some-
thing nice. How thirsty I am!†.
“ And so am I,†declared Holt, smacking his dry
tongue. Hugh’s mouth was very dry too, between
the run and the fright.
“Well, then, come along with me, and I will
show you,†said Lamb. . ,
He walked briskly on till they came to a cottage, -
over whose door swung a sign; and on the sign
was a painting of a bottle and a glass, and a heap
of things which were probably meant for cakes, as
there were cakes in the window. Here Lamb
turned in, and the woman seemed to know him
well. She smiled, and closed the door behind the
three boys, and asked them to sit down; but Lamb
said there was no time for that to-day—she must
be quick. He then told the boys that they should
have some ginger-beer.
‘But may we ?†asked the little boys.
“To be sure; who is to prevent us? You shall
70 THE CROFTON BOYS.
see how you like ginger-beer when you are
thirsty.â€
The woman declared that it was the most whole-
some thing in the world; and if the young gentle-
man did not find it so, she would never ask him to
taste her ginger-beer again. Hugh thanked them
both, but he did not feel quite comfortable. He
looked at Holt, to find out what he thought; but
Holt was quite engrossed with watching the woman
untwisting the wire of the first bottle. The cork
did not fly; indeed, there was some difficulty in
getting it out;.so Lamb waived his right, as the
eldest, to drink first. Hugh took a drink, but he
did not find ginger-beer such particularly good stuff
as Lamb had said. He would have liked a drink
of water better. The next bottle was very. brisk,
so Lamb seized upon it, and the froth hung round
his mouth when he had done. Then the woman
offered them some cakes upon a plate, and the little
boys thanked her, and took each one. Lamb put
some in his pocket, and advised the others to do
the same, as they had no time to spare. He kept
some room in his pocket, however, for some plums,
and told the boys that they might carry theirs in
-their handkerchiefs, or in their caps, if they would
take care to have finished before they came within
sight of the usher. He then asked the woman to
let them out upon the heath through her garden
gate, and she said she certainly would when they _
had paid. She then stood drumming with her
fingers upon the table, and ncene through the
window, as if waiting.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 71
“Come, Proctor, you have half-a-crown,†said
Lamb. ‘Out with it!†.
“My half-crown!†exclaimed Proctor. “You
did not say I had anything to pay.â€
“Asif you did not know that, without my telling
you! You don’t think people give away their
good things, I suppose! Come—where’s your
half-crown 2? My money is all at home.â€
Holt had nothing with him either. Lamb asked
the woman what there was to pay. She seemed to
count and consider; and then said that the younger
gentlemen had had the most plums and cakes.
The charge was a shilling apiece for them, and
sixpence for Master Lamb—half-a-crown exactly.
Hugh protested he never meant anything like this,
and that he wanted part of his half-crown for
another purpose; and he would have emptied out
the cakes and fruit he had left, but the woman
stopped: him, saying that she never took back
what she had sold. Lamb hurried him too, |
declaring that their time was up; and he even
thrust his finger and thumb into Hugh’s inner
pocket, and took out the half-crown, which he gave
to the woman. She then showed them through
the garden, and gave them each a marigold (full
blown), unlocked her gate, pushed them through,
locked it behind them, and left them to hide their
purchases as well as they could. Though the
little boys stuffed their pockets till the ripest
plums burst, and wetted the linings, they could
not dispose of them all, and they were obliged to.
give away a good many.
72 THE CROFTON BOYS,
Hugh went in search of his new friend, and
drew him aside from the rest to relate his troubles.
Dale wondered he had not found out Lamb’ before
this, enough to refuse to follow his lead. Lamb
would never pay a penny. He always spent the
little money he had upon good things the first day
or two; and then he got what he could out of any
one who was silly enough to trust him.
“But,†said Hugh, “the only thing we had to
do with each other before was by my being kind
to him.â€
“That makes no difference,†said Dale.
“But what a bad boy he must be! To be sure
he will pay me when he knows how much I want
it.â€
“He will tell you to buy what you want out of
your five shillings. You let him know you had
five shillings in Mrs. Watson’s hands.â€
“Yes; but he knows how I mean to spend that,.
for prevents to carry home at Christmas. But T’ll
never tell him anything again. Oh, Dale! do you
really think he will never pay me?â€
“He never pays anybody; that I know. Come,
forget it all as fast as you can. Let us go and see
if we can get any nuts.â€
Hugh did not at all succeed in his endeavours
to forget his adventure, and he told Dale on the
way home, that he did not believe he should ever
see any part of his half-crown again. Dale thought
so too; but he advised him to do nothing more
than keap the two debtors up to the remembrance
THE CROFTON BOYS. . 73
of their debt. If he told so powerful a person as
Firth, it would be almost as much tale-telling as if
he went to the master at once; and Hugh himself
had no inclination to expose his folly to Phil, who
was already quite sufficiently ashamed of his
inexperience. So poor Hugh threw the last of
his plums to some cottager’s children on the
green on his way home; and when he set foot
within bounds again, he heartily wished that this
_ Saturday afternoon had been rainy too, for any
disappointment would have been better than this
scrape.
While learning his lessons for Monday ha forgot
the whole matter; and then he grew merry over
the great Saturday night’s washing; but after he
was. in bed it flashed upon him that he should
meet Uncle and Aunt Shaw in church to-morrow,
and they would speak to Phil and him after
church, and his uncle might ask him after the
half-crown. - He determined not to expose his
companions, at any rate; but his uncle would be
displeased; and this, thought was so sad that
Hugh cried himself to sleep. His uncle and aunt
were at church the next morning; and Hugh
could not forget the ginger-beer, or help watching
his uncle; so that, though he tried several times
to attend to the sermon, he knew nothing about
it when it was done. His uncle observed in the
_ churchyard that they must have had a fine ramble
the day before; but did not say anything about
pocket-money. Neither did he name a day for
K
74 THE CROFTON BOYS.
his nephews to visit him, though he said they
must come before the days grew much shorter. ~
So Hugh thought he had got off very well
thus far.
It is probable that the whole affair would have
passed over quietly, but that Tom Holt ate too
many plums on the present occasion. On Sunday
morning he was not well; and was so ill by the
evening, and all Monday, that he had to be
regularly nursed; and when he left his bed he
was taken to Mrs. Watson’s parlour—the comfort-
able, quiet place where invalid boys enjoyed
themselves. Poor Holt was.in very low spirits;
and Mrs. Watson was so kind that he could not
help telling her that he owed Hugh a shilling,
and he did not know how he should ever pay
it.
The wet, smeared lining of the pockets had told
Mrs. Watson already that there had been some
improper indulgence in good things; and when
she heard what part Lamb had played towards the
little boys, she thought it right to tell Mr. Tooke.
Mr. Tooke said nothing till Holt was in the school
again, which was on Thursday; and not then till
the little boys had said their lessons, at past eleven
o'clock. Then the master’s awful voice was heard,
calling up before him Lamb, little Proctor, and
Holt. All three started, and turned red; so that
the school concluded them guilty before it was
known what they were charged with. Dale knew,
and he alone; and very sorry he was, for the
THE CROFTON BOYS. 75
_ intimacy between Hugh and him had grown very
close indeed since Saturday.
The master was considerate towards the younger
boys. He made Lamb tell the whole. Even when
the cowardly lad “bellowed†(as his schoolfellows
called his usual mode of crying) so that nothing
else could be heard, Mr. Tooke waited, rather than
question the other two. When the whole story
was extracted, in all its shamefulness, from Lamb’s
own lips, the master expressed his disgust. He
said nothing about the money part of it—about
how Hugh was to be paid. He probably thought
it best for the boys to take the consequences of
their folly in losing their money. He handed the
little boys over to Mr. Carnaby to be caned—“ To
make them remember,†as he said; though they
themselves were pretty sure they would never
forget. Lamb was kept to be punished by the
master himself. Though Lamb knew he should
be severely flogged, and though he was the most
cowardly boy in the school, he did not suffer so
much as Hugh did in the prospect of being caned
—being punished at all.
Tt was not the pain. No. It was the pane
punished in open school, and when he did not feel
that he deserved it. How should he know where
Lamb was taking him? How should he know
that the ginger-beer was to be paid for, and that
he was to pay? He felt himself injured enough
already; and now to be punished in addition! He
would have died on the spot for liberty to tell Mr.
76. : THE CROFTON BOYS.
Tooke and everybody what he thought of the way
he was treated. What would his mother think! ©
It was well he thought of his mother. At the
first moment, the picture of home in his mind
nearly made him cry—the thing of all others he
most wished to avoid while so many eyes were on
him; but the remembrance of what his mother
expected of him—her look when she told him he
must not fail—gave him courage. Hard as it was
to be, as he believed, unjustly punished, it was
better than having done anything very wrong—
anything that he really could not have told his
mother.
Mr. Carnaby kept the little boys waiting, thous
Holt was trembling very much, and still weak
from his illness. Suddenly, everybody started at
Mr. Tooke’s voice, close at hand.
-“ Are these boys not caned yet, Mr. Carnaby ?â€
“No, sir;—I have not—I
“Have they been standing here all this while â€
“Yes, sir. I have no cane, sir.’ on
“TI ordered them an immediate caning, Mr.
Carnaby, and not mental torture. School is up,â€
he declared to the boys at large. “You may go—
you have been punished enough.â€
This was good news, and Hugh ran off, quite in
spirits, to play. He had set himsélf diligently to
learn to play, and would not be driven off; and
Dale had insisted on fair scope for him. He played
too well to be objected to any more.. They now
went to leap-frog; and when too hot to keep it up
THE CROFTON BOYS. 77
any longer, he and Dale mounted into the apple-
tree to talk, while they were cooling and expect-
ing the dinner-bell.
Something very. wonderful. happened before
dinner. The gardener went down to the main
road, and seemed to be looking out. At last he
hailed the London coach. Hugh and Dale could.
gee from their perch. The coach stopped, the
gardener ran back, met Mr. Carnaby under the
chestnuts, relieved him of his portmanteau, and
helped him to mount the coach,
“Ts he going? Gone for good?†passed from
mouth to mouth all over the playground.
“Gone for good,†was the answer of those who
knew to a certainty.
Then the boys gave a shout of joy, in which the
little boys joined with all their might—Hugh
waving his cap in the apple-tree.
1, A wafer is a small piece of this purpose now, but is largely
dried paste, usually about the used as a seal on legal documents.
size of a threepenny bit,formerly | 2 A small glass dish on the desk
much’ used for fastening up an ~ containing wafers, ;
envelope, It is rarely used for 3, Seal up.
CHAPTER VIL
WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME.
HueH got on far better with his lessons as he
grew more intimate with Dale. It was not so
‘much that Dale helped him with his work (for
Dale thought every boy should make shift to do
his own business) as that he liked to talk about
his work, even with a younger boy, and so, as he
said, clear his head. A great deal that he said
was above Hugh’s comprehension, and many of
his repetitions mere words; but there were
other matters which fixed Hugh’s attention, and
proved to him that study might be interesting out of
school. When Dale had a theme’ to write, the two
boys often walked up and down the playground for
half an hour together’ talking the subject over, °
and telling of anything they had heard or read
upon it. Every week, almost every day now,
made a difference in Hugh’s school life. He still
found his lessons very hard work, and was often in
great fear and pain about them; but he continually
perceived new light breaking in upon his mind;
his memory served him better; the little he had
learned came when he wanted it, instead of just a
minute too late. He rose in the morning with
less anxiety about the day, and when playing
could forget school.
There was no usher yet in Mr. Carnaby’s place,
and all the boys said their lessons to Mr. Tooke
THE CROFTON BOYS. 79
himself, which Hugh liked very much when he
had got over the first fear. A writing-master came
from a distance twice a week, when the whole
‘school was at writing and arithmetic all the after-
noon, but every other lesson was said to the master ;
and this was likely to go on till Christmas, as the’
new usher, of whom, it was said, Mr. Tooke thought
so highly as to choose to wait for him, could not
come before that time. Of course, with so much
upon his hands, Mr. Tooke had not a moment to
spare; and slow or idle boys were sent back to
their desks at the first trip or hesitation in their
lessons. Hugh was afraid at the outset that he
should be like poor Lamb, who never got a whole
lesson said during these three weeks, and he was.
turned down sometimes, but not often enough to.
depress him. When he could learn a lesson in ten
minutes, and say it in one, he felt himself really a.
Crofton boy, and his heart grew light within him.
The class to which Hugh belonged was one day
standing waiting to be heard, when the master was
giving a subject and directions for an English
theme to Dale’s class. The subject was the
“Pleasures of Friendship.†In a moment Hugh
thought of Damon and Pythias,* and of David and
Jonathan,’ of the last of whom there was a picture
in Mrs. Watson’s great Bible. He thought how
happy he had been since he had known Dale, and.
his: heart was in such a glow, he was sure he
could write a theme. He ran after Mr. Tooke
when school. was over, and asked whether he.
80 THE OROFTON. BOYS.
might write a theme for Dale’s class) When Mr.
Tooke found that he knew what was meant by
writing a theme, he said he might try; if he neg-
lected nothing for it, and wrote every word of it
himself, without consultation with any one.
Hugh scampered away to tell Dale that they
must not talk over this theme together, as they
were both to do it; and then, instead of playing,
he went to his desk and wrote upon his slate until
it was quite full.) He had to borrow two slates
before he had written all he had to say. Phil
ruled his paper for him, but before he had copied
one page his neighbours wanted their slates back
again, said they must have them, and rubbed out
all he had written. Much of the little time he
had was lost in this way, and he grew wearied.
He thought at first that his theme would be very
beautiful, but he now began to doubt whether it
would be worth anything at all; and he was vexed
to have tired himself with doing what would only
make him laughed at. The first page was well
written out, but he had to write the latter part
directly from his head upon the paper, as the
slates were taken away, and he made mistakes.
He borrowed a penknife, and tried to scratch
out half aline; but he only made a hole in the
paper, and was obliged to let the line stand. Then
he found he had strangely forgotten to put in
the chief thing of all—about friends telling one
another of their faults—though, on consideration,
he was not sure that this was one of the “ Pleasures
THE CROFTON BOYS. 81
of Friendship ;†so, perhaps, it did not much
matter. But there were two blots, and he had left
out Jonathan’s name, which had to be interlined.
Altogether, it had the appearance of a very bad
theme. Firth came and looked over his shoulder,
as he was gazing at it, and Firth offered to write
it out for him; and even thought it would be fair,
as he had nothing to do with the composition ; but
Hugh could not think it would be fair, and said,
sighing, that his must take its chance. He did
not think he could have done a theme so very
badly.
Mr. Tooke beckoned him up with Dale’s class,
when they carried up their themes, and, seeing
how red his face was, the master bade him not be
afraid. But how could he help being afraid? The
themes were not read directly. It was Mr. Tooke’s
practice to read them out of school hours. On this
occasion, judgment was given the last thing before
school broke up the next morning.
Hugh had never been more astonished in his
life. Mr. Tooke praised his theme very much,
and said it had surprised him. He did not mind
the blots and mistakes, which would, he said, have
been great faults in a copy-book, but were of less
consequence than other things ina theme. Time
and pains would correct slovenliness of that kind,
and the thoughts and language were good. Hugh
was almost out of his wits with delight; so nearly
so that he spoiled his own pleasure completely.
He could not keep his happiness to himself, or his
L
82 THE GROFTON BOYS.
vanity; for Hugh had a good deal of vanity—
more than he was aware of before this day. He
told several boys what Mr. Tooke had said, but he
soon found that would not do. Some were in-
different, but most laughed at him. Then he ran
to Mrs. Watson’s parlour and knocked. Nobody
answered, for the room was empty; so Hugh
sought her in various places, and at last found her
in the kitchen, boiling some preserves.
_ “What do you come here for? This is no place
for you,†said she, when the maids tried in vain to
put Hugh out. a
_“T only want to tell you one thing,†cried
Hugh; and he repeated exactly what Mr. Tooke -
had said of his theme. Mrs. Watson laughed, and
the maids laughed, and Hugh left them, angry
with them, but more angry with himself. They
did not care for him—nobody cared for him, he
said to himself; he longed for his mother’s look
of approbation when he had done well, and Agnes’
pleasure, and even Susan’s fondness and praise,
He sought Dale. Dale was in the midst of a
game, and had not a word or look to spare till it
was over. The boys would: have admitted Hugh,
for he could now play as well as anybody; but he
was in no mood for play now. He climbed hig
tree, and sat there, vexed with the thought of his
having carried his boastings into the kitchen, and
with his recollection of Mrs. Watson’s laugh.
It often happened that Firth and Hugh met at
this tree, and it happened now. There was room
THE CROFTON. BOYS. 83;
_for both, and Firth mounted, and read for some |
time. At last he seemed to be struck by Hugh’s
restlessness and heavy sighs; and he asked
whether he had not got something to amuse him-
self with.
“No. I don’t want to amuse myself,†said
Hugh, stretching so as almost to throw himself
out. “of the tree.
“Why, what’s the matter? Did not you opine!
off well with your theme? I heard somebody say
you were quite enough set up about it.â€
“Where is the use of doing a thing well, if
nobody cares. about it?†said Hugh. “I don’t
believe anybody at Crofton cares a bit about me-—
cares whether I get on well or ill—except Dale.:
If I take pains and succeed, they only laugh at
me. ‘There is no justice.â€
“Ah! you don’t understand school and sehoel:
boys yet,†replied Firth. “To do a difficult lesson
well is a grand affair at home, and the whole house
knows of it. But it is the commonest thing in
_ the world here. If you learn to feel with these
boys, instead of expecting them to feel with you
(which they cannot possibly do), you will soon find
that they care for you accordingly.â€
“Nobody will ever understand what I mean
about justice,†muttered Hugh. -
“Suppose,†said Firth, “ while you are simple
ing of injustice in this way, somebody else should
be complaining in the same way of your injustice.â€
‘‘ Nobody can—fairly,†replied Hugh.
84 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“Do you see that poor fellow, skulking there
under the orchard-wall ?â€
“What, Holt ?â€
“Yes, Holt. I fancy the thought in his mind at
_ this moment is that you are the most unjust paren
at Crofton.â€
“T! unjust!â€
“Yes; so he hanks When you ist came, you. and
he were companions. You were glad to hear, by the
hour together, what he had to tell you about India,
and his voyages and travels. Now he feels himself
lonely and forsaken, while he sees you happy with
a friend. He thinks it hard that you should desert
him because he owes you a shilling, when he was
cheated quite as much as you.’
“Because he owes me a shilling ! !†cried Hugh,
starting to his feet, ‘as if-—
Ones more he had nearly fallen from his perch.
Firth caught him ; and then asked him how Holt
should think otherwise than as he did, since Hugh
had been his constant companion up to that Satur-
day afternoon, and had hardly spoken to him
since.
Hugh protested that the shilling had nothing to
do with the matter; and he never meant to take
more than sixpence from Holt, because he thought
Lamb was the one who ought to pay the shilling
The thing was, he did not, and could not, like °
Holt half so well as Dale. He could not make a
friend of Holt, because he wanted spirit—he had ~. a
no courage. What could he do? He could not ’ =
pretend to be intimate with Holt when he didnot ~~
THE OROFTON BOYS. 85
like him ; and if he explained that the shilling had
_ nothing to do with the matter, he could not explain
how it really was, when the fault was in the boy’s
character, and not in his having given any par-
ticular offence. What could he do?
Firth thought he could only learn not to expect,
anywhere out of the bounds of home, what he
thought justice. He must, of course, try himself
to be just to everybody ; but he must make up his
mind in school, as men have to do in the world, to
be misunderstood—to be wrongly valued; to be
blamed when he felt himself the injured one, and
praised. when he knew he did not deserve it.
“But it is so hard,†said Hugh.
“And what do people leave home for but to
learn hard lessons ?â€
-Hugh nodded without speaking. Then he got
down, and ran to tell Holt that he did not want a
shilling from him, because he. thought sixpence
would ‘bs fairer.
Holt was glad to hear this at first ; but he pre-
sently said that it did not much matter, for that
he had no more chance of being able to pay six-
pence than a shilling. His parents were in India,
and his uncle never offered him any money. He
knew, indeed, that his uncle had none to spare ; so
he did not dare to ask for pocket-money; and for
the hundredth time he sighed over his debt.
Hugh’s frequent: applications to Lamb for pay-
ment had caused an impression that he was fond
of money. It was not so; and yet the charge was.
not unfair. Hugh was ready to give if properly
86 THE CROFTON BOYS.
asked; but he did not relish, and could not bear
with temper, the injustice of such a forced borrow-
ing as had stripped him of his half-crown. He
wanted his five shillings for presents for his family 5
and for these reasons, and not because he was
miserly, he did not offer to excuse Holt’s debt,
which it would have been more generous to have
done. Nobody could wish that he should excuse
Lamb’s.
“When are you going to your uncle’s?†asked
Holt. “I suppose you are going some day before
Christmas.â€
“On Saturday, to stay till Sunday night,†said
Hugh.
“And Proctor goes, too, I suppose?â€
“Yes, of course, Phil goes too.â€
«* Anybody else ?â€
‘We are each to take one friend, just for Satur-
day, to come home at night.â€
“Oh, then you will take me? You said you
would.â€
“Did I? That must have been a long time ago.â€
“ But you did so—that, whenever you went, you
would ask leave to take me.â€
“J don’t remember any such thing. And Iam
going to take Dale this time. I have promised
him.â€
Holt cried with vexation. Dale was always in
his way. Hugh cared for nobody but Dale; but
Dale should not go to Mr. Shaw’s till he had had
his turn. He had been promised first, and he
would go first. He would speak to Mrs. Watson,
THE CROFTON BOYS. 87
and get leave to go and tell Mr. Shaw, and then
he was sure Mr Shaw would let him go.
ef am Cull
sy THU ts
sy 2 Ag =
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Sa es
PEAS OND
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we
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“mHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME AGO.â€
Hugh was very uncomfortable. He really could
not remember having made this promise, but he
could not be sure that he had not. He asked
88 ; THE CROFTON BOYS.
Holt if he thought he should like to be in people’s
way, to spoil the holiday by going where he was
not wished for; but this sort of remonstrance did
not comfort Holt at all. Hugh offered that he
‘should have the very next turn, if he would give
up now.
“T dare say! And when will that be? You
know on Sunday it will only want nineteen days
to the holidays, and you will not be going to your
uncle’s again this half-year.
ting me off!â€
Of course Mrs. Watson would not hear of Holt’s
going to Mr. Shaw, to ask for an invitation for
Saturday. He was told he must wait till another
time. It was no great consolation to Holt that on
Sunday it would: want only nineteen days to the
holidays, for he was to remain at Crofton. He
hoped to like the holidays better than school-days,
and to be petted by Mrs. Watson, and to sit by the
fire, instead of being forced into the playground
in all weathers; but still he could not look for-
ward to Christmas with the glee which other boys.
felt.
1, An exercise in composition.
2. Da'-mon and Pyth’-i-as were
two inseparable friends. Damon
was condemned to death about
387 B.C. by Di-o-nys’-i-us of Sy-ra-
cuse’ (a city of Sicily), who was a
great tyrant. He was given four
hours’ leave of absence to go home
and say good-bye to his wife and
child. Pythias offered to become
his surety, and to die in his stead
if he did not come back according
to his promise. Damon was de-
layed on the way, but returned
just as the executioner was pre-
paring to put Pythias to death.
Dionysius was so pleased with
this proof of friendship that he
forgave Damon, and the three
were friends ever after,
3. The friendship of David and
Jonathan is one of the most beau-
tiful of the Bible stories. (See
1 Samuel, xviii., v. 1; xix.; xx;
xxiii, v.16; and David’s lamen-.
tation when Jonathan was slain
by the Philistines, 2 Samuel, i.,~
v.17 to 27.) 5
CHAPTER VIII.
A LONG DAY.
HuGH, meantime, was counting the hours till
Saturday. Perhaps, if the truth were known, so .
was Phil, though he was too old to acknowledge
such a longing.’ But the climbing about the mill
—the play encouraged there by his uncle and the
men—his uncle’s stories within doors, his aunt's
good dinners—the fireside, the picture-books, the
talk of home, altogether made up the greatest
treat of the half-year. Phil had plenty of ways of
passiug the time. Hugh began a long letter home;
he meant to write half the letter before Saturday,
and then fill it up with an account of his visit to
his uncle’s.
The days were passed, however, when Hugh had
the command of his leisure time, as on his arrival.
He had long since become too valuable in the play-
ground to be left to follow his own: devices. As
the youngest boy, he was looked upon as a sort of
servant to the rest, when once it was found that
he was quick and clever. Hither as scout,’ mes-
senger, or in some such capacity, he was continu-
ally wanted; and often at times inconvenient to
himself. He then usually remembered what Mr.
Tooke had told him of his boy, when Tooke was
the youngest—how he bore things—not only being
put on the high wall, but being well worked in
the service of the older boys. Usually Hugh was
M ;
90. THE CROFTON: BOYS.
obliging, but he could and did feel cross at times.
He was cross on this Friday—the day when he
was so anxious to write his letter before going to
his uncle’s. His paper was ruled, and he had only
to run across the playground to borrow Firth’s
penknife†and then nothing should delay his
letter. ae
In that run across the playground he was
stopped. He was wanted to collect clean snow for
the boys, who were bent on finishing their snow-
man while it would bind. He should be let off
when he had brought snow enough. But he knew
that by that time his fingers would be too stiff to
hold his pen, and he said he did not choose to stop
now. Upon this Lamb launched a snowball in his
face. Hugh grew angry—or, as his schoolfellows
said, insolent. Some stood between him aind the
house, to prevent his getting home, while others
threatened to roll him in the snow till he yielded ©
full submission. Instead of yielding, Hugh made
for the orchard wall, scrambled up it, and stood for
the moment out of reach of his enemies. He
kicked down such a quantity of snow upon any
one who came near, that he held all at bay. for
some little time. At last, however, he had dis-
posed of all the snow within his reach, and they
were pelting him thickly with snowballs.
It was not at any time very easy to stand
upright for long together upon this wall, as the
stones which capped it wererounded. Now, when
the coping-stones were slippery after the frost, and
THE CROFTON BOYS. ‘ 91
Hugh was nearly blinded with the shower of snow--
balls, he could not keep his footing, and was —
obliged to sit astride upon the wall. This brought -
one foot within reach from below, and, though
Hugh kicked, and drew-up his foot as far and as
‘often as he could, so as not to lose his balance, it
was snatched at by many hands. At last one hand
kept its hold, and plenty more then fastened upon
his leg. They pulled; he clung. In another
moment down he came, and the large, heavy
' coping-stone, loosened by the frost, came after
him, and fell upon his left foot as he lay.
It was a dreadful shriek that he gave. Mrs.
Watson heard it in her storeroom and Mr. Tooke
in his study. The whole school was in a cluster
round the poor boy in a few seconds... While
several were engaged in lifting away the stone,
Tooke stooped over him and said, with his lips as
white as paper—
“Who was it that pulled you—that got the
first hold of you? Was it I? Oh, say it was
not I!†é
“Tt was you,†said Hugh. “But never mind;
you did not mean it.†He saw that Tooke’s pain
was worse than his own, and he added, in a faint
whisper, “Don’t you tell, and then nobody will
know. Mind you don’t!â€
- One boy after another turned away from the
sight of his foot when the stone was removed.
Everybody who came up asked who did it, and
nobody could answer. So many felt themselves
92 THE CROFTON BOYS. ~
concerned that no one wished that any answer
should be given. .
“Who did it, my dear boy?†asked Firth, bend-
ing over him.
“Never mind!†was all Hugh see say. He
groaned in terrible pain.
He must not lie there; but who could touch
him? Firth did, and he was the right person, as
he was one of the strongest. He made two boys
pass their handkerchiefs under the leg, and sling
it without touching it, and he lifted Hugh and
carried him across his arms towards the house.
They met Mr. Tooke and every person belonging
to the household before they reached the
door.
“To my bed!†said the master when he saw,
and in an instant the gardener had his orders to
saddle Mr. Tooke’s horse, and ride to London for
an eminent surgeon, stopping by the way to beg .
Mr, and Mrs. Shaw to come, and bring with them
the surgeon, who was their. neighbour, Mr.
Annanby.
“Who did it?†“Who pulled him down?â€
passed from mouth to mouth of the household.
“He won't tell—noble fellow,†cried Firth.
“Don’t ask him. Never ask him who pulled him
down. You will never repent it, my dear boy,â€
whispered Firth.
Everybody was very kind, and did the best that
could be done. Hugh was held up on the side of
Mr. Tooke’s bed, while Mrs. Watson took off his
- THE CROFTON BOYS. 93
clothes, cutting the left side of his trousers to
pieces without any hesitation. The master held
the leg firmly while the undressing went on; and
>
Wiss a
pd
fe
=e
SACS CE
a)
YS
3 i
SAS =
RSS
“HEY MET MR, TOOKK.â€
then poor Hugh was laid back, and covered up
warm, while the foot was placed on a pillow, with
only a light handkerchief thrown over it.
94 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Mr. Tooke never left him all day. He chafed
his hands, and gave him drink, he told him he
had no doubt his mother would arrive soon.
“J can’t help crying,†sobbed Hugh ; “but it is
not the pain—not only the pain ; it is because you
are so kind!â€
“Will the surgeon hurt me much, do you
think?†Hugh asked. “I will bear it. I only
want to know.â€
“T should think you hardly could be in more
pain than you are now,†replied Mr. Tooke. “TI
trust they will relieve you of this pain. I should
not wonder if you are asleep to-night as quietly as
any of us, and then you will not mind what ney
may have done to you.’
Hugh thought he should mind nothing if he
could ever be asleep again.
He was soon asked if he would like to see his
uncle and aunt, who were come. . He wished to see
his uncle, and Mr. Shaw came up with the surgeon.
Mr. Annanby did scarcely anything to the foot at
present. He soon covered it up again, and said he
would return in time to meet the surgeon who was
expected from London, Then Hugh and his uncle
were alone. ,
_Mr. Shaw told him how sorry the boys all were,
and how they had come in from the playground at
once, and put themselves under Bie to be kept
quiet.
“They tell me below that I must not ask you
how it happened.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 95
“Oh, yes! you may. Everything except just
who it was that pulled me down. So many got
hold of me that nobody knows exactly who gave
the pull, except myself and one other. He did not
mean it; and I was cross about playing with them ;
and the Stone on the wall was loose, or it would not
have happened. Oh, dear! oh, dear! Uncle, do
you think it a bad accident ? â€
“Yes, my boy, a very bad accident.â€
“Do you think I shall die? I never thought of
that,†said Hugh. And he raised himself a little,
but was obliged to lie back again.
“No; I do not think you will die.â€
“Will they think so at home? Was that the
reason they were sent to?â€
“No; I have no doubt your mother will come to
nurse you, and to comfort you; but
“To comfort me? Why, Mr. Tooke said the
pain would soon be over, he thought, and I should
be asleep to-night.â€
“Yes; but though the pain may be over, it may
leave you lame. That will be a misfortune; and
you will be glad of your mother to comfort you.â€
“Lame,†said the boy. Then, as he looked
wistfully in his uncle’s face, he saw the truth,
“Oh, uncle! they are going to cut off my leg.â€
“Not your leg, I hope, Hugh. You will not be
quite so lame as that: but I am afraid you must
lose your foot.â€
“Was that what Mr. Tooke meant by the
surgeon’s relieving me of my pain ? 2â€
96 THE OROFTON BOYS.
“Ves, it was.â€
“Then it will be before night. Is it quite
certain, uncle?â€
Mr. Annanby thinks so. Your foot is too much
hurt ever to be cured. Do you think you can
bear it, Hugh?â€
“Why, yes, I suppose so. So many people have.
It is less than some of the savages bear. What
horrid things they do to their captives—and even
to some of their own boys! And they bear it.â€
“Yes; but you are not a savage.â€
“But one may be as brave without being a
savage. Think of the martyrs that were burnt,
and some that were worse than burnt! And they
bore it.â€
His uncle told him that nobody had thought of
his having such pain as this to bear; that he had
often showed himself a brave little fellow; and he
did not doubt that, when this terrible day was
over, he would keep up his spirits through all the
rest. _
Hugh would have his uncle go down to tea.
Then he saw a gown and shawl through the
curtain, and started up; but it was not his mother
yet. It was only Mrs. Watson come to sit with
him while his uncle had his tea. ’
Tea was over, and the younger boys had all
gone up to bed, and the older ones were just.
going, when there was a ring at-the gate. It was
Mrs. Proctor, and with her the surgeon from
London. .
THE CROFTON BOYS. 97
“Mother! Never mind, mother!†Hugh was
beginning to say; but he stopped when he saw
her face—it was so very pale and grave. She
kissed him with a long, long kiss; and whispered
that she heard he had been a brave boy, and she
knew he would be.so still. Then the surgeons
came up, and Mr. Shaw took his sister downstairs,
and came up again with Mr. Tooke.
“Don’t let mother come,†said Hugh.
“No, my boy, I will stay with you,†said his uncle.
The surgeons took off his foot as he sat in a
chair, and his uncle stood behind him and held
his hands and pressed his head against him. In
‘the very middle of it all, Hugh looked up in his
uncle’s face, and said—
“ Never mind, uncle! I can bear it.â€
He did bear it finely. It was far more terrible
than he had fancied; and he felt that he could
not have gone on a minute longer. When it was
over he muttered something, and Mr. Tooke bent
down to hear what it was. It was— a
“J can’t think how the Red Indians bear things
80.â€
His uncle lifted him gently into bed, and told
him that he would soon feel easy now.
“Have you told mother?†asked Hugh.
' “Yes, we sent to her directly.â€
“How long did it take?†asked Hugh.
“You have been out of bed only a few minutes,
seven or eight, perhaps.â€
“Oh, uncle, you don’t mean really ?â€
N
98 THE CROFTON BOYS,
“Really; but we know they seemed like hours
to you. Now, your mother will bring you some
tea. When you have had that, you will go to
sleep; so [ shall wish you good-night now.â€
“When will you come again ?†;
“Very often, till you come to me. Not a word
more now. Good-night.†a
Hugh was half asleep when his tea came up,
and quite so. directly after he had drunk it,
Though he slept a great deal in the course of the
night, he woke often—such odd feelings disturbed
him. Every time he opened his eyes, he -saw _
his mother sitting by the ‘fireside; and every
‘time he moved in the least, she came softly
to look. She would not let him talk at all till
near morning, when she found that he could not
sleep any more. Then she lighted a candle, and
allowed him to talk about his friend Dale, and
several school affairs, and this brought back
gradually the recollection of all that had
happened. ,
“T don’t know what I have been about, I
declare,†said he, half laughing, But he was soon
as serious as ever he was in his life, as he said,
“But, oh! mother, tell me—do tell me if I have :
let out who pulled me off the wall.â€
“You have not—you have not indeed,†replied .
she. “Tam glad you have not told, for it would
do no good. It was altogether an accident,â€
“So it was,†said Hugh; “and it would make |
. the boy so unhappy to be pointed at. Do promise.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 99
me, if I should let it out in my sleep, that you will
“never, never tell anybody.â€
_ “T promise you. And I shall be the only person
beside you while you are asleep till you get well.
So you need not be afraid. Now, lie still again.â€â€™
She put out the light, and he did lie still for
some time; but then he was struck with a sudden
thought which made him cry out,
-«'Oh, mother, if I am so lame, I can never be a
soldier or a sailor. I can never go round the
world.â€
And Hugh burst into tears, now more really
‘ afflicted than he had been yet. ‘His mother sat
on the bed beside him, and wiped away his tears
as they flowed, while he told her, as well as his
“sobs would let him, how long and how much he
had reckoned on going round the world, and how
little he cared for anything else in the future, and
now this was just the very thing he should never be
able to do! He had practised climbing ever since
‘he could remember, and now that was of no use;
he had practised marching, and now he should
never march again. When he had finished his
complaint there was a pause, and his mother said,
“There is a great pleasure in the exercise of the
body—in making the heart beat, and the limbs
glow, in a run by the sea-side, or a game in the
playground; but this is nothing to the pleasure
there is in exercising one’s soul in bearing: pain—
in finding one’s heart glow with the hope that one
is pleasing God.â€
100 - THE CROFTON BOYS.
“Shall I feel that pleasure?â€
“ Often and often, I have no doubt—every time _
that you can willingly give up your wish to be a —
soldier or a sailor, or anything else-that you have
set your mind upon—if you can smile to yourself,
and say that you will be content at home.â€
“JT wonder—Oh! I wonder if I ever shall feel
so.â€
“We will pray to God that you may. Shall we
ask him now ?â€
Hugh clasped his hands. His mother kneeled
beside the bed, and, in a few words, prayed that
Hugh might be able to bear this misfortune well,
and that his friends might give him such help and
comfort as God should approve.
“Now, my dear, you will sleep again,†she said,
as she arose.
“Tf you will lie down too, instead of sitting by
the fire. Do, mother.â€
She did so; and they were soon both asleep.
1. In schools and colleges one
of the younger pupils or students
who runs errands for the elder
ones, waits upon them at play,
and in many ways acts as a ser-
vant.
2. In order to make hispen. In
those days almost the only pens
used were quills, which had to be
constantly mended with a pen-
knife. . Steel pens began to come
into use about 1830, but did not
become general until about the
middle of the century.
3. ‘To send to Coventry †is to
take no notice of a person, and to
have no dealings with him ;. to be
in disgrace with one’s friends and
companions.
CHAPTER IX.
CROFTON QUIET.
TuE boys were all in the school-room in the grey
ofthe morning—no one late. Mr. Tooke was
already there. “Almost every boy looked wistfully
in the grave face of the master; almost every one
‘ but his own son—he looked down; and it seemed
‘natural, for his eyes were swollen with crying. He
had been crying as much as Proctor; but, then, so
had Dale.
“Your schoolfellow is doing viel, †said Mr,
Tooke in a low voice, which, however was heard to
the farthest end of the room. “His brother will
tell you that he saw him quietly asleep; and I
have just seen him so. He deserves to do well, for
he is a brave little boy. He is the youngest of
you, but I doubt whether there is a more manly
heart among you all.â€
There was a murmur, as if everybody wished
to agree to this. That murmur set Phil crying
again.
“ As to how this accident happened,†continued
the master, “I have only to say this. The coping-
stone of the wall was loose—had become loosened
by the frost. Of that Iam aware. But it would
not—it could not have fallen if your schoolfellow
had not been pulled from the top of the wall.
Several hands pulled him, as many as could get a
hold. Whose these hands were, it would be easy
102 THE CROFTON BOYS,
to ascertain; and it would not be difficult to
discover whose was the hand which first laid hold,
and gave the rest their grasp. But——†how
earnestly here did everyone look for the next
words !—* But your schoolfellow considers the
‘ affair an accident—says he himself was cross.â€
“No! No! We plagued him,†cried many voices.
“Well! he is sure no one meant him any harm,
and earnestly desires that no further inquiry may
be made. For his part, nothing, he declares, shall
‘ever induce him to tell who first.-seized him.
Because I think he is right, I shall never inquire
-—never wish to know more than I do of the origin
of this accident. His mother declares the same,
on the part of both of his parents. I hope you
will every one feel yourselves put upon honour, to
‘ follow my example.â€
- Another general murmur, in sign of agreement.
“The only thing you can now do for your school-
fellow,†concluded the master, “is to be quiet
: throughout the day. As soon as he can be removed,
"he will be carried to Mr. Shaw’s. Till then, you
will take care that he loses no rest through you—
- Now, first class, come up.â€
While this class was up, Phil’s neighbour began
' whispering ; and the next boy leaned over to hear ;
and one or two came softly up behind: but,
though they were busily engaged in question and
answer, the master’s stern voice was not heard (as
- usual when there was talking) to say “ Silence,
“there!†His class saw him looking that way, once
THE CROFTON BOYS, 103
or twice; but-he took no notice: Phil had seen -
his brother, and was privileged to tell.
“So you saw him? Did you get a real good
sight of him?†:
“* Yes, I stayed some time; half an ‘hour, I dare
say.â€
“What did he look like? Did he say anything ?†—
“Say anything!†cried Dale; “why, did you .
not hear he was asleep ?â€
“ What did he look like, then ?â€
‘He looked as he always does when he is asleep,
_as far as I could see. But we did not bring the
light too near, for fear of waking him.â€
“Did you hear—did anybody. tell you anything
about it?â€
“Yes; my mother told me whatever I wanted
toknow.†.
“What? What did she tell you?â€
“She says it will not be so very bad a lameness |
as it might have been—as if he had not had his. .
knee left. That makes a great difference. They
make a false foot now, very light; and if his lee
gets quite properly well, and we are not too much
in a hurry, and we all take pains to help Hugh to.
practise walking carefully at first, he may not be.
very lame.â€
“Oh! then it is not so bad,†said one, while
Tooke, who was listening, gave a deep sigh of
relief,
“Not so bad!†exclaimed Phil; “Why, he will .
never be so strong—so able and-active as other
104 THE CROFTON BOYS.
‘men. He will never be able to take care of him-
self and other people. He will be so unlike other
people always; and now, while he is a boy, he will
never——â€
The images of poor Hugh’s privations and
troubles as a schoolboy were too much for Phil;
and he laid down his head on his desk to hide his
grief. As for Tooke, he walked rays looking the
picture of wretchedness.
“When will you see him again ?†asked Dale,
passing his arm round Phil’s neck.
“To-day, if he is pretty well. My mother
promised me that.â€
“Do you think you could get leave for me too?
I would not make any noise, nor let him talk too
much, if I might just see him.â€
“Tl see about it,†said Phil.
Next morning, when warmed and cheered by
his breakfast, Hugh gave a broad hint that he
would like to see Phil, and one or two more boys—
particularly Dale. His mother told him that the .
surgeon, Mr. Annanby, would be coming soon. If
he gave leave, Phil should come in, and perhaps
Dale. So Hugh was prepared with a strong
entreaty to Mr. Annanby on the subject; but no
entreaty was needed. Mr. Annanby thought he
was doing very well, and that he would not be the
worse for a little amusement and a little fatigue
this morning, if it did not go on too long. So
Phil was sent for when the surgeon was gone.
Phil entered the room shyly, along with Dale,
THE OROFTON BOYS. 105
and stood by the fire, so that the bed-curtain was
between him and Hugh.
“Are you there, Phil?†cried Hugh, pulling
aside the curtain. .
' “Ves,†said Phil; “how do you do this
morning ?â€
“Oh, very well. Come here. I want to know
ever so many things. Have you heard yet any-
thing real and true about the new usher?â€
“No,†replied Phil. “But I have no doubt it is
really Mr. Crabbe who is coming; and that he will
be here after Christmas. Why, Hugh, you look
just the same as usual!â€
“Solam; just the same, except under this thing,â€
pointing to the hoop, or basket, which was placed
over his limb to keep off the weight of the bed-
clothes. “I am not hurt anywhere else, except
this bruise ;†and he showed a black bruise on his
arm, such as most schoolboys can show almost any
day.
“That's nothing,†pronounced Phil.
“The other was, though, I can tell you,†declared
Hugh.
Hugh wished much to learn something about
Tooke; but, afraid of showing what was in his
thoughts, he went off to quite another subject.
“Do you know, Phil,’ said he, “you would
hardly believe it; but I have never been half so
miserable. as I was the first day or two I came here ?
I don’t care now, half so much, for all the pain,
and for being lame, and Oh! but I can never
Oo
106 THE CROFTON BOYS,
be a soldier or a sailor—I can never go round the
world! I forgot that.â€
And poor Hugh hid his face in his pillow.
“Never mind!†said Phil, stooping over him
very kindly. ‘Here is a long time before you;
and you will get to like something else just as well.
Papa wanted to be a soldier, you remember, and
could not; and he is as happy as ever he can be,
now that he is a shopkeeper in London. Did you
ever see anybody merrier than my father is? I
never did. Come! cheer up, Hugh! You willbe .
very happy somehow.â€
Phil kissed him; and when Hugh looked up in
surprise, Phil’s eyes were full of tears.
“Now I have a good mind to ask you,†said
’ Hugh, “something that has been in my mind ever
since.â€
“Ever since when ?â€
“Ever since I came to Crofton. What could be
the reason that you were not more kind to me
then ?â€,
“T! not kind?†said Phil, in some confusion.
“Was not I kind?â€
“No, At least I thought not. I was so uncom-
fortable—I did not know anybody, or what to do;
and I expected you would show me, and help me.
T always thought I could not have felt lonely with
you here; and then when I came, you got out of
my way, asif you were ashamed of me, and you
did not help me at all; and you laughed at me.â€
“No; I don’t think I did that.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 107
_ “Yes, you did, indeed.â€
“Well, you know, little boys always have to shift
for themselves when they go to a great school_—â€
“But why, if they have brothers there? That
is the very thing I want to know. I think it is
very cruel.â€
“I never meant to be cruel, of course. But—
but—the boys were all ready to laugh at me about
a little brother that was scarcely any better than a
girl ;—and consider how you talked on the coach,
and what ridiculous hair you had—and what a
fuss you made about your money and your pocket,
—and how you kept popping out things about Miss
Harold, and the girls, and Susan.â€
“You were ashamed of me, then.â€
“Well, what wonder if I was?â€
“And you never told me about all these things.
You let me learn them all without any warning, or
any help.â€
“To be sure. That is the way all boys have to
get on. They must make their own way.â€
“If ever little Harry comes to Crofton,†said
Hugh, more to himself than to Phil, “I will not
leave him in the lurch—I will never be ashamed
of him. Pray,†said he, turning quickly to Phil,
“are you ashamed of me still?â€
“Oh, no,†protested Phil. “You can shift for
yourself—you can play, and do everything like
other boys, now. You——â€
He stopped short, overcome with the sudden
recollection that Hugh would never again be able
108 THE OROFTON BOYS,
to play like obliee boys—to be like them in perength,
and in shifting for himself.
“Ah! I see what you are thinking of,†said
Hugh, “I am so afraid you should be ashamed of
me again, when I come into the playground. The
boys will quiz me—and if you are ashamed of
me
“Oh, no, no!†earnestly declared Phil. “There
is nobody in the world that will quiz you—or, if
there is, they had better take care of me, I can tell
them. But nobody will. You don’t know how
sorry the boys are. HerecomesDale. He will tell
you the same thing.â€
Dale was quite sure that any boy would, from
this time for ever, be sent to Coventry? who should
quiz Hugh for his lameness. There was not a boy
now at Crofton who would not do anything in the
world to help him.
After a time Hugh was left alone to think this
over, when he had given his messages home, and
got Dale’s promise to come again as soon as he
could obtain leave to do so. Both the boys were
warned that this would not be till to-morrow, as
Hugh had seen quite company enough for one day.
Indeed, he slept so much, that night seemed to be
goon come.
CHAPTER X.
LITTLE VICTORIES.
THoucH Mr. Tooke was so busy from having no
usher, he found time to come and see Hugh pretty
often. He had a sofa moved into that room, and he
carried Hugh, without hurting. him at all, and laid
him down there comfortably beside the fire. He |
took his tea there with Mrs. Proctor, and he
brought up his newspaper, and read from it any-
thing which he thought would amuse the boy.
He not only brought up plenty of books from the
school library, but lent Hugh some valuable
volumes of prints from his own shelves.
Hugh could not look at these for long together.
His head soon began to ache, and his eyes to be
dazzled, for he was a good deal weakened. His
mother observed also that he became too eager
about views in foreign countries, and that he even
grew impatient in his temper when talking about
them.
“ My dear boy,†said she one evening after tea,
when she saw him in this state, and that it rather
perplexed Mr. Tooke, “if you remember your
resolution, I think you will put away that book.â€
“Oh, mother!†exclaimed he, “you want to
take away the greatest pleasure I have!â€
“Tf itisa pleasuze, goon. I was afraid it was
becoming a pain.’
110 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Mr. Tooke did not ask what this meant, but he
evidently wished to know. He soon knew, for
Hugh found himself growing more fidgety and
“on [
;
‘HE BROUGHT UP HIS NEWSPAPER, AND READ FROM IT ANYTHING HE
THOUGHT WOULD AMUSE THE BOY.â€
more cross the further he looked in the volume of
Indian Views, till he threw himself back upon the
sofa, and stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth,
THE CROFTON BOYS. 111
and stared at the fire, struggling, as his mother
saw, to help crying. -
«JT will take away the book, shall I, my dear?â€
- “Yes, mother. Oh, dear! I shall never keep
my vow, I know.â€
‘Mrs. Proctor told Mr. Tooke that Hugh had
made a resolution which she earnestly hoped he
might be able to keep—to bear cheerfully every
disappointment and trouble caused by this acci-
dent, from the greatest to the least—from being
obliged to give up being a traveller by-and-bye, to
the shoemaker’s wondering that he wanted only
one shoe. Now, if looking at pictures of foreign
countries made him less cheerful, it seemed to
belong to his resolution to give up that pleasure
for the present. Hugh acknowledged that it did ;
and Mr. Tooke, who was ‘pleased at what he heard,
carried away the Indian Views, and brought
instead a very fine work on Trades, full of plates
representing people engaged in every kind of
trade and manufacture. Hugh was too tired to
turn over any more pages to-night ; but his master
said the book might stay in the room now, and
when Hugh was removed it might go with him,
and as he was able to sit up more he might like to
copy some of the pictures.
. “Removed!†exclaimed Hugh.
His mother smiled, and told him he was going
on so well that he might soon now be removed to
his uncle’s.
“But, mother, you—you—Aunt Shaw is very
kind, but:
112 THE OROFTON BOYS.
“T shall stay with you as long as you want
me.â€
Hugh was quite happy.
“But how in the world shall I get there?†he
presently asked. “It is two whole miles, and we
can’t lay my leg up in the gig; besides its being
so cold.â€
His mother told him that his uncle had a very
nice plan for his conveyance. Mr. Annanby ap-
proved of it, and thought he might be moved the
first sunny day.
“What, to-morrow ?â€
“Yes, if the sun shines.â€
The morning was fine; and during the very
finest part of it came Mr. Shaw. He told Hugh
that there was a good fire blazing at home in the
back room that looked into the garden, which was
to be Hugh’s. From the sofa by the fire-side one
might see the garden, and when the day was warm
enough to let him lie in the window, he could see
the mill, and all that was going on round it.
Hugh liked the idea of all this; but he still
looked anxious.
“Your holidays begin to-day. You have no-
thing to do but to get well now, and make yourself
at home at my house, and be merry with Agnes,
who is come to be with you. Now shall we go,
while the sun shines?’ Here is your mother all
cloaked up in her warm things.â€
“Oh, mother! Agnes is come,†cried Hugh.
This was no news, for it was his mother who
THE CROFTON BOYS. 118
had guessed what companion he would like to
- have. She now showed her large warm cloak, in
which Hugh was to be wrapped; and his neck was.
muffled up in a comforter.
“But how am I to go?†asked Hugh.
“ Quietly in your bed,†said his uncle. ‘‘Come,
Twill lift you into it.â€
And his uncle carried him downstairs to the
front door, where two of Mr. Shaw’s men stood
with a litter, which was slung upon poles, and
carried like a sedan-chair. There was a mattress
upon the litter, on which Hugh lay as comfortably
as ona sofa. He said it was like being carried in
a palanquin in India—if only there was hot sun-
shine, and no frost and snow.
Mr. Tooke, and Mrs. Watson, and Firth shook
' hands with Hugh, and said they should be glad to
see him back again; and Mr. Tooke added that
some of the boys should visit him pretty often till
the breaking-up. Nobody else was allowed to
come quite near; but the boys clustered at that
side of the playground, to see as much as they .
could. Hugh waved his hand, and every boy saw ~
it, and. in a moment every hat and cap was off,
and the boys gave three cheers—the loudest that
had ever been heard at Crofton. The most sur-
prising thing was that Mr. Tooke cheered, and Mr.
Shaw too. The men looked as if they would have
liked to have set down the litter and cheer too,
but they did not quite do that. They only smiled
_asif they were pleased.
P
114 THE CROFTON BOYS.
There was.one person, however, who did not
cheer. Tooke stood apart from the other boys,
looking very sad. As the litter went down the
by-road he began to walk away; but Hugh begged
the men to stop, and called to Tooke. Tooke
turned, and when Hugh beckoned, he forgot all
about bounds, leaped the paling, and came run-
ning. Hugh said—
“T have been wanting to see you so! but I did
not like to ask for you particularly.â€
“T wish I had known that.â€
“Come and see me, do,†said Hugh. “Come
the very first, won’t you ?â€
“Tf IT may.â€
“Oh, you may, I know.â€
“ Well, I will, thank you. Good-bye.â€
And on went the litter, with Mrs, Proctor and
Mr. Shaw walking beside it. The motion did not
hurt Hugh at all; and he was so warmly wrapped’
up, and the day so fine, that he was almost sorry
when the two miles were over. And yet there
was Agnes out upon the steps; and she sat beside
him on the sofa in his cheerful room, and told
him that she had nothing to do but to wait on
him and play with him. She did not tell him yet
that she must learn directly to nurse him, and,
with her aunt’s help, fill her mother’s place, be-
cause her mother was much wanted at home; but
this was in truth one chief reason for her coming.
Though there was now really nothing the matter
with Hugh—though he ate, drank, slept, and.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 115
gained strength—his mother would not leave him
till she saw him well able to go about,
The carpenter soon came with some crutches he
had borrowed for Hugh to try, and when they
were sure of the right length, Hugh had a new
pair. He found it rather nervous work at first,
using them; and he afterwards laughed at the
caution with which he began. First, he had some-
body to lift him from his seat and hold him till he
was firm on his crutches. Then he carefully
moved forwards one crutch at a time, and then the
other; and he put so much strength into it, that
he was quite tired when he had been once across
the room and back again. Every stumble made
him shake all over. He made Agnes try; and he
was almost provoked to see how lightly she could
hop about; but then, as he said, she could put a
second foot down to save herself, whenever she
pleased.
Every day, however, walking became easier to
him; and he even discovered, when accidentally left
alone and wanting something from the opposite
end of the room, that he could rise, and set forth
by himself, and be independent. And in one of
these excursions it was that he found the truth of
what Agnes had told him—how much easier it
was to move both crutches together. When he
showed his mother this, she said she thought he
would soon learn to do with one only, and so he
did, for one day when Mr. Shaw’came to say that
tea was ready—
116 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“Tam too big a baby to be carried now,†cried
Hugh, gaily. “Let me try if I cannot go alone.â€.
““Why—there is the step at the parlour door,â€
said Mr. Shaw doubtfully. “At any rate stop till
T bring a light.â€
But Hugh followed close upon his uncle’s heels,
and was over the step before his aunt supposed he
was half-way across the hall. After tea, his uncle
and he were so full of play that the ladies could
hardly hear one another speak till‘Hugh was gone
to bed, too tired to laugh any more.
CHAPTER XI.
DOMESTIC MANNERS.
Arrer Mr. Proctor had come and was gone, and
Mrs. Proctor was gone with him, Hugh began to
wonder why Tooke had never paid the visit he had
promised. Several boys had called; some to thank
Hugh for balls he had quilted; some to see how
he got on; and some to bring him Crofton news.
Mr. Tooke had fastened his horse up at the door,
in passing, and stepped in for a few minutes, two
or three times a week; but it was now within six
days of the holidays, and the one Hugh most
wished to see had not appeared. His uncle observed
his wistful look when the door-bell rang, and drew
his conclusions. He said, on the Wednesday be-
fore the breaking-up, that he was going to drive
' past the Crofton school; that it was such a fine day
that he thought Hugh might go with him, and
perhaps they might persuade some one to come
home to dinner with them.
Hugh had never enjoyed the open air more than
during this drive. He had yet much to learn about -
the country, and it was all as beautiful as it was
new. His uncle pointed out to him the fieldfares
wheeling in flocks over the fallows; and the rabbits
in the warren, scampering away with their little
white tails turned up; and the robin hopping in
the frosty pathway; and the wild ducks splashing
118 THE CROFTON BOYS.
among the reeds in the marshes. They saw the
cottagers’ children trying to collect snow enough
from the small remains of the drifts to make snow-
balls, and obliged to throw away the dirty snow
that would melt, and would not bind. As they
-left the road, and turned through a copse, because
“ HUGH HAD NEVER ENJOYED THE OPEN AIR MORE THAN DURING
THIS DRIVE.â€
Mr. Shaw had business with Mr. Sullivan’s game-
keeper, a pheasant flew out, whirring from some
ferns and brambles, and showed its long tail-
feathers before it disappeared over the hedge. All
these sights were new to Hugh; and all, after pain
and confinement, looked beautiful and gay.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 119
Mr. Shaw could not stop for Hugh to get out at
Crofton ; so, when his arrival was seen, the boys
were allowed to go out of bounds, as far as the gig,
to speak to their school-fellow. Mr, Shaw asked
Tooke to mount, and to go home with them for the
day; and Tooke was so pleased—so agreeably
surprised to see Hugh look quite well and merry,
that he willingly ran off to ask leave, and to wash
his face, and change his jacket.
Hugh was full of questions about Crofton matters,
and long before they reached Mr. Shaw’s they
were chattering as busily as possible. But then it
was all spoiled to Tooke by seeing Hugh lifted out,
and his crutches brought to him, and Agnes ready
to take his hat and cloak, instead of his being able
to run about, doing everything for himself.
The sofa had been left in Hugh’s room, and there
was a fire there every afternoon for him and Agnes,
that their aunt might have the parlour to herself
till tea-time. The young people went, therefore,
to this room after dinner. Agnes felt a little
uncomfortable, as she always did when any Crofton
boys came. They had so much to say to each
other of things that she did not understand, and
so very little to say to her, that she continually
felt as if she was in the way. When she proposed,
as usual, that Hugh should go through his exercises
in walking and running (for she was indefatigable
in helping him to learn to walk well, and superin-
’ tended his practice every afternoon), he refused
hastily and rather rudely. Of course she could not
120 THE CROFTON BOYS.
know that he had a reason for wishing not to show
off his lameness before Tooke, and she thought him
unkind. He might, indeed, have remembered to -
ask her before to say nothing this afternoon about
his exercises. She took out her work, and sat down
at some distance from the boys; but they did not
get on. It was very awkward. At last the boys’
eyes met, and they saw that they should like to
talk freely if they could.
« Agnes,†said Hugh, “cannot you go somewhere
and leave us alone ? â€
“T hardly know where I can go,†replied Agnes.
“T must not disturb aunt; and there is no fire any-
where else.â€
“Oh, Iam sure aunt won’t mind, for this one
afternoon. You can be as still asa mouse; and
she can doze away, as if nobody was there.â€
Agnes did not like to refuse anything to Hugh ;
but she hesitated to take such a bold step as this.
In his eagerness, Hugh requested the same favour
of Tooke; but Tooke, more anxious than even
Agnes to oblige, had not courage for such an
errand. Hugh snatched his crutches, and declared
he would go himself. But now Agnes gave way,
She gathered up her work and left the room.
Hugh little imagined where she went, this cold,
darkening December afternoon. She went to her
own room, put on her cloak, and walked up and
down till tea was ready, without fire or candle, and
not very happy in her mind.
Meanwhile the boys basked before a glowing fire.
Tooke began directly to open his full heart.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 121
«Was that true that your sister said at dinner,
about your always longing so to come to Crofton ?â€
“Yes.â€
“How sorry you must be that you came! How
you must wish you had never seen me! â€
“T knew there would be things to bear when-
ever I came, and, particularly, while I was the
youngest. Your father told me that; and one of
the things that made me want to come more than
ever was his telling me how you bore things when
you were the youngest —being set on the top of that
wall, and so on.’
“Indeed, indeed, I never meant to hurt atl when
I pulled your foot—I suppose you are quite sure
‘that it was I that gave the first pull? Are you?â€
“Why, yes; I am sure of that; and so are you.
But I know very well that you meant no harm;
and that is the reason I would not tell. After what
you did about the sponge, I could not think you
meant any harm to me.â€
Tooke could not remember anything about a
sponge; and when he was told, he thought nothing
of it. He went on—
“Do you think you shall never tell anybody, as
long as you live, who pulled you first ?â€
“Never,†said Hugh, “unless I tell it in my
sleep; and that is not likely, for I never think
about it in the daytime—or scarcely ever; and
when I can run about again, I dare say I shall
never think of it at all.â€
“But will you ever run about ?â€
Q
122 THE CROFTON BOYS,
“Oh, yes, finely! you will see. You do not
half know what I can do now, with my crutches.
Here, I will show you.â€
As he flourished about, and played antics, Agnes
heard the pit-pat of his crutches, and she thought
she might as well have been there, if they had told
all their secrets, and had got to play. But the
noise did not last long, for Hugh’s performances
did not make Tooke very merry; and the boys
- soon sat down quietly again.
“ Now, I'll tell you what,†said Tooke. “Iama
bigger and stronger boy than you, without consider-
ing this accident. I'll take care of you all the
time you are at Crofton; and always afterwards if
I can. Mind you that. If anybody teases you,
you call me—that’s all. Say you will.â€
“Why,†said Hugh, “Ihad rather take care of
myself. I had rather make no difference between
you and everybody else.â€
“There, now! You don’t forgive me, after all.â€
“I do—upon my word Ido. But why should
I make any difference between you and the rest,
when you did not mean me any harm—any more
than they? Besides, it might make people
suspect.â€
“Well, let them. SometimesI wish,†continued
Tooke, twisting himself about in the uneasiness
of his mind, “sometimes I wish that everybody
knew now. They say that murderers cannot keep
their secret. They are sure to tell, when they
cannot bear it any longer.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 123
“That is because of their consciences,†said
Hugh. “But you are not guilty of anything, you
know. J am sure I can keep a secret easily
enough when I am not to blame in it.â€
- “Yes! you have shown that. But
“Come! don’t let us talk any more about that.
—Only just this. Has anybody accused you?
Because I must know—I must be on my guard.â€
“Nobody has said a word, because my father
put us all upon honour never to mention it; but
I always feel as if all their eyes were upon me all
day, and sometimes in the night.â€
“Nonsense! I don’t believe anybody has pitched
on you particularly. And when school opens again
all their eyes will be on me to see how I manage.
But I don’t mean to mind that. Anybody may
stare that likes.â€
Hugh sighed, however, after saying this; and
Tooke was silent. At length he declared—
“Whatever you say against it, I shall always take
your part; and you have only to ask me, and I
will always run anywhere, and do anything for
you. Mind you that.â€
“Thank you,†said Hugh. “Now tell me about
the new usher ;: for I daresay you know more than
the other boys do. Holt and I shall be under him
altogether, I suppose ?â€
“Yes; and you will be well off by what I hear.â€
All the rest of the afternoon was taken up with
stories of school, so that the boys were surprised
when the maid came to tell them that tea was
ready.
124 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Agnes was making tea. Hugh was so eager to
repeat to his uncle some of the good stories that
he had just heard, that he did not observe, as his
aunt did, how red his sister’s fingers were, and how
she shivered still.
“My dear,†said Mrs. Shaw, ‘“‘ you have let these
boys keep you away from the fire.â€
“Yes aunt. Never mind! I shall be warm
enough presently.â€
Hugh chatted away, not at all aware that he
had treated his sister much as Phil had treated
him on his going to Crofton. If any one had told
him he was tyrannical, he would have been as
much surprised as he had been at Phil’s tyranny
+ over him. He did not know indeed that his sister
had been in the cold and in the dark; but he
might have felt that he had used her with a rough-
ness which is more painful to a loving heart than
cold and darkness are to the body.
CHAPTER XII.
HOLT AND HIS DIGNITY.
THERE was no reason now why Hugh should not
go to church. He and his crutches went between
- his uncle and aunt in the gig one way, and between
his uncle and Agnes home again; and he could
walk up the aisle quite well. He had been’
pleased at the idea of attending church again, and
had never thought of the pain of being stared at
for his lameness, but this pain came upon him as
he entered the church. As he went up towards
his uncle's pew, and saw the crowd of Crofton
boys all looking at him, and some of the people
turning their heads as he passed, he. felt covered
with confusion, and wished that he had waited
one more Sunday, when the Crofton boys would
have been all gone, and there would have been
fewer eyes to mark his infirmity. But better
thoughts soon arose, and made him ashamed of his
false shame; and before the service was over he
felt how trifling is any misfortune while we are
friends with God, in comparison with the least
wrong-doing which sets us at a distance from Hime
He could not but feel after church that he had
rather, a thousand times, be as he was than be
poor Lamb, who slunk away from him, and hid
. himself behind the other boys—his mind sore and
troubled, no doubt, about his debt, and his cheating
126 THE CROFTON BOYS.
transaction, so long ago. Hugh asked some of the
boys to bring up Lamb, to shake hands before
parting for the holidays; but he would not come,
and wriggled himself out of sight. Then Hugh
recollected that he could forgive Lamb as well
without Lamb’s knowing it; and he left him alone.
Then there was Holt. He and Holt had parted
on uneasy terms; and Holt now looked shy and
uncomfortable. Hugh beckoned to him, and asked
him whether he was really to remain at Crofton all
the holidays.
“Yes,†said Holt. “I am the only one not
going home, unless you are to stay hereabouts.
Even Tooke is to be at his uncle’s in London.
When do you go home ?â€
“Not quite yet—not at the beginning of the
holidays,†said Hugh, hesitating, and looking up at
his uncle. For,in truth, he did not know exactly
what was planned for him, and had been afraid
to ask.
His uncle said, very kindly, that he was not
going to part with Hugh till school opened again.
He would recover his full strength better in the
country; and his aunt had promised his parents
that he should be a stout boy again by the time he
was wanted at Crofton.
This was what Hugh had dreaded to oe and
when he thought that he should not see his
parents, nor little Harry, for so many months,
his heart sank. But he was still in the church;
and perhaps the place helped him to remember
THE CROFTON BOYS. 127
his mother’s expectation that he should not fail,
and his own resolution to bear cheerfully what-
ever troubles his misfortune brought upon him,
from the greatest to the least. So when he heard
his uncle saying to Holt that he should ask Mr.
Tooke to let him come and spend two or three
weeks at his house, he said so heartily that he
hoped Holt would come, that Holt felt that
whatever discontent had been between them was
forgiven and forgotten.
Phil went home, of course; and when Holt
arrived at Mr. Shaw’s, Agnes also returned to
London, that she might see something of Phil.
Then the two boys were glad to be together,
though Hugh would rather have had his ‘dear
friend Dale tok a companion ; aod Holt knew that
this was the case.
All the boys had some lessons to prepare in the
holidays, and Mrs. Shaw made a point of her
young visitors sitting down every morning after
breakfast to their business; Hugh was anxious to
spare no pains this time about his theme, that, if
he was to be praised, he might deserve it. He
saw that Holt could not ee his attention well,
either upon work or play ;. and one morning, when
Hugh was pondering over his history, Holt burst
upon his meditation with—
“T have a good mind to tell you what has been
upon my mind this ever so long.â€
Holt explained that he was very miserable, for
he was in debt, and the boys never let him alone
128 THE CROFTON . BOYS.
about it; and he did not see how he should ever
pay, as nobody was likely to give him any money.
“Remember, it is only sixpence that you owe
me—not a shilling,†said Hugh.
Holt sighed. Perhaps he had hoped that Hugh
would excuse him altogether. He explained that
this sixpence was not all, nor the chief part. He
told that, when the whole school was on the heath
one Saturday, they had seen a balloon rising at a
distance, and some boys began betting about what
direction it would move in when it ceased to rise
perpendicularly. The betting spread till the boys
told him he must bet, or he would be the only one
left out, and would look like a shabby fellow.
“And you did?†exclaimed Hugh. “How
silly!â€
“You would have done it, if you had been
there.â€
“No, I should not.â€
“Yes, you would. Or, if you had not, it would
have been because of ——I know what.â€
“Because of what, pray ?â€
“ Because of something the boys say about you.
They say you are very fond of money.â€
“TI fond of money! I declare I never heard of
such a thing.â€
“Well, you know you made a great fuss about
that half-crown.â€
“ As if it was about the money!†cried Hugh.
“T should not have cared a bit if my uncle had
asked me for it back again the next day. It was
THE CROFTON BOYS, - 129
the being cheated. That was the thing. What a
shame——â€
“ By-the-bye, did your uncle ever ask what you
did with that half-crown ?â€
“No; but he will next week at the January
fair. He will be sure toask then. What a shame
of the boys to say so when I forgave——â€
He remembered, just in time, that he had better
not boast, or speak aloud, of having forgiven Lamb
his debt in secret. He resolved that he would not
say another word, but let the boys see that he did
not care for money for its own sake. They were
all wrong but he would be above noticing it; and,
besides, he really had been very anxious about his
half-crown, and they had only mistaken the
reason.
“How much did you -bet on the balloon?†he
inquired of Holt.
“A shilling; and I lost.â€
_ “Then you owe eighteénpence.â€
‘But that is not all. I borrowed a shilling of
Meredith to pay school fines
“ What for?â€
“Chiefly for leaving my books about. Meredith
says I promised to pay him before the holidays,
but I am sure I never did. He twitted me about
it so that I declare I would have fought him if I
could have paid him first.â€
“Why, Holt, what a different fellow you are!â€
exclaimed Hugh. ‘You never used to talk of
fighting.â€
R
130 THE CROFTON BOYS.
“ But this fellow Meredith plagued me so! If it
had not been for that shilling I would have
knocked him down. Well, here is half-a-crown
altogether; and how am I ever to get half-a-
crown?â€
“Cannot you ask your uncle?â€
“No; you know I can’t. You know he com-
plains about having to pay the bills for me before
my father can send the money from India.â€
“I suppose it would take too long to ask your
father. Yes; of course it would. There would be
another holiday before you could have an answer;
and almost another still. I wonder what Uncle
Shaw would say. He is very kind always, but it
might set him asking——â€
“And what should I do, staying here, if he
should be angry and refuse? What should I do
every day at dinner ?â€â€™
“I know what I would do!†said Hugh
decidedly. “TI would tell Mr. Tooke all about it,
and ask him for half-a-crown.â€
“Mr. Tooke! Oh! I dare not.â€
“T dare—in holiday-time. He is your master,
—next to being your father, while your father is
so far away. You had better ask Mr. Tooke, to be
sure.â€
“What, go to Crofton, and speak to him? I
really want not to be a coward—but I never could
~ go and tell him.â€
“Write him a letter, then. Yes, that is the way.
Write a letter, and I will get one of my uncle’s
THE CROFTON BOYS. 131
men to carry it, and wait for an answer; and then
you will not be long in suspense, at any rate.â€
“J wish I dare!â€
Holt was not long in passing from wishing to
daring. He wrote a letter, which Hugh thought
would do, though he rather wished Holt had not
mentioned him as instigating the act. This was
the letter =)
“Tur Mini, January 6th.
“DEAR Sir,
“JT am very unhappy ; and Proctor thinks I
had better tell you what is upon my mind. I owe
some money, and I do not see how I can ever pay
it, unless you will help me. You know I have
owed Proctor sixpence for ginger-beer, this long
time; and as Lamb has never paid him his share,
Proctor cannot excuse me this debt. Then I owe
a boy-a shilling, lent me for school fines; and he
never lets me alone about it. Then I was led into
betting a shilling on a balloon, and I lost; and so
I owe half-a-crown. If you would lend me that
sum, sir, I shall be obliged to you for ever, and I
shall never forget it.
“Yours respectfully,
“Tuomas Hott.â€
Mr. Shaw’s man, George, carried the letter ; but
he brought back neither letter nor money; only a
message that Mr. Tooke would call; which put
Holt into a great fright, and made Hugh rather
uneasy.
132 THE CROFTON BOYS.
There was no occasion for this, however. Mr.
Tooke came alone into the room where the boys
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were sitting; and when he had told them about
some new boys expected after the holidays, he said,
THE CROFTON BOYS. 133
“Well, now, Holt, let us see what. can be done
about your affairs.â€
Holt looked uneasy, for it seemed as if Mr.
Tooke was not going to lend him the money—or
give it, which was what he had hoped, while using
the word “lend.â€
“T am glad you asked me,†continued Mr. Tooke ;
“for people, whether they be men or boys, can
usually retrieve their affairs when they have reso-
lution to face their difficulties. There is no
occasion to say anything about how you got into
debt.. We must consider how you are to get out
of it.â€
“That is very kind indeed!†exclaimed Holt.
“ As to my lending you half-a-crown,†continued
Mr. Tooke, “ that would not be helping you out of.
debt; for if you, had any prospect of being able to
pay half-a-crown you would not have needed to
apply to me at all.â€
Holt sighed. Mr. Tooke went on—
“T cannot give you the money. I have less to
give away than I should like to have for the sake
of the poor people round us. I cannot pay for a
bet and school-fines while the children of our
neighbours want clothes and fire.â€
“No, six, certainly,†‘said both the boys.
“What do people do, all the world over, when
they want money?†asked Mr. Tooke. Holt
looked puzzled. Hugh smiled. Holt was hesita-
ting whether to guess that they put into the
lottery, or dig for treasure, or borrow from their
134 THE CROFTON BOYS.
friends, or what; he did not see, as Hugh did,
what Mr. Tooke could mean.
“When men come begging to our doors,†said
Mr. Tooke, “what is the first question we ask
them ?â€
Holt still looked puzzled, and Hive? laughed,
saying—
“Why, Holt, you must know very well. We
ask them whether they cannot get work.â€
“Work!†cried Holt. -
“Yes,†said Mr. Tooke. “The fathers and
uncles of both of you work for what money they
have, and so do I; and so does every man among
our neighbours who is satisfied with his condition.
As far.as I see you must get the money you want
~~in the same way.â€
“Work!†exclaimed Holt again,
“ How is he to get work ?†asked Hugh.
“That is where I hope to assist him,†replied
Mr. Tooke. “Are you willing to earn your half--
crown, Holt ?â€
“T don’t know how, sir.â€
“Widow Murray thinks she should have a better
chance for a new lodger if her little parlour was
fresh papered; but she is too rheumatic to do it
herself and cannot afford to engage a workman.
If you like to try, under her directions, I will pay
you as your work deserves.â€
“But, sir, I never papered a room in my life.â€
‘No more had the best paperhanger in} London
when he first tried. But if you do not like that.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 135
work, what do you think of doing some writing for
me? Our tables of rules are dirty. If you will
make good copies of our rules for all the rooms-in
which they hang, in the course of the holidays, I
will pay you half-a-crown. But the copies must
be quite correct, and the writing good. I can offer
you one other choice. Our school library wants
looking to. If you will put fresh paper covers to
all the books that want covering, write the titles
on the backs, compare the whole with the cata- -
logue, and arrange them properly on the shelves,
I will pay you half-a-crown.â€
Holt’s pleasure in the prospect of being out of
debt was swallowed up in the anxiety of under-
taking anything so new to him as work out of
school. Hugh hurried him on to a decision.
“Do choose the papering,†urged Hugh. “I
can help you in that, I do believe. I can walk .__
that little way, to widow Murray’s; and I can
paste the paper. Widow Murray will show you
how to do it; and it is very easy, if you once
learn to join the pattern. I found that, when
I helped to paper the nursery closet at home.â€
“Tt is an easy pattern to join,†said Mr. Tooke.
“There, now! And that is the chief thing.
If you do the library books, I cannot help you, you
know. And remember, you will have two miles to
walk each way; four miles a day in addition to .
the work.†;
“ He can sleep at Crofton if he likes,†said Mr.
Tooke.
136 THE OROFTON BOYS.
“That would be a queer way of staying at
Uncle Shaw’s,†observed Hugh.
“Then there is copying the rules,†said Iolt.
“T might do that here; aad you might help me,
if you liked.â€
“Dull work!†exclaimed Hugh. “ Think of
copying the same rules three or four times over!
And then, if you make mistakes, or if you do not
write clearly, where is your half-crown? I don’t
-mean that I would not help you, but it would be
the dullest work of all.†at
Mr. Tooke sat patiently waiting till Holt had
made up his mind. He perceived something that
never entered Hugh’s mind; that Holt’s pride was
hurt at the notion of doing workman’s work. He
wrote on a slip of paper these few words, and
pushed them across the table to Holt, mae a
emule
“No daptar's hands are clean, however white they be ;
Who digs and pays his way—the true gentleman is he.â€
Holt coloured as he read, and immediately said
_ that he chose the papering job. Mr. Tooke rose,
tossed the slip of paper into the fire, buttoned up
his coat, and said that he should let widow
Murray know that a workman would wait upon
her the next morning, and that she must have her
paste and brushes and scissors ready.
“And a pair of steps,†said Hugh, with a sigh.
“Steps, of course,†replied Mr. Tooke. “You
will think it a pretty paper, I am sure.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 137
“ But, sir, she must quite understand that she is
not at all obliged to us—that is, to me,†said
Holt. :
“Certainly. You will tell her so yourself, of
course.†—
Here again Holt’s pride was hurt; but the
thought of being out of Meredith’s power sus-
tained him. :
_ The next morning was so fine that there was no
difficulty about Hugh’s walking the short distance
to the widow Murray’s; and there, for three
mornings, did the boys work diligently, till the
room was papered, and two cupboards into the
bargain. Holt liked it very well, except for two
things—that Hugh was sure he could have done
some difficult corners better than Holt had done
them, if he could but have stood upon the steps;
and that widow Murray did so persist in thanking
him, that he had to tell her several times over that
she was not obliged to him at all, because he was
to be paid for the job.
Mr. Tooke came to see the work when it was
done, and returned to Mr. Shaw’s with the boys,
in order to pay Holt his half-crown immediately,
and yet so that the widow should not see. Hugh’s
eye followed Mr. Tooke’s hand as it went a second
time into his pocket; and he was conscious of
some sort of hope that he might be paid something
too. When no more silver came forth, he felt
aware that he ought not to have dreamed of any
reward for the help he had freely offered to his.
8
138 THE CROFTON BOYS.
- companion; and he asked himself whether his
schoolfellows were altogether wrong in thinking
him too fond of money, and whether he was alto-
gether right in having said that it was justice that
he cared for, and not money, when he had pressed
his debtor hard. However this might be, he was
very glad to receive his sixpence from Holt. As
he put it in his inner pocket, he observed that this
would be all the money he should have in the
world when he should have spent his five shillings
at the fair in presents for home.
Holt made no answer. He had nothing to
spend at the fair; still less, anything left over.
But he remembered that he was ‘out of debt—that
Meredith would twit him no more—and he began
to whistle, so light-hearted, that no amount of
money could have made him happier. He only
left off whistling to thank Hugh earnestly for
having persuaded him to open his heart to Mr.
Tooke.
CHAPTER XIII.
TRIPPING.
_ When the day came for returning to Crofton,
Hugh would have left his crutches behind at his.
uncle’s, so much did he prefer walking with the
little light stick-leg he had been practising with
for a fortnight. But his aunt shook her head at
this, and ordered the crutches into the gig. He
still walked slowly and cautiously, and soon grew
tired; and she thought he might find it a relief at
times to hop about on his crutches. They were
hidden under the bed, however, immediately on
his arrival; so anxious was Hugh to make the least
of his lameness, and look as like other boys as
possible, both for Tooke’s sake and his own.
When the boys had been all assembled for one
_ day, and everybody had seen how little Proctor
could walk, the subject seemed to be dropped, and
nothing was talked of but the new usher. Hugh
really thought that he had fully taken his place
again as a Crofton boy, and that he should be let
. off all notice of his infirmity henceforth, and all
trials from it, except such as no one but himself
need know of. He was even not quite sure whether
he should not be a gainer by it on the whole. He
remembered Tooke’s assurances of protection and
friendship ; he found Phil very kind and watchful ;
and Mrs. Watson told him privately that he was
to be free of the orchard. She showed him the
little door through which he might enter at any
time alone or with one companion. Here he might
140 THE CROFTON BOYS.
read or talk, and get out of sight of play that he
could not share. The privilege was to be con-
tinued as long as no mischief was done to anything
within the orchard. The prospect of the hours,
the quiet hours, the bright hours that he should
spend here alone with Dale, delighted Hugh; and
when he told Dale, Dale liked the prospect too;
and they went together, at the earliest opportunity,
to survey their new domain, and plan where they
would sit in spring, and how they would lie on the
grass in summer, and be closer and closer friends
for ever.
Holt was encouraged to hope that he should
have his turn sometimes; but he saw that, though
Hugh cared more for him than before the holidays,
he yet loved Dale the best.
While Hugh was still in high spirits at the
’ thought that his worst trials were over, and the:
pleasure of his indulgences -to come, he felt very
complacent; and he thought he would gratify
himself with one or more reading of the theme
which he had written in the holidays—the theme
which he really believed Mr. Tooke might fairly
praise—so great had been the pains he had taken
with the composition, and so neatly was it written
out. He searched for it in vain among his books
and his portfolio. Then he got leave to go up to
his room, and turn over all his clothes. He did so
in vain; and at last he remembered that it was far
indeed out of his reach—in the drawer of his aunt’s
work-table, where ithad lain eversinceshe hadasked
him for it to read to a lady who had visited her.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 141
The themes would certainly be called for the
first thing on Mr. Tooke’s appearance in school at
nine the next morning. The duties of the early
morning would leave no one any time to run to
Mr. Shaw’s then. If anybody went, it must be
now. The first day was one of little regularity; ©
it was only just beginning to grow dusk; any
willing boy might be back before supper; and
there was no doubt that leave would be given on
such an occasion. So Hugh made his way to
_ the playground as fast as possible, and told his
trouble to his best friends. there—to Phil, and
Holt, and Dale, and as many as happened to be
within hearing. —
“Never mind your theme!†said Phil. “Nobody
expected, you to do one; and you have only to say
that you left it behind you.â€
“ Tt is not that,†said Hugh. ‘I must show up
my theme.â€
“ You can’t, you know, if you have not got it to
show,†said two or-three, who thought this settled
the matter.
“ But it is there; it is at my uncle’s, if any one
would go for it,†said Hugh, beginning to be
agitated.
“Go for it!†exclaimed Phil. “ What, in the
dark, this freezing afternoon ?â€
“It is not dark; it will not be dite this hour.
Anybody might run there and back before supper.â€
He looked at Dale; but Dale looked another
way. For a moment he thought of Tooke’s
142 THE CROFTON BOYS.
permission to appeal to him when he wanted a
friend; but Tooke was not within hearing, and he_ |
dismissed the thought of pointing out Tooke to
anybody’s notice.
“I took such pains with that theme—all the
holidays! And I can’t go for it myself.â€
There were loud exclamations from many against
Phil, against one another, and against themselves ;
and now everybody was eager to go. Phil stopped
all who had started off, saying that it was his
business; and the next moment Phil was at Mr.
Tooke’s study door, asking leave of absence till
supper.
“Little Holt has been beforehand with’ you,â€
said Mr. Tooke. “I refused him, however, as he
is not so fit as you to be out after dark. Off with
you!â€
Before Phil returned, it struck Hugh that he
had been very selfish, and that it was not a good
way of bearing his trial to impose on anyone a
walk of four miles, to repair a piece of carelessness
of his own. Nobody blamed him; but he did not |
like to look in the faces round him, to see what
people thought. When Phil returned, fresh and
hungry from the frosty air, and threw down the
paper, saying, “There is your theme, and my
aunt is very sorry,†Hugh said—
“Oh, Phil, and I am so sorry too! I hope you
are not very tired.â€
_ “Never mind,†replied Phil. “There is your
theme.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 143
And with this Hugh was obliged to be satisfied,
but it left him exceedingly uncomfortable—sorry
for Phil—disappointed: in Dale—and much more
disappointed in himself. The thought of what
Holt had wished to do was the only pleasant part
of it, and Hugh worked beside Holt, and talked —
with him all the evening.
Hugh felt the next morning as if he was never
to have any pleasure from his themes, though
they were the lesson he did best. This one was
praised quite as much as the former one, and he
did not this time tell anybody what Mr. Tooke
had said about it; .but the pleasure was spoiled by
the recollection that his brother had run four
miles on account of it, and that he himself must
have appeared to others more selfish than he
thought them.
Mr. Crabbe, the new ashore, was just such a
master as it was good for the little boys to be
under. But all fol that he was not unreasonable,
and they always knew exactly how much to be ,,.
afraid of. Whether he had inquired, or been told, ©
the story of Hugh’s lameness they did not know.
He said nothing about it except just asking Hugh
whether it tired him to stand up in class, saying’
that he might sit at the top or bottom of the class,
_ instead of taking places, if he chose. Hugh did
find it rather fatiguing at first, but he did not like
to take advantage of Mr. Crabbe’s offer, because it
so happened that he was almost always at the
bottom of his classes, and to have withdrawn from
144 “THE CROFTON BOYS.
the contest would have looked like a trick to hide
the shame, and might have caused him to be set
down as a dunce who. never could rise. He
thanked Mr. Crabbe, and said that if he should
rise in his classes, and keep a good place for some
time, he thought he should be glad to sit instead
of stand, but meantime he wouid rather be tired.
This inability to do his lessons so well as other
boys was a deep and lasting grief to Hugh. He
had in reality improved much since he came to.
Crofton, and was now and then cheered by some
proof of this, but. his general inferiority in this
respect was such as to mortify him every day of
his life, and sometimes to throw him almost into
despair. He saw that everybody pitied him for
the loss of his foot, but not for his other trouble,
while he felt this to be rather the worst of the
two; and all the more so because he was not sure
himself whether or not he could help it, as. every
one else seemed.certain that he might. When he
said his prayer in his bed, he earnestly entreated
that he might be able to bear the one trouble, and
be delivered from the other; and yet the very
next evening, when the whole school was busy
over their books, and there was nothing to inter-
fere with his work, he would pore over his lesson
without taking in half the sense, while his fancy
was straying everywhere but where it ought—
perhaps to little Harry, or to the Temple Gardens
at home, or to Cape Horn, or to Japan—some way
farther off still.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 145
Finding Phil's kindness continue through the
first weeks and months of the half-year Hugh took
courage at last to open his mind pretty freely to
his brother, offering to do anything in the world
for Phil, if he would only hear him his lessons
every evening till he could say them perfectly.
Phil was going to plead that he had no time, when
Hugh popped out—
“The thing is that it does not help me to say
them to just anybody. Saying them to somebody
that I am afraid of is what I want.â€
- “Why, you are not afraid of me?†said Phil.
“Yes, I am—rather.â€â€™
“ What for?â€
“Oh, because you are older; and you are so
much more of a Crofton boy than I am—and you
are very strict—and altogether-—â€
“Yes, you will find me pretty strict, I can tell
you,†said Phil, unable to restrain a complacent
smile on finding that somebody was afraid of him.
“Well, we must see what we can do. I will hear
you to-night at any rate.â€
Between his feeling of kindness and the
gratification of his vanity; Phil found himself
able to hear his brother’s lessons. every evening.
He was certainly very strict, and kept Hugh up
to his work. Whenever he would condescend to
explain the sense of what Hugh had to learn, he
saved trouble to both, and the lesson went off
quickly and easily; but sometimes he would not
explain anything. There was a chance, on such
T
146 THE CROFTON BOYS,
occasions, that Firth might be at leisure, or Dale
able to help, so that, one way or another, Hugh
found his affairs improving as the spring advanced;
and he began to lose his anxiety, and to gain credit
with the usher. He also, now and then, won a
place in his classes.
Towards the end of May, when the trees were
full of leaf, and the evenings sunny, and the open
air delicious quite up to bed-time, Phil became
persuaded, very suddenly, that Hugh could get on
by himself now; that it was not fair that he should
be helped; and that it was even hurtful to him to
rely on anyone but himself. If Phil had acted
gradually upon this conviction, withdrawing his
help by degrees, it might have been all very well;
but he refused at once and decidedly to have any-
thing more to do with Hugh’s lessons, as he was
quite old and forward enough now to do them by
himself. This announcement threw his brother
into a state of consternation not at all favourable
to learning, and the next morning Hugh made
several blunders. He did the same every day that
week, was every afternoon detained from play to
learn his lessons again, and on the Saturday
morning (repetition day) he lost all the places
he had gained, and left off at the bottom of every
class.
What could Mr. Crabbe suppose but that a
sudden fit of idleness was the cause of this falling
back? And poor Hugh felt as if there was scorn
in every eye that looked upon his disgrace.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 147
Mr. Crabbe always desired to be just; and he
now gave Hugh the opportunity of explaining, if’
he had anything to say. He remained in the
school-room after the boys had left it, and asked
Hugh a question or two. But Hugh sobbed and
cried so bitterly that he could not speak so as to
be understood ; and he did not wish to explain.
So Mr Crabbe could only hope that next week
would show a great difference, and advise him to
go out with the rest this afternoon, to refresh him-
self for a new effort.
It really was hard (though Holt stood by him,
and Dale was his companion as usual) to bear the
glances he saw, and the words that came to his eay.
Some boys looked to see how red his eyes were.
Some were surprised to see him abroad, and hinted
at favouritism because he was not shut. up in the
school-room. Some asked whether he could say
his alphabet yet; and others whether he could
spell “dunce.†The most cruel thing of all was to
see Tooke in particularly high spirits.
“I know what Tooke is feeling,†thought he.
“ He is pleased to see me lowered, as long as it is
not his doing. He is sorry to see me suffer by my
lameness, because that hurts his conscience; but
he is pleased to see me disgraced, because that
relieves him of the feeling of being obliged to me.
If I were now to put him in mind of his promise,
to stand by me and protect me—I declare I will—
it will make him remember his duty.â€
Dale wondered to see Hugh start off, as fast as
148 THE CROFTON BOYS.
he could go, to overtake the foremost boys who
were just entering the meadow, and spreading
themselves over it. Tooke could, alas! like every-
body else, go faster than Hugh ; and there was no
catching him. Neither could he be made to hear,
though Hugh called him as loud as he could shout.
Holt was so sorry to see Hugh hot and agitated, that
he made no objection to going after Tooke, though
he was pretty sure Tooke would be angry with
him. Holt could run as fast as anybody, and he
soon caught the boy he was pursuing, and told him
that little Proctor wanted him very much indeed, 7
that very moment. Tooke sent him about his
business, saying that he could not come; and they
immediately proposed brook-leaping for their
sport, leading the way himself over a place so wide
that no lesser boy, however nimble, could follow.
Holt came running back, shaking his head, and
showing that his errand was in vain. Tooke was
so full of play that he could think of nothing else,
which was a shame.
With a swelling heart Hugh turned away, and
went towards the bank of the broader stream which
ran through the meadows. Dale was with him in
a moment—very sorry for him, because everybody
else was at brook-leaping—the sport that Hugh
had loved so well last autumn. Dale passed his
arm round Hugh’s neck, and asked where they
should sit and tell stories—where they could best
hide themselves, so that nobody should come and
tease them. They found a pleasant place among
THE CROFTON BOYS. 149°
the flowering reeds on the bank, where they
thought nobody would see them; and having
: “THEY FOUND A PLEASANT PLACE.â€
given Holt to understand that they did not want
him, they settled themselves for their favourite
amusement of story-telling.
150 THE OROFTON BOYS.
But Hugh’s heart was too full and too sick for
even his favourite amusement; and Dale was
perhaps too sorry for him to be the most judicious
companion he could have at sucha time. Dale
agreed that the boys were hard and careless; and
in the warmth of his zeal, he told how one boy had
been laughing at Hugh’s conceit about his themes,
when he had shown to-day that he could not go
half through his lessons, and how he had heard .
another say that all that did not signify half so
much as his being mean about money. In his
agony of mind Hugh declared that everybody at
Crofton hated him—that he could never hold np
his head there—that he would ask to be sent
home by the coach, and never come near Crofton
again.
Dale now began to be frightened, and wished he
had not said somuch. He tried to make light of
it; but Hugh seemed disposed to do something
decided—to go to his Uncle Shaw’s, at least, if he
could not get home. Dale earnestly protested
against any such idea, and put him in mind how
he was respected by everybody for his bravery
about the loss of his foot.
“Respected? Not a bit of it!†cried Hugh.
“They none of them remember; they don’t care
a bit about it.â€
Dale was sure they did.
“T tell you they don’t. I know they don’t. I
know it for certain; and I will tell you how I
know. There is the very boy that did it—the
_ THE CROFTON BOYS. 151
very boy that pulled me from the wall—Oh! if
you knew who it was, you would say it was a
shame!â€
Dale involuntarily sat up, and looked back, over
the tops of the reeds, at the boys who were brook-
leaping.
“Would you like to know who it was that did
it, Dale ?â€
“Yes, if you like to tell; pi And if he treats
you ill, after the. way you used him, he cannot
expect you should consider him so. Besides, I am
your best friend; and I always tell you every-
thing !’
“Yes, that you do. “And he has treated me so
shamefully to-day! And I have nobody to speak
.to that knows. You will promise never—never to
tell anybody as long as you live?â€
“To be sure,†said Dale.
“And you won’t tell Pam yDOGY. that I have told
you ?â€
“To be sure not.â€
“Well, then——â€
Here there wasa rustling among the reeds which
startled them both, with a sort of guilty feeling.
It was Holt, quite out of breath.
“T don’t want to interrupt you,†said he, “and
I_ know you wish I would not come; but the
others made me come. The biggest boys say that
the second size can’t jump the brook at the willow-
stump; and the second size boys want Dale to try.
They made me come. I could not help it.â€
152 THE CROFTON BOYS.
Hugh looked at Dale, with eyes which aaa as
plainly as eyes could speak, “You will not go—
you will not leave me at such a moment ?†:
But Dale was not looking at his face, but at the
clusters of boys beside the brook. He said—
“You will not mind my going, just for one leap.
It will hardly take a minute. I shall not. stay for
agame. But I must have just one leap.â€
And he was off Holt looked after him, and
then towards Hugh, hesitating whether to go or
stay. Hugh took no notice of him; so he went
slowly away, and Hugh was left alone.
He was in an extreme perturbation. At the
first moment, he was beyond measure hurt with
Dale. He did not think his best friend would
have so reminded him of his infirmity, and of his
being a restraint on his companions. _He did not
think any friend could have left him at such a
moment. Then it occurred to him—
“What, then, amI? If Dale was selfish, what
was I? I was just going.to tell what would have
pointed out Tooke to him for life. I know as well
as can be that it was all accident his pulling me
off the wall; and yet I was going to bring it up
against him; and for the very reason why I should
not, because he has not behaved well to me. I
was just going to spoil the only good thing I ever
did for anybody in my life. If Holt had not come
that very instant, my secret would have been out,
and I could never have got it back again! I could
never have looked Tooke in the face any more. I
THE GROFTON BOYS. 153
don’t know that I can now, for I am as wicked as
if I had told.â€:
Dale came back presently, fanning himself with
his cap. As he plunged into the reeds, and threw
himself down beside Hugh, he cried—
“JT did it! Itook the leap, and came off with |
my shoe-soles as dry as a crust. Ah! they are
wet now; but that is with another leap I took- for
sport. I ‘told you I should not be long gone. Now
for it! Who did it ?â€
“T am not going to tell you, Dale, not now, nor
ever.â€
“Why, that is too bad! IJ am sure I stay
beside you often enough, when the others are
playing: you need not grudge me this one leap,
when the boys sent for me, too.â€
“Tt is not that, Dale. You are very kind always
in staying beside me; and I do not wish that you
should give up play for my sake half so much as
you do. But I was very, very wrong in meaning
to tell you that secret. I should have been miser-
able by this time if I had.â€
* “But you promised. You must keep your
promise. What would all the boys say if I told
them you had broken your promise ?â€
“Tf they knew what it was about, they would
. despise me for ever meaning to tell—not for stop-
ping short in time.â€
Dale’s curiosity was so strong that Hugh saw
how dangerous it was to have tantalised it. He
had to remind his friend of Mr. Tooke’s having
U
154 THE CROFTON BOYS.
put all the boys upon honour not to inquire on
this subject. This brought Dale to himself, and
he promised never again to urge Hugh, or en-
courage his speaking of the matter at all) They
then went to story-telling. Presently it struck
Hugh that he should like to write to his mother
this very afternoon. His heart was heavy, and he
wanted to tell her what was init. Mr. Crabbe gave
him leave to go back, and Dale was in time for
plenty more play.
Hugh had the great schoolroom all to himself,
and he enjoyed scribbling away to his mother, as
well as finding his mind grow easier as he went on.
He wrote :—
“Dear MorHEr,—
“Tt is Saturday afternoon, and I have come
home from the meadows before the rest, to tell
you something that has made me very uneasy. If
I had told anybody in the world who had pulled
me off the wall, it should and would have been
you, that night after it happened ; and I am afraid
I should have told you, if you had not prevented
it, for I find Iam not to be trusted when I am
talking with anybody I love very'much. I have
not told yet, but I should have told Dale if Holt
had not run up at the very moment. It makes
me very unhappy—almost as much as. if I had let
it out; for how do I know but that I may tell a
hundred times over in my life, if I could forget so
soon? I never felt the least afraid of telling till
THE CROFTON BOYS. 155
to-day, and you cannot think how unhappy it
makes me. And then, the thing that provoked
me to tell was that boy’s being surly to me, and:
glad that I was in disgrace this : morning for doing
my lessons badly all. this week—the very thing
that should have made me particularly careful
how I behaved to him, for his pulling me off the
wall was only accident, after all. Everything has
gone wrong to-day, and I am very unhappy, and
I feel as if I should never be sure of anything
again; and so I write to you. You told me you
expected me not. io fail, and you see I have, and
the next thing is I must tell you of it.
“ Your affectionate son,
“Huew Procror,
“P.S.—Phil has been very kind about my
lessons, till this week [¢nterlined], when he. has
been very busy.
“P.S.—If you should answer this, please put
‘private’ outside or at the top; and then Mr.
Tooke will not read it, nor anybody. But I know
you are very busy always, so I do not quite expect
an answer.â€
When the letter was finished and closed, Hugh
felt a good deal relieved, but still not happy. He
' had opened his heart to the best friend he had in
this world; but he still felt grievously humbled for
the present and alarmed for the future. Then he
remembered that he might seek comfort from a
better Friend still, and that He who had sent him
156 THE CROFTON BOYS.
his trial could and would help him to bear it with.
honour as well as with patience. As he thought
of this, he saw that the boys were trooping home
along the road, and he slipped out and into the’
orchard, where he knew he might be alone with
his best Friend. He stayed there till the supper-
bell rang, and when he came in it was with a
cheerful face. He was as merry as anybody. at
supper, and afterwards he found his lessons more
easy to him than usual. When he went to bed he
had several pleasant thoughts. His secret was
still his own, though by no merit of his. To-morrow
was Sunday, likely to be a bright, sweet May
Sunday. His lessons were quite ready for Monday,
and possibly there might be a letter from his
mother in the course of the week.
Mrs. Proctor was in the midst of her Monday
morning’s business when she received Hugh’s
letter; yet she found time to answer it by the
very next post. When her letter was handed to
Hugh, with the seal unbroken, because “ private â€
was written large on the outside, he thought she
was the kindest mother that ever was to have
written so soon, and to have minded all his wishes.
Her letter was :—
Dear Hues,
‘There was nothing in your letter to surprise
me at all, for I believe, if all our hearts were known,
it would be found that we have every one been
saved from doing wrong by what we call accident.
THE CROFTON BOYS. 157
The very best people say this of themselves, in
their thanksgivings to God, and their confessions
to one another. Though you were very unhappy
on Saturday, I am not sorry that these things have
happened, as I think you will be the safer and the
wiser for them. Now you know the danger and
that is a good thing. -I think you will never again
see that boy, whoever he may be, without being
put upon your guard. Still we are all sadly for-
getful about our duty. Always tell me your mind,
as you have now, for you may be sure that it is
my wish that you should keep your secret, and
that I shall always be glad to help you to
do it.
«But, my dear boy, I can do but little, in com-
parison with the best Friend you have. He can
help you without waiting for your confidence—
even at the very instant “when you are tempted.
If you trust your own intentions alone I shall
never feel sure of you for a single hour, nor be
certain that the companion you. love best may not
be your worst enemy in breaking down your self-
command. But, as you say you were very unhappy
on Saturday, I have no doubt you did go for com-
fort to the right Friend, and that you were happier
on Sunday.
“Your sisters do not know that I am writing,
‘as I consider your letter a secret from everbody
but your father, who sends his love. Your sisters ,
are counting the days to the holidays, and so are
some older members of the family. As for Harry,
158 THE CROFTON BOYS.
he shouts for you from the yard every day, and
seems to think that every shout will bring nearer
the happy time when Phil and you will come home.
“Your affectionate mother,
“JANE PRocTOR.â€
Hugh was, of course, very glad of this letter.
And he was glad of something else—that he had
done the very things his mother had advised. He
had engaged Dale not to tempt him on this subject
any more. He had opened his heart to his mother
and. obtained her help; and he had sought-a better
assistance and.a higher comfort still. It was so
delightful to have such a. letter as this—to be so
understood and aided—that he determined to tell
his mother all his concerns as long as he lived.
CHAPTER XIV.
HOLT AND HIS HELP.
NorHinG more was heard by Hugh, or any one
else, of Lamb’s debt. The creditor himself chose
to say nothing about it so much was he annoyed
at being considered fond of money; but he was
sure that Lamb’s pockets were filled from time to
time, as he was seen eating good things in by-
corners when everybody knew that his credit with
his companions, and with all the neighbouring
tradespeople, was exhausted. It was surprising
that anybody could care so much for a shilling’s
worth of tarts or fruit as to be at the trouble of.
any concealment, or of constantly getting out of
Hugh’s way, rather than pay and have done with
it. When Lamb was seen munching or skulking,
Firth sometimes asked Hugh whether he had got
justice yet in that quarter; and then Hugh
laughed, and Firth saw that he had gained some- -
thing quite as good—a power of doing without it
good-humouredly—from those who were so un-
happy as not to understand or care for justice.
In one respect, however, Hugh was still within |
Lamb’s power. When Lamb was not skulking he
was much ‘given to boasting; and his boasts were
160 THE GROFTON BOYS.
chiefly about what a great man he was to be in
India. He was really destined for India; and his
own opinion was that he should have a fine life of
it there, riding on an elephant, with a score of
servants always about him, spending all his morn-.
ings in shooting, and all his evenings at dinners
and balls. Hugh did not care about 1 the servants,
sport, or dissipation, and ‘he did not see why any
one should cross the globe to enjoy things like
these which might be ‘had at home. He did not
grudge Holt his prospect of going to India, for
Holt was an improved and. improving boy, and.
had, moreover, a father there whom he loved
very much; but Hugh could never hear
Lamb’s talk about India without being ready
to cry.
“You must write to me, Holt, all about
India. Write me the longest letters in the
world, and tell me everything you can think
of about the natives, and the Juggernaut
car.’* |
“That I will, if you like. But I am afraid that
would only make you long the more to go. How
I do wish, though, that you were going with me,
by-and-bye, as you let me go home with you these
holidays.â€
It was really true that Holt was going to London
these holidays. The two boys were gradually
becoming real friends now, and the faster because
Holt was so humble as not to be jealous of Hugh’s
ae liking Dale best. Holt was satisfied to be
THE CROFTON BOYS. 161
liked best when Dale could: not be had, and as
this was the case in the Midsummer holidays, he
was grateful to be allowed to spend them with the
Proctors.
Hugh was so thankful for his father’s kindness
in giving him a companion of his own age, and so
pleased to show Holt little Harry, and the leads,
and the river, and his shelf of books, and Covent
Garden Market, and other wonders of London,
that any unpleasant feelings that the boys had
ever entertained towards each other were quite
forgotten, and they grew more intimate every day.
Agnes herself did not turn red oftener, or watch
more closely to help him than Holt did. Hugh
himself had to tell him not to mind when
-he saw the shop-boy watching his way of
walking, “or little Harry trying to limp like
him, or Susan pretending to find fault with
him, as she used to do, as an excuse for
brushing away her tears.
Holt was one of the first to find out that Hugh
liked to be sent errands about the house, or in the
neighbourhood, and it was he who convinced the
family of it, though at first they could not under-
stand or believe it at all. When they saw,
however, that Hugh, who used to like that his
sisters should wait upon him, and to be very slow
in moving from his book, even at his mother’s
desire, now went upstairs and downstairs for
everybody, and tried to be more independent in
his habits than anyone else, they began to think
-
162 . THE CROFTON BOYS.
that Holt knew Hugh’s mind better than
even they, and to respect and love him
accordingly.
- 1, Juggernaut is a celebrated idolof the Hindus. It is a rudely-
carved wooden image, kept in a temple at Puri or Juggernaut, in
Orissa,a town at the end of the delta of the River Mahanadi. The
body of the image is red, the face black, the arms gilt, and the eyes
formed of precious stones. Great multitudes of pilgrims come from all
parts of India to worship at the temple. On certain great festivals the
idol is placed on a large car and dragged by the pilgrims to what is
called his “‘country-house.†Formerly, people used to throw them-
selves under the wheels of the car, and were killed, the victims
believing that this was pleasing to their god.
CHAPTER XV.
CONCLUSION.
The longer these two boys were together, the
more they wished that they could spend their lives
side by side; or, at least, not be separated by half
the globe. Just before the Christmas holidays
some news arrived which startled them so much
that they could hardly speak to one another about
it for some hours. There was a deep feeling in
their hearts which disposed them to speak alone to
the Ruler of their lives, before they could even
rejoice with one another. When they meditated
upon it, they saw that the event had come about
naturally enough; but it so exactly met the
strongest desire they had in the world, that if a
miracle had happened before their eyes, they could
not have been more struck. Holt’s father wrote
a letter to Mr. Proctor, which reached its destina-
tion through Mr. Tooke’s hands; and Mr. Tooke
was consulted in the whole matter, and requested
by Mr. Proctor to tell the two boys and Phil all
about it. These three were therefore called into
Mr. Tooke’s study one day to hear some news.
The letters which Mr. Tooke read were about
Hugh. Mr. Holt explained that his son’s best
years were to be spent, like his own, in India;
164 THE CROFTON BOYS.
that his own experience had made him extremely
anxious that his son should be associated with
companions whom he could respect and love; and
that he had long resolved to. use such interest as
he had in bringing out only such a youth, or
youths, as he could wish his son to associate with.
He mentioned that he was aware that one lad now
at Crofton was destined for India——
“That is Lamb,†whispered the boys to each
other.
But that he did not hear of any friendship
formed, or likely to be formed, with advantage
between his son and this young gentleman.
“No, indeed!†muttered Holt.
There was one boy, however, Mr. Holt went on
to say, to whom his son seemed to be attached, and
concerning whom he had related circumstances
which inspired a strong interest, and which seemed -
to afford an expectation of an upright manhood
following a gallant youth.
Here all the boys reddened, and Hugh looked
hard at the carpet.
This boy had evidently a strong inclination for
travel and adventure; and though his lameness
put military or naval service out of the question,
it might not unfit him for civil service in India.
If Mr. Tooke could give such a report of his
‘health, industry, and capability as should warrant
his being offered an appointment, and if his —
parents were willing so to dispose of him, Mr. |
Holt was anxious to make arrangements for the
THE GROFTON BOYS. 165
education of the boys proceeding together, in
order to their being companions in their voyage
i yi
in ( :
4s
Gi
“7 WILL WORK VERY HARD.â€
and subsequent employments. And then followed
some account of what these arrangements were to
be.
166 - | HE CROFTON BOYS.
“Now, Proctor,†said Mr. Tooke to the breath-
less Hugh, “you must consider what you have to
. say to this, Your parents are willing to agree, if
you are. But if,†he continued, with a kind .
smile, “it would make you very unhappy
to go to India, no one will force your in-
clinations.â€
“Oh, sir,†said Hugh, “I will work very
hard—I wil work as hard as ever I can, if I
may go.â€
“Well, you may go, you see, if you will work
~ hard. You can consider it quietly, or talk it
over with your brother and Holt; and to-
' morrow you are to dine at your uncle’s, where
you will meet your father, and he and you will
. settle what to write to Mr. Holt by the nextâ€
ship.â€
“And you, sir, pend Phil, anxiously—“ Mr. Holt |
asks your opinion.â€
“My opinion is that your brother can be what
he pleases. He wants some inducement to pursue
his learning more strenuously than he has done
yet——’â€
“T will, sir. I will, indeed,†cried Hugh.
“T believe you will. Such a prospect as this .
will be an inducement, if anything can. You are,
on the whole, a brave boy; and brave boys are not .
apt to be ungrateful to God or man; and I am ©
sure you think it would be ungrateful to refuse to
do your best in the situation which gratifies the
first wish of your heart.â€
THE CROFTON BOYS. 167
Hugh could not say another word. As the first-
fruits of his gratitude, he learned his lessons
thoroughly well that night, much as he would like ~
to have spént the time in dreaming:
His father and he had no difficulty in settling
what to write to Mr. Holt, and very merry were
they together when the business was done. In a
day or two, when Hugh had had time to think, he
began to be glad on Tooke’s account, and he
‘found an opportunity of saying to him one
day—
“TJ never should have gone to India if I had not
lost my foot, and I think it is well worth while
losing my foot to go to India.â€
“Do you really? or do you say it because
“] think go really.†And then he went off into
such a description as convinced Tooke that he was
in earnest, though it was to be feared that he
would. be disappointed by experience. But then, -
again, Mr. Tooke was heard to say that one chief
requisite for success and enjoyment in foreign
service of any kind was a strong inclination for it.
So Tooke was consoled, and easier in mind than
for a whole year past.
Hugh was able to keep his promise of working
hard. Both at Crofton and at the India College,
where his education was finished, he. studied well
and successfully; and, when he set sail with his
companion, it was with a heart free from all cares
but one. Parting from his family was certainly a
great grief; and he could not forget the last tone
29
168 THE CROFTON BOYS.
he had heard from Agnes. But this was his only
sorrow. He was, at last, on the wide sea, and
going to Asia. Holt was his dear friend. He had
left none but well-wishers behind. His secret was
his own (though, indeed, he scarcely remembered
that he had any secret); and he could not but be
conscious that he went out well prepared for
honourable duty.
Joun Heywoop, Excelsior Printing and Bookbinding Works, Manchester.
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