Frederick Harrison

“ Cottenham, unknown to the boys, had told Mr. Harmer that Cox had bought an arithmetic book and key with the answers, and the master had promised to look carefully over his sums in future. Cox thought himself very cunning, and used to do about one sum in three wrong, so that his master might not suspect him. But boys forget that, however clever they may think themselves, masters have eyes, and also have been boys themselves, and know what tricks are done in school. ”

“ Harmer and Mr. Young arranged the details.
“Silence, boys!” said Mr. Harmer; “who will be the hares?”
“King and Gray are the quickest runners,” said Walter.
“Yes,” said Mr. Young, “I know they can run well; so can Cox and Pitt. Then let King and Gray be the hares. Now, boys, get on with your work again.”
Mr. Young went away, and the boys again turned their minds to their work, and were as busy as bees, or at least they looked as if they were. ”

“ The coil having been bought, the boys were just going away, when Mr. Cottenham invited them all to come the following evening to tea, promising to show them some experiments in chemistry and electricity.
“Thank you, sir,” replied Walter, his eyes beaming with pleasure. “We will all come as early as we can. Good-evening, sir!”
“Stop!” cried out Poll.
“No, thank you, Polly,” said Walter, laughing.
“We haven’t much home-work, Walter,” said Steve, “can we come in and see your electrical apparatus to-night?”
“Yes, do; you come also, Alfred.”
“Thank you, Walter; I should very much like to come.” ”

“ THE NEW SOLO-BOY. IT was a lovely morning, about eleven o’clock, and the boys of the cathedral choir of St. Bede’s were playing in the cloister of the grand old church. There was a square plot of grass in the centre, where the boys used to amuse themselves during the intervals of school-work; when it was wet they would walk round the covered cloister. ”

“ Walter thought that Cox used answers, as he was a dunce at sums, and that King had either put the page in Alfred’s book, or had told Cox to do so. He knew that the answers would only be used by a boy who was weak in sums, and who was doing practice, as the answers were for that part of the arithmetic book. King was good at arithmetic and much more advanced, so that the answers would not be of any use to him. There were two other boys who sat at the same desk as Alfred and Cox, and one of them was doing practice also, but the other was quite a little boy who had not got so far. ”

“ Poll made a wonderful imitation of the popping of a cork and the gurgling sound of liquid being poured out.
“Now, Poll, sneeze!” said its master.
Poll jumped up and down, and sneezed, and then laughed exactly like a human being. Mr. Cottenham’s parrot was known for miles round, and children would come to his shop on purpose to hear it talk.
A customer entered the shop, and Poll called out “Shop!” Mr. Cottenham went, and returned in a few minutes.
The boys had a hearty tea. “Now, would you like to hear how it was I bought Poll?” said their host. ”

“ The other boys had gone on with the game and had not noticed the disturbance. Steve was goal-keeper, while Walter was playing centre forward and was making a dash for the goal. Alfred wiped his face and hands with his handkerchief, and although he was hurt, was going forward to rejoin the game, when he saw Steve hit King back. King was a bigger boy than Steve, but the latter was not afraid of him.
[15] “You dare to hit me!” said King. “I’ll give you one for yourself.”
“No, you won’t,” exclaimed Walter, running up; “it’s football we’re playing, not boxing. ”

“ If it struck it, there was every probability of its being capsized. He began to pull vigorously with his one oar, when it snapped, and, with a grating noise, the boat struck the bridge.
“Sit still all of you,” shouted King, “or you’ll have the boat over!” ”

“ Now it happened that his seat was close to the dean’s, and as they were returning from morning service, walking down the cloisters, the dean called to one of the boys to send King to him.
[29] He went at once.
“How dare you eat strong onions just before a service?” demanded the dean, who had been head-master of one of the big public schools. [30] “Once a schoolmaster always a schoolmaster,” which means that when a man has been a schoolmaster, he always treats every one afterwards, whether men or boys, just as if they were schoolboys under him. ”

“ If a boy appeared nervous, he was told to sit down again, and was examined later on. Alfred did very well, and so did his friends; not so Cox, who was severely reproved for his idleness and ignorance. King did well, for he was in some subjects at the head of the school.
When Mr. Harmer returned, the dean said that he was much pleased with the boys on the whole, but a few had done badly, and he named Cox in particular.
[91] “As you have done so well, boys,” said the dean, “except those three I have named, I shall ask Mr. Harmer to excuse you any more work to-day.” ”

“ You see that scar just above my eye. Well, that was where a piece of glass struck me, and I am thankful that I did not lose my sight. Boys too often think that making an explosion is a big joke, but it is also a very dangerous one.”
“Do you teach chemistry, sir?” inquired Alfred.
“Yes, at the grammar-school, and I am going to ask Mr. Harmer to let me give you a course of lectures at your school next autumn, similar to those I give at the grammar-school.”
“Please do, sir!” exclaimed Walter; “and let me help you with the experiments.” ”

“ It appears that at times some of you boys have not been quite so truthful as I should like to see. All British boys like to be thought brave! Quite right, too. I like to see brave boys, and so always remember this, that lying is the refuge of cowards. Don’t forget what I say, boys. To be brave you must be truthful. I am not going to preach to you.”
The dean looked at Harry Cox and two other [87] boys. They all felt and looked very much ashamed.
Mr. Harmer and Mr. Young left the room, and the dean took his seat at the masters desk. ”

“ Why, boys, you have not been eating and drinking while I have been talking. What has become of your appetites?”
Thus reminded, the boys did ample justice to the food, and after tea they went into Mr. Cottenham’s laboratory—that is, the room in which he made chemicals or did chemical experiments. Walter eagerly followed everything he said and did. Mr. Cottenham explained in a very clear way all the changes that took place. ”

“ Poll amused itself by whistling and calling the dog, but after the first time Rover was not deceived, and merely [73] looked at the bird as if he wondered how it did it.
Mr. Cottenham always had plenty of anecdotes to tell the boys of his adventures in India, as he had been a keen sportsman and crack shot. He was now an officer in the local volunteers, and by far the best shot in the regiment.
“You promised once, sir,” said Steve, “to tell us an anecdote about a tiger-hunt you once had in India.”
“Did I?” replied Mr. Cottenham; “then I must keep my word. I shall never forget that adventure. ”

“ THE FIRST OF APRIL. IT was the first day of April, and a lovely morning, as Alfred was strolling slowly to school. In the distance he saw Cox and King talking earnestly together, and as he came near they took out some coppers and counted them. Since the boat accident they had been less unfriendly, and often walked to school with him.
“Davidson,” said King, “I wish you would just get us something from Mr. Cottenham’s; there’s a good fellow. Here’s a piece of paper with the names of the things written down, so [24] you need only give it to him. Here’s threepence to pay for them. ”

“ The master held up a page of answers, evidently torn out of an arithmetic book, which had all the answers at the back.
“You have been squaring your sums so as to make the answers right. I can understand now why you helped Cox, and why he sent that note asking for your help again. I thought that he alone was to blame in the matter, but this makes me change my opinion. Where do you suppose I found this sheet of answers?”
Alfred did not reply, as he was too much frightened and surprised.
[58] “Leave off crying!” said Mr. Harmer angrily. “Your tears will not save you. ”

“ Mr. Cottenham enjoyed a joke as much as anyone, and nothing pleased him more than to turn a joke against those who tried to victimize others. He gave Alfred some nice jujubes, saying that that was the best form of strap-oil for taking. Then he got a small bottle, and put something into it which smelt like very strong onions, and to this he added some liquid like water, also with a very strong odour. Then all the liquid became milky. ”

“ When his mother used to tell him to practise an hour twice a day, instead of grumbling and doing it very badly he did his best, and he was glad now that he had done so, as Mr. Harmer said he might play on the school harmonium if he liked, and he would help him. Mr. Harmer also was a very good organist; he had sometimes played the organ when Dr. Phillips was away, or conducting an orchestra. ”

“ Cottenham,” said the dean to Steve. “King, close the window, so that the bird cannot fly away.”
[89] Away ran Steve as fast as he could, and in less than five minutes he was at Mr. Cottenham’s.
“If you please, sir,” he exclaimed, breathless, “your parrot is in our school-room!”
“What, Steve,” said Mr. Cottenham, “is my Polly up there? I will come back with you at once and get it.”
[90] As they walked to the school, Steve related the amusing little scene with the dean. He could enjoy the joke now.
“I am very sorry, sir,” said Mr. Cottenham to the dean, “for the had behaviour of my parrot.” ”

“ Alfred answered the questions put to him sufficiently well to be placed in the first division.
“I hope, Davidson, you will work well, so that I may be able to keep you in this division. If not, of course I shall put you down into the second. You can go back to your seat again.”
Walter Parker assisted Mr. Harmer by taking the youngest and the most backward boys. Herbert King was his equal as far as knowledge went, but the master had chosen Walter in preference to King, as he was more patient and careful in the work. ”

“ A man caught him and beat him, and when the boy told King of it he only laughed at him.”
“The boy is Francis Day; you know him, Alfred, he sits opposite you,” said Walter.
[42] “Yes; he is a very quiet boy, isn’t he? He always does his work well.”
While they were in school, Alfred forgot all about King and Cox, and worked well at his tasks. Cox sat close to him, and was doing some sums. He did the same as Alfred, and seemed to be quite as hard at work.
Dr. Phillips entered.
“Mr. Harmer,” he said, “can you spare, for a few minutes, two of the boys?” ”

“ Mr. Young soon joined them, and gave King and Stephen each a bag of torn paper. Off they started, crossing the bridge and making for a wood which lay in the direction of Brangton, about a mile from the cathedral. Brangton was a pretty village, with a railway-station, about five miles away.
Mr. Harmer took three very small boys with him by rail.
“Now, boys,” said Mr. Young, as the cathedral clock struck, “it is time for us to start.”
Cox and Walter led the boys, while Mr. Young, who could walk and run well, came with the others. Alfred trotted well and soon came up with Walter. ”

“ Lightning always strikes the highest object, or one which is a good conductor.”
“What is that, sir?”
“A good conductor is something, Alfred, through which electricity can easily pass. For instance, glass will not let electricity pass through it, but wire, whether it is copper or iron, will readily conduct it. You know that lightning is electricity from the clouds.”
“Yes, sir,” said Steve, who wished him to [38] continue the tale, not being so desirous of gaining knowledge as his younger friend.
“Let me see; what was I saying?” observed Mr. Cottenham. ”

“ When Alfred returned to the school after his holiday at home, he was told to come at five o’clock, after the service, to the cathedral library. No one had said a word to him of what was intended, and great was his surprise when he saw the large room crowded with people. Walter and Steve took charge of him. All the [109] choir were there, and the clergy as well. Mr. Cottenham occupied a place on the platform, and the dean delivered a short address on the gallant rescue of a school-fellow by Alfred Davidson.
“Alfred,” said Walter, “you have to go up and [110] receive a medal. ”