Walter Aimwell

“ There were few representatives of the better class of the population to be seen; but that marvel of laziness, old ’Siah Stebbins, was there, leaning against a fence, with his hands in his 141pockets; and so was Gavett, the man who once served three months in the county jail for stealing wood; and so were poor Silly John, the pauper, and Tim Hallard, the drunkard, and Dick Adams, the loafer par excellence, and little Bob Gooden, swaggering about with a cigar in his mouth, and Sam Hapley, swearing faster than ever, and his brother Henry, eagerly taking lessons in vice. ”

“ The warmer the air, the more water it will hold. In the tropics, where they have such fierce heats, the air is always full of moisture, and the plants draw it out by means of their large leaves, and so they manage to flourish the year round, although they have no rain or even clouds for months in succession. It is so with us, on a very sultry day,—there is more water than usual in the air, at such a time, although we cannot see it. Now, Kate, can you explain why this vapor which heat produces, flies away to the region of the clouds? ”

“ But when the appetites and passions are the ruled, and not the rulers, they may be compared to the same steed, tamed and docile, bridled and saddled, and ready to do your bidding. Mazeppa, it is true, had the good fortune to survive the painful ordeal, and lived to become a prince; but we think few would be willing to run such a race, even for such a prize, except upon the wild horses of their own ungovernable passions. ”

“ We generally have all the rain we want, and it is given to us a little at a time, as we need it. This is better for us and for vegetation than to have all our rain fall in two months of the year, and then to have three or four times as much as we really need.”
“Then why doesn’t God make it rain so every where, if that way is best?” inquired Ronald.
“For wise and good reasons, no doubt,” replied Aunt Fanny. “What is best for the temperate zones may not be best for the tropics. ”

“ Otis seemed to be trying to interpret to himself this enigmatical language, but did not appear inclined to ask any more questions.
“For instance,” added Marcus, after a brief pause, “when you see a boy rude or unkind towards his sister, when there is no provocation, you may conclude that he has a veil or something else over his eyes; for if he could see plainly how such conduct looks to other people’s eyes, he would not indulge in it.” ”

“ But Abby Leonard declares that she wont associate with her. She says she hates to see a poor girl all the time ‘trying to be somebody.’”
“I am afraid Abby is not so wise as she might be, if she has enjoyed the advantages of city society,” observed Marcus.
“Do you know what she does to make herself look pale and slender?” inquired Kate. “She eats chalk, and slate pencils, and drinks lots of vinegar. She advised me to try it, because I’m so plump. She thinks it doesn’t look interesting and genteel, to be fat.” ”

“ Page; “and therefore I must act according to my own judgment.”
“I don’t see what harm there could be in our going just once,” remarked Kate.
“We ought not to go to an improper place even ‘just once,’” replied Mrs. Page. “Circus performers are generally a low class of men and women; their entertainments are low and degrading; and the dregs of the community usually gather around them. Those are the reasons why I do not wish you to go to such a place.”
“You’ve been to the circus, haven’t you, Oscar?” inquired Ronald.
“Yes, I have been a good many times,” replied Oscar. ”

“ Upton. “There may be other lawful motives for studying hard, such as a wish to please our parents and friends, or to better our condition in the world, or to gratify our own tastes; but the noblest and purest motive is that which Miss Hapley has given—knowledge is a good thing in itself, and is a mighty power for good, in the hands of one who aims to serve God and bless the world. ”

“ I am afraid you are getting along too easily at school.”
“Why, I think our lessons are pretty hard,” replied Ronald, somewhat surprised.
“They are hard enough for most of your class, but you learn so readily that I shall have to give you some extra tasks,” added Marcus.
“I don’t think that is fair,” replied Ronald. “If I get all the lessons that the others do, I should think that is enough.”
“If your lessons are so easy that you learn them without much effort,” continued Marcus, “you are missing the real end of going to school. ”

“ Grandpa said he would give you a home; Henry can get a chance to live with some farmer, and work for his 290board and clothes; Sam can earn his living, if he chooses to; and as for me, I will go to some factory town and work in a mill, and in a little time I shall be able to support you, as well as myself.”
“And give up your hope of becoming a teacher?” inquired her mother.
“Perhaps not,” replied Jessie. “I may be able to fit myself for teaching, even in a mill. Girls have done such things, and why not I?”
“But I never can let you go off alone into a factory,” said Mrs. Hapley. ”

“ Strictly speaking, these agents may be reduced to two; for the wind is only air in motion, and cold is not a substance, but merely the absence of heat, as darkness is the absence of light.
“How does the cold make the rain fall?” inquired Ronald.
“It contracts the air,” replied Marcus, “and the vapor is consequently condensed, or crowded together, so that its particles unite and form drops of rain, which are heavier than the air, and fall to the earth. As I said before, the atmosphere may be compared to a sponge, which holds a certain quantity of water, in minute particles. ”

“ This administrator was a kind-hearted man named Allen, who had always shown himself very friendly to Mrs. Hapley. It seemed Mr. Allen had called upon her, that afternoon, to talk about her husband’s affairs. There was, he said, but little more than sufficient property to pay off the mortgages. He advised her, therefore, to give up the farm, to sell all the personal property they could dispense with, and to find homes for herself and children elsewhere. The children, he said, were all old enough to support themselves, and she need have no one but herself to look out for. ”

“ Head.—Well, as I was saying, we have passed through the fiery trial of another examination, and the magnificent series of prizes—the total cost of which to our beloved teacher, as I learn from good authority, could not have been less than one dollar and twenty-five cents—have all been awarded. As is apt to be the case, I believe, on such occasions, some three or four scholars who are supposed to be brighter than their fellows, have carried away all the prizes, leaving absolutely nothing for the great body of the school. ”

“ Oscar finished his work and lessons as early as possible, in the afternoon, and then quietly slipped away from home, without the knowledge of any one. He turned his steps towards the village, where the circus was encamped. He wished merely to see what was going on, and did not intend to venture within the tent, since his aunt was so strongly opposed to such places of amusement. On reaching the circus grounds, he found a motley crowd assembled, composed chiefly of young men and half-grown boys, with a sprinkling of women and young children. ”

“ I should think they would be all washed away,” said Kate.
“No,” said Marcus, “it isn’t so bad as it seems. It is soon over with, and they have more pleasant days in the year than we do. I suppose they pity us because we have so many stormy days, and yet get so little rain after all. Besides, they know about when their rainy days are coming, and can be prepared for them.”
“But, after all,” said Aunt Fanny, “I think our arrangement of the weather is best, if it does sometimes interfere with our plans. ”

“ Under the kind and forbearing yet firm treatment he had received from Marcus, his feelings now began to relent, somewhat, and, despite the mitigating circumstances in the 150case, which he had not explained to any one, he felt some reproaches of conscience for the course he had pursued. On Saturday afternoon, he half resolved to acknowledge his fault to Marcus, freely and frankly, and ask forgiveness; but when the opportunity came to do so, a false pride overcame the better promptings of his heart, and stifled the words that were trembling on his lips. ”

“ Benham.
“I did it on purpose, because I didn’t want to take the prize,” sobbed the boy.
“That is a very singular reason—I hope you will not tell me any more untruths about the matter,” replied the teacher, mildly, a shade of anxiety flitting across her face.
168“It is nothing but the truth, as true as I’m alive,” continued Lewis; “I didn’t want to get the prize away from Ronald—that’s why I did it.”
“That was very generous in you, if you are telling the truth,” replied the teacher; “but was it just to yourself? If you fairly earned the prize, why should you give it up to another?” ”

“ For the present you must be ready for anything, in an emergency; we will be able, by and by, to systematize the work a little better, so that you needn’t rob Ronald or me of our shares.”
“No danger of that, I guess!” said Oscar, with a laugh.
“I don’t know about that,” continued Marcus. “We don’t have a very great amount of out-door work in the fall and winter, and with three pairs of hands to divide it amongst, I’m afraid we may not all get our share, if we don’t have an understanding about it. There’s one department, however, that you shall have the sole charge of. Come this way.” ”

“ Most of the missives exchanged between the members of the society, were brief notes, a few specimens of which are given:
“Marcus Page, Esq.—Dear Sir,—I propose that we take the hay-cart, Saturday afternoon, and all hands go off after nuts. What say you to the plan?
“Yours truly, Otis.
“Oct. 25th.”
“O, fie, Ronald! how could you say, ‘I intended to have wrote!’ It is perfectly barbarous. ‘I intended to have written,’ is what you should have said. ‘I got my lessons’ is bad, too; you mean you learned your lessons. ”

“ You are all writing for the “Wreath,” but not a soul of you has asked me to contribute to your interesting paper. Why is this? Have I not heard some of you say that I know as much as many human bipeds of the same age? Don’t I understand almost everything that you say to me? And if I only could talk, wouldn’t I rattle away as fast as any of you? I bet I would. If I don’t talk, it isn’t because I’ve got no ideas, depend on that. But you see I can write, although perhaps you did not know it. But fearing I am an intruder, I will stop.
Rover.
For the Wreath.
The Snow. Hurrah! ”

“ Moreover, the brighter scholars of the class are indebted to you not a little for their brilliancy, like the stars at night, which owe much of their beauty to the dark background. But the chief comfort and satisfaction of your life must be the thought that many of the greatest men the world has produced have been very dull and stupid boys. It is said that the bright boys of the school and the college are seldom heard from, when they become men. ”

“ Our grave and reverend seigniors have set in solemn inquisition over us, to their hearts’ content. They have weighed us, and gauged us, and tested us, and dissected and analyzed us, till we feel as if they had found out about all we know, besides some things that we don’t know. ”

“ The ability and success with which you discharged the arduous duties of the preceptor for several weeks, during his illness, the fidelity with which you have labored through the term in your own sphere, the gentle and patient spirit with which you have borne the many short-comings and provocations of those of us who have been more immediately under your charge, and the firm yet always kind manner in which you have led us on in our studies, and restrained us in our errors, have made an impression on our hearts which time will not efface. ”

“ Hapley was barely sufficient to pay his debts; and as most of it was mortgaged, very little remained for the family. Notwithstanding these reverses, Jessie continued to attend the academy, and was still “trying to be somebody,” as Abby Leonard contemptuously expressed it, though that young lady, it should be added, now manifested something like pity for the heart-stricken girl. And in spite of the drawbacks to which she had been subjected, Jessie maintained a high rank in her class, winning the respect alike of teachers and scholars, as she also did their sympathy and good-will. ”

“ It is not the chief aim of education to give a child a smattering of knowledge, but the object should be to discipline his mind, and that cannot be done without real tasks—lessons that will make him study hard, and think closely. He needs something to rouse him to exertion, and then he will begin to find out what his powers are. I think I shall let you study book-keeping and algebra, with the third class, in addition to your other lessons.”
“Well, if you think best, I will try it,” said Ronald.
219“I have another reason for this,” added Marcus. “You have too many idle moments, now. ”

“ The air which arises from it is so scorching hot, that it burns up, as it were, the clouds of rain that blow towards it from the Mediterranean, as soon as they come within its reach. There are several other deserts in Africa, and in North and South America. Some of these are cut off from their supply of rain by mountains. When the clouds come in contact with a chain of high mountains, they are driven up their sides, into a colder region, and the vapor is pretty thoroughly wrung out of them. ”