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-The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Climbers, by Lizzie Bates
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
-will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
-using this eBook.
-
-Title: The Climbers
-
-Author: Lizzie Bates
-
-Release Date: April 10, 2022 [eBook #67809]
-
-Language: English
-
-Produced by: Juliet Sutherland, David E. Brown, and the Online
-             Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
-
-*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIMBERS ***
-
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-  THE CLIMBERS.
-
-  [Illustration]
-
-  PUBLISHED BY THE
-  AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY
-  150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK.
-
-
-
-
-ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by the AMERICAN
-TRACT SOCIETY, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the
-United States for the Southern District of New York.
-
-
-
-
-THE CLIMBERS
-
-
-
-
-I.
-
-
-“It’s of no use, and what’s more, I don’t believe it’s right,” said Mr.
-Jeffries, “this filling every boy’s head with thoughts of rising in
-the world. It looks all very well in books; but is quite a different
-thing in reality. I tell you what, it’s doing a mighty deal of damage
-in the world. Why, it’s almost impossible for anybody that wants help
-to get any of the right sort. Once find a boy that has any grit in him,
-and he’s off as soon as he can scrape up enough money to go to school
-with. There’s that stable-boy of mine, as good a little fellow as I’d
-ever care to have; but in the room of playing like other boys, when he
-has a moment’s leisure, he’s off to the barn with a book in his hand.
-I’ve told him many a time ’twould be the ruin of him; but he seems
-to take to it as naturally as a duck does to water;” and the little
-hotel-keeper looked around complacently.
-
-“I thought that was the very spirit that was commendable in this
-country, Mr. Jeffries,” said I, turning my gaze from the mountain
-towering above us to the face of my host. “Hope is the grand incentive
-to the American boy, the hope of knowing more, and doing better for
-himself and others, than his father and grandfather did before him.
-Look around you and see who are the men of the present; ten to one they
-are poor men’s sons. They felt that they could do something, and they
-accomplished it.”
-
-“It looks all fair, I allow; but the thing is carried too far; it
-makes them discontented and unsteady, changing from one thing to
-another. In my opinion, if you want to make any thing in the world, you
-must stick to one thing. It is an old saying, ‘A rolling stone gathers
-no moss.’”
-
-“True; but may not these poor boys have a higher aim and purpose, and
-carry it out quite as effectually as if it required no changes? Your
-stable-boy may have mapped out, vaguely perhaps, his future, and to
-reach it must make use of such stepping-stones as come within his
-reach. He does his work well, does he not?”
-
-“Oh, there’s nothing to say against him, only I don’t like to see him
-always reading; he can’t go by a newspaper--and my wife keeps them hung
-up by the side of the roller--without stopping for a bit, catching as
-a hungry horse does at a spear of grass or hay that comes within his
-reach. I give him pretty good wages for a boy, and the women folks
-patch up his clothes and see that he has plenty to eat. It seems to me
-that he ought to be contented and happy, with jests and frolic like the
-rest, in the room of being shut up with his book. And then, to cap all,
-I went into the barn the other day, and there he was perched up on the
-haymow, talking away and making gestures just as the parson does. I
-could not keep from laughing, and he came down and skulked away looking
-sheepish enough.”
-
-“You have interested me in this boy, Mr. Jeffries. Who, and what is he?
-Where did you find him?”
-
-“Oh, his father lives up among the mountains, a thriftless, good for
-nothing creature, who spends all his earnings in whiskey. The mother
-was a delicate ladylike woman; my wife thought a heap of her; and when
-she died, she made us both promise to look after her children.”
-
-Just then a showy carriage was driven round from the stable, and
-a sprightly lad jumped quickly down, and stood holding the lines
-respectfully while the owner made ready to start. He was a tall, slight
-young man, whom I had noticed in the hotel as excessively talkative,
-flush with his money, drinking and smoking freely, and interlarding his
-conversation with now and then an oath. He came out with a swagger,
-followed by a little crowd of idlers. Mr. Jeffries broke off the thread
-of conversation, giving the hand of his guest a prolonged shake.
-
-“Always glad to see you when you come this way, Robinson; you will
-always find the bar just the same; I never keep any thing but the best.”
-
-“That’s a fact; the best mint julep I’ve had in a long time.”
-
-While the leave-taking was going on, I was eagerly scanning the face of
-the stable-boy. My heart ached for him as he stood there, the little
-torn straw hat just covering the mass of dark hair, that had apparently
-not seen a comb for days, the great heavy locks clustering over a broad
-well-formed forehead, above delicately curved eyebrows with long brown
-lashes. But the eyes were hidden; I could only imagine what they must
-be from the profile of the face, the straight nose, somewhat deep upper
-lip, and well-turned chin. Still and straight he stood, and almost as
-motionless as though carved out of marble: yet not a dead, passive
-statue; his very stillness had a life in it, just as the framework of
-machinery is still while the movable parts are running swift as thought
-can follow.
-
-Down the steps and into the buggy the young gentleman passed, and as
-the lines were handed him he tossed a silver coin to the stable-boy,
-but so carelessly that it glanced from his shoulder, rolled across the
-porch and down a crack in the floor before he could stop it.
-
-“It’s gone, Marston; better luck next time,” said Mr. Jeffries with a
-patronizing air. The boy bit his lips, while the eyelids quivered, and
-turning on his heel was out of sight in an instant.
-
-It was not in my heart to talk any more. Life was new to me; I was
-myself trying to make my way upward in character and life. Just
-through college, my health failed, and I was told to try mountain air
-and exercise. My meagre purse would not allow of my gratifying my
-benevolent feelings, and still every day there were just such cases
-occurring. “Work yourself out” had been my motto. No doubt Marston Howe
-would adopt the same. A rough, thorny way he will find; the feet will
-become weary, the hands torn and bleeding; still, if he wills he will
-succeed. It is better to wear out than to rust out; better be a climber
-than a cumberer; and though we seem never fully to attain our desires,
-let not the heart grow bitter and misanthropic, moody and uncharitable.
-Success is sure if we try for it. Let me whisper this to Marston Howe,
-and I have then done him all the good I can. Looking up I saw the
-doctor’s buggy coming slowly round the curve of the mountain, and a
-moment after it drew up, while a kindly face looked out. “How is this
-invalid of mine? Almost ready to go home?”
-
-“Nearly ready, doctor,” and my eye caught sight of the stable-boy with
-his pail of water for the doctor’s horse.
-
-“That’s right, Marston,” said Mr. Jeffries; “the doctor’s horse don’t
-like to pass here without something,” but the doctor did not notice
-the hint.
-
-“You are fond of books,” I said to Marston as he held the pail for the
-horse to drink; “I have one in my pocket which I think will please you.
-It is called ‘Self Helps,’ and will show you how others have worked and
-struggled to become good and useful men. I hope that is what you wish
-to do.”
-
-“I shall try for it,” he answered in a clear tone, while his grey eye
-brightened as he grasped the book. “Aim to do right, Marston, and what
-you do, do well; perhaps we shall meet again.”
-
-Quick as an arrow he bounded round the corner, and the doctor’s pony
-trotted leisurely down the mountain with us.
-
-It had been a glorious afternoon, and I had taken a longer stroll than
-usual; resting at the little mountain house, while the doctor visited
-a patient further up the mountain.
-
-“Do you know any thing of Marston’s family, doctor?” asked I, when we
-finished what we had to say of the immediate landscape.
-
-“Not much. The mother was a well-educated gentlewoman, above the
-majority in these parts; she died soon after I came here, and her
-husband soon married a real vixen. They say he spent every thing in
-whiskey after that, and these two children, Marston and Jennie, live
-with Mr. Jeffries, a good-natured man in his way, but mightily puffed
-up with his success in that hotel. He has a good many boarders in
-summer, and is making a great deal of money.”
-
-By this time pony had struck into a quicker pace; the road was more
-familiar, or he scented the corn crib, and his master let him have the
-rein.
-
-The next day I left the mountains, but not without a thought of Marston
-Howe, and an earnest wish that he might succeed.
-
-Poor, and dependent on his own labor, there was something in his case
-that reminded me strangely of my own; and more than once I felt my
-heart throb with a quicker beat as I thought of what might be in store
-for him, had he the courage ever to undertake what I saw from his look
-he so earnestly craved.
-
-Still, with constant effort, untiring self-denial, and inflexible
-purpose, the height might be won. The germs of the future harvest must
-be planted before it can be gathered in. Slow and difficult might be
-the ascent, and many a time the feet might falter in the way, and the
-heart well-nigh break, while weakness, prejudice, and passion hinder
-the progress of the eager soul.
-
-One look to God, however, and obstacles vanish, doubts dissolve. His
-strength is never denied those that ask him. Marston Howe’s mother was
-a Christian. His cradle was consecrated by her prayers, and the little
-son she left behind her was still the object of divine love and care.
-Such thoughts comforted me. He must go up through the narrow defile
-of labor, the rocky strait of necessity; but he will overcome: the
-mother’s prayers will not be lost.
-
-Years have passed since that summer day: we have both been climbers;
-both began at the same level, the only difference being that I had the
-start by some half a score of years; difference enough when starting
-in the race, but hardly perceptible when standing, as we both now do,
-nearer the top than the bottom of the ladder.
-
-Last summer I again met with Marston Howe; and for the sake of the
-climbers who have suffered and striven, and of others who are still
-suffering and striving, I am induced to tell his story as nearly as he
-told me as I can well remember it.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-II.
-
-
-Of my early life I cannot remember much before we went to the
-mountains, and still I have always had a vague remembrance of a
-pleasant home surrounded with tall trees, a fountain bubbling up and
-catching the sun’s rays in a thousand bewildering forms, sweet flowers,
-and singing birds; while in my own little room there was a curious
-round glass with rock and moss at the bottom, where the gold fish
-flashed their beauty through the crystal water. Then there were days
-indistinct and shadowy, when the glory and beauty had gone, where I
-hardly knew, and we had another home--my mother, Jennie, and I.
-
-My father I had seldom seen, and now I saw less of him than before. I
-did not so much wonder, for it was not home to me, that little brown
-house perched like a bird’s nest on the shelf of the mountain. I did
-not like it, and often used to ask my mother why we were there. She
-never used to answer me; but putting her arm around me drew me closely
-to her, kissing me over and over again, while the tears fell on my
-face, but saying nothing.
-
-It was not so with Jennie, the pretty golden-haired baby that I used
-to rock in a nice little crib in our first home. Then we had pretty
-carpeted floors, and I could ride my pony all day in a room made on
-purpose to play in.
-
-But when I grew older I saw it all, and understood why my mother
-pressed me to her heart and wept. I then knew what made my father
-reel and stagger so as he came up the path; and why, when Jennie put
-up her hands, and crowed out her evening welcome, he took no notice
-of her, and one night came very near crushing the little creature as
-he fell over the threshold. Oh, sad, sad days, when he was so cross,
-declaring the house was cold and cheerless, or the rooms were so bare
-of comfort--when he went to the village at the foot of the hills every
-morning, and if he did not come back at night, mother took Jennie in
-her arms, and we went after him.
-
-In this way we lived till Jennie was five years old; then mother grew
-sick, and for days lay on the bed so white and still, Jennie curling up
-beside her, putting her little chubby cheek close to the thin pallid
-one, while I dug up raspberry roots and boiled them into broth for
-mother and the baby to eat.
-
-One day she spoke less frequently; I thought she was asleep, and walked
-about very carefully so as not to wake her: at length she looked
-up, beckoned me to her, put her arms about my neck, and kissed me.
-“Whatever happens,” she said, “you must be a good boy, Marston. You are
-now almost ten years old; you will take good care of Jennie, and never
-let her leave you.”
-
-“I will, mother; but what makes you talk so?” and I cried aloud in
-grief and fear.
-
-“I am very sick, Marston, and I may die. If I do, you will take care of
-Jennie; promise me.”
-
-“Yes, mother; but you will not die. God must not--”
-
-“Hush, my son; God knows what is best; you will always remember to love
-and obey Him.”
-
-“How can I, mother, if he takes you? You are all we have in the world.
-What will Jennie and I do without you? No, mother, if he is good, he
-will not do this;” and I buried my face in the pillows. My poor sick
-mother put her thin arms about my neck, and drew me still nearer, her
-hot cheek meeting mine.
-
-“God _is_ good, my child, and still I must leave you. Mother would not
-tell you any thing that was not so. You believe me, Marston?”
-
-“I believe you, mother,” I cried passionately, “but I cannot let you
-go; if you go, I must go with you.”
-
-“No, Marston, you must stay to take care of Jennie and your father.
-Jennie is such a little girl, what would become of her without you?”
-
-“Will it make you happier, mother, if I take care of Jennie?” and I
-kissed her white cheeks again and again.
-
-“Yes, my son, I shall be very happy if you will promise to be a good
-boy, and take care of your little sister for Christ and for me.”
-
-“I will promise; I will be good, mother,” and my tears were dried.
-
-Invested with a new dignity as the protector of my little sister, I
-must be a man; and I took up Jennie and fed her from the one little
-china bowl that remained to us of our old home.
-
-Weary with the effort of talking, my mother fell asleep, looking
-so calm and placid; while I rocked the baby, and watched her quiet
-breathing.
-
-Presently a neighbor came in, and bending over the bed asked how long
-she had been sick.
-
-“Two weeks,” I answered.
-
-“Poor thing; why didn’t she send for the doctor?”
-
-“She thought she should be better soon,” I replied, laying Jennie down
-on the foot of the bed; and going softly to my mother, I gently kissed
-the pale forehead.
-
-“Marston, promise,” and she opened her eyes.
-
-“I do, I will, mother.”
-
-“Dear me, Mrs. Howe, why did you not send for me? your husband told me
-this morning that you were sick; and as soon as we had dinner, I came
-right up.”
-
-“I knew there was no help for me. If it was not for leaving my
-children--”
-
-“Don’t be troubled, Mrs. Howe. It isn’t much that I have, but such as
-it is they shall have a part.”
-
-Slowly the sun went down, and as the darkness rolled up the mountain
-father came home. He was steadier than usual, and for the first time
-he seemed sorry that mother was sick; took her hand kindly in his, and
-bent over the pillow and kissed her.
-
-“Only get well, Mary, and I will stay at home always.” It was all he
-could say, the tears choked him.
-
-“I am very sick, Robert. You will do this for the children,” and her
-eyes closed.
-
-All night the two watched by her bed, Mrs. Jeffries and father; while
-Jennie nestled in my arms, occasionally putting up her mouth for a
-kiss, thinking it was mother.
-
-I lived an age in that night, and how many resolves I formed and plans
-laid of what I would do, and how I would care for that one little
-sister.
-
-Alas, I had to learn that he who wins must walk through rough places;
-that the sweet rest for which we long is only given to those who have
-been prompt in duty, resolute against temptation, strong in faith,
-patient in the hour of trial. Alas for the weary feet that must walk
-through the world without a mother’s guidance.
-
-Before morning Jennie and I were alone, while my poor father was
-stricken into soberness.
-
-Three months passed. My father was much steadier, stayed more at home,
-and was no longer cross and overbearing; for hours would he read to us,
-then taking Jennie on his knee, sing her to sleep.
-
-“If mother could only see him,” I said frequently to myself. I had not
-known he was so handsome, for he kept himself much better, and looked
-like a new man. Then at night he would put us in bed, and sometimes
-sit down by himself, or go out looking so good and happy; I did not
-understand it.
-
-One day I had been down to Mrs. Jeffries with Jennie, and Mr. Jeffries
-asked me what I would think if my father gave me a new mother. I told
-him that could not be; we could not have but one mother, and our mother
-was dead.
-
-“But what if your father marries again?”
-
-I went home in tears. Cheerless as our home was, I could not bear that
-another should enter it. It was no place for a good woman to come, and
-I felt it so. It was not long, however, before I found the reality of
-what I feared. My father, on the strength of his good looks, married a
-pretty, showily dressed woman, and brought her to our mountain home.
-Very kindly he introduced us; but she did not so much as kiss either of
-us. I grew indignant, and could have darted out of the house, but for
-my remembered promise to my mother.
-
-A year, and she had turned us out, while a baby of her own nestled in
-her arms, and our father was nearly as bad as ever. Jennie had always
-been a delicate little thing, or my new mother would not so readily
-have parted with her. But my father, with all his waywardness, always
-said to her that we should not be parted.
-
-We knew no one but Mrs. Jeffries, and she kindly consented to take us
-in; while her husband allowed me to hold the horses, and after a time
-to drive them to and from the stable.
-
-In this way I gained something. The first winter I was there I went to
-school eighteen days; not enough to learn much, and still enough to
-give me a thirst for more. The schoolmaster was a lame man that lived
-near the school-house, and directly on my way.
-
-Thin and scant my clothes were, and I used sometimes to go in and warm
-myself. What a different atmosphere pervaded his home: his mother, a
-sweet woman, with soft braids of still brown hair about her face, while
-her mild blue eyes reminded me of my own mother, and not unfrequently
-the tears would start as she inquired kindly for my little sister.
-
-Charles Brisbane was to be a clergyman; and when he read and prayed
-with us every morning, it seemed the easiest thing in the world to
-be good, and I wondered why my father had not been just such another
-good man. And when at the close of the day he talked to us of the dear
-Saviour, who came down to earth, took upon himself our nature, suffered
-and died to redeem us, I resolved that I would love and trust and serve
-him; and then I thought he would take care of Jennie and me, and make
-my father a sober man. Then I used to shut my eyes, and dream all sorts
-of pleasant things, longing for a world where the people loved each
-other and did right, and where death would never come.
-
-My dear mother seemed to be very near me whenever Charles Brisbane was
-talking; and when I went back to Mr. Jeffries’ it did not seem so hard
-to do the little errands that were always ready for me.
-
-Jennie was beginning to do something for Mrs. Jeffries, who herself
-took the lead in her own house-work; and of course could not be
-expected to do more for us than to see that we had plenty to eat, were
-tidy, and not actually ragged.
-
-I remember stopping one day at Mr. Brisbane’s, and how I longed to be
-able to go to school regularly; and could not but say this in rather a
-fretful mood.
-
-“I am sorry that you cannot come, Marston; but remember that you can
-learn, wherever you are.”
-
-“How so?” said I.
-
-“By reading and studying at home. Improve all your time; always have a
-book in your pocket or on a shelf near you.”
-
-“But I have no books.”
-
-“I am going to give you some. Here is the Geography you studied at
-school, and your Arithmetic. True, you are just commencing, but with
-occasional help, I have no doubt you will get on finely. Come to school
-when you can; but when kept at home by Mr. Jeffries, do not fret over
-it. Do your work faithfully, and look forward. God helps those who help
-themselves. He will not leave you, my boy.”
-
-How strong and happy I felt as I climbed up the hill-side to Mr.
-Jeffries’ house. I forgot the dark, cold mornings when I had to rise
-at four o’clock, and make paths through the snow; and help feed the
-stock and see to the horses, the poor patient brutes waiting until an
-opening could be made in the trough, or the snow melted. Then there
-were pigs to feed, and corn to shell for the poultry, and the kitchen
-to sweep; and by the time I had done it was nearly noon, and too late
-for school that day. And Jennie would climb up into my lap, and tell me
-not to cry; and I would read my Geography to her very much as, the last
-summer, I had read Jack the Giant Killer, Babes in the Wood, Robinson
-Crusoe, and Sinbad the Sailor; her blue eyes looking up wonderingly as
-she nestled still closer, laying her white velvet cheek to my brown one.
-
-Dear little comforter, much as I loved her, my heart rebelled not
-a little at the loss of school-hours. Still I did not forget Mr.
-Brisbane’s words, so that I neither cried nor murmured outwardly,
-studying every moment I could get, and repeating my lesson aloud to
-Jennie, who in her turn began to study geography, and to make figures
-on my slate.
-
-My writing lesson I suffered the most in. But Mrs. Jeffries had a
-sister that visited her occasionally, and when there, Miss Grimshaw
-condescended to set me copies; so that between my duties at home, Mr.
-Brisbane, and Miss Grimshaw, I made considerable advancement.
-
-Mr. Jeffries scolded not a little whenever he saw my books, and one day
-actually tossed them out of the window, where Molly the cook rescued
-them from a mischievous puppy, minus one of the covers. I could have
-cried over this; but the leaves were all there, and afterwards Mrs.
-Jeffries gave us two chairs and a little table in her linen closet;
-and as this was the tidiest place in the house, and above all, never
-entered save by Mrs. Jeffries, we were for a time uncommonly happy.
-
-While I had my books and a chair in the linen closet, Jennie had a
-few pots of geraniums and tea-roses that Mrs. Brisbane had sent her,
-and which she nurtured with great care. Never shall I forget the look
-of distress on the little face, when one morning she had watered them
-tenderly, taxing her strength not a little to set them where they
-would have all the benefit of the sun, watching them with delight,
-counting the buds on the rose-bush, and thinking of the little bouquets
-she would be sure to make, first for me and then for Mrs. Jeffries,
-putting one in Miss Grimshaw’s room by way of surprise. All at once Mr.
-Jeffries came through the room, and seeing the little girl idle for the
-moment, with one sweep of his hand landed the rose-bush in the middle
-of the yard, the stem broken and the opening buds torn. There was not a
-tear, not a word of complaint as she stole up to the linen closet and
-laid the ruined stem in my hands, hiding her face on my shoulder, and
-trembling like an aspen.
-
-“Who has done this, Jennie?” said I hurriedly, and in a passion.
-
-“Don’t be vexed at him; it was Mr. Jeffries. He’ll be sorry to-morrow.”
-
-“But this was yours; what right had he to touch it? I will go and ask
-him;” and I flung down my book and started up.
-
-“No, Marston, you must not anger him. It is all the home we have; and
-if you vex him, he may turn us away, or at least not let you have this
-nice little closet to study in.”
-
-There was something in Jennie’s philosophy that quieted me a little;
-and drawing her to my side, I tried first to command myself and then
-comfort her. Excited as the poor child was, she soon fell asleep; and
-not seeing any thing but the clean white linen in the room, I took off
-my coat and spread it on the floor, and laid her down. Accustomed to
-a hard bed, she did not waken. Try as I would, I could not study, but
-sat looking at the broken rose-bush and then at the thin, troubled face
-of the sleeper, the blue lids swollen, and the delicate veins plainly
-perceptible about the throbbing temples.
-
-“How could he do it? By what right deny this little child the only
-treasure she possessed?” and I was getting into a passion again, when
-Mrs. Jeffries entered.
-
-She read it all at a glance; went out and brought a quilt and a pillow
-for Jennie, and taking up the broken stalk, looked at the roots.
-
-“It will live. There is another pot, Marston, and if you will fill it
-with fresh mould, I will help you. Its beauty has gone for the present,
-but it will grow again.”
-
-I did not move or stir, my anger was too deep. She laid her hand on my
-shoulder, and kindly said, “You can’t be sorrier than I am, Marston.
-I saw it all: but you wont be angry; Mr. Jeffries will be sorry
-to-morrow.”
-
-“Just what Jennie said; but that wont help it.”
-
-“It may, Marston; at least it will not do any good to be angry about
-it. I know you wont, Marston.”
-
-“No, I will not be angry;” and at once I went to work filling the pot.
-Mrs. Jeffries cut off the broken part, put the buds the least injured
-in a little china vase filled with salt and water, and set them on a
-shelf in the little attic where Jennie slept. I did not see Jennie
-again till my work was done at night, when she said cheerily,
-
-“Mrs. Jeffries says it will grow again. It was very good of her, wasn’t
-it, Marston?” and she nestled by my side, and together we studied our
-geography.
-
-When the warm weather came, the schoolmaster and his mother went away,
-and we never saw them afterwards. When the June sun was glowing,
-and the soft winds wafted the fragrant breath of flowers up through
-the mountain gorges, Mr. Jeffries’ house was once more filled with
-visitors; and I was not unfrequently called upon to show some gentleman
-or lady the best views, as they were called, until I became familiar
-with the beauties and glories of nature, and felt their genial
-influence thrilling me with a new and indefinite pleasure.
-
-Sometimes I was brought face to face with the storm in the mountain
-passes, while thunder and lightning shook and vibrated through them,
-rolling slowly down the sides of the mountain and echoing along the
-valley in terrific grandeur.
-
-One day in the heat of summer a gentleman came up, saying to Mr.
-Jeffries that it was his intention to remain for a week; that he had
-come out of the city expressly for mountain air and scenery, and that
-he wished to make the best use of his time. His name was Kirby, and
-he had not been there a day before I felt that he was another Charles
-Brisbane--the same views, the same hopes, the same manner characterized
-them; and after my work was done in the morning, it was my privilege
-to join him in his rambles, provided I returned in time to have every
-thing in readiness for the night. What made this arrangement still
-pleasanter, Jennie was permitted to go with us whenever it was not too
-far, while Mr. Kirby would tell us stories of mountains over the sea.
-
-I remember, one evening, we were flinging our lines in a little brook
-that ran gurgling along through the green grass like a silver serpent,
-when Mr. Kirby told us of the Rosenlani glacier in such glowing
-language, that we seemed to see distinctly the pale sunshine dancing
-on its sharp peaks of frosted silver, its blue ice caverns, its fringe
-of firs, with hanging ledges of short crisp grass, and giant masses
-of grey rock, and the sudden shower of snow from falling avalanches.
-Then he unrolled a map, and pointed out the jagged pyramid of the
-Wetterhorn, and told us of the people that lived there; and by the time
-we returned, in season to have our trout for supper, we had learned
-more of the geography of Switzerland than we should have learned from
-poring over books for a long time.
-
-“To-morrow,” said Mr. Kirby, “we must go up to the highest point of the
-mountain. I am afraid my little Jennie must stay at home.”
-
-“Why so, Mr. Kirby?” and Jennie pressed to his side; “I like to be with
-you and Marston.”
-
-“I should like to have you go, but I am afraid it would make you sick;
-it will be a hard walk for us. If I give you a nice story to read, it
-will interest you quite as much; and when we come back, you shall tell
-us all about it. Besides, Miss Grimshaw is to teach you how to hem that
-new handkerchief. You will be contented to stay now, wont you?”
-
-“If you think it best,” and the long brown lashes drooped over the blue
-eyes.
-
-The next morning I was up earlier than usual; but not before Jennie,
-who insisted on sharing my labor, feeding the pigs, and then scattering
-corn to the poultry, and throwing wheat to the few pigeons that circled
-about the premises.
-
-“I do want to go with you,” she said as she kissed me good-by; but
-Mr. Kirby was there with the neatly bound book he had promised, and
-the tears were soon dried, Jennie looking the last look as she ran up
-to her attic to lay aside her treasure, till the moment when her work
-should be done and Mrs. Jeffries should give her permission to do what
-she pleased.
-
-“Shall you have patience to climb?” asked Mr. Kirby as we stood at the
-base of the tallest peak, its jagged sides covered with stunted shrubs
-and shelving rocks as far as the eye could reach, a veil of clouds and
-mist resting on the summit.
-
-“I shall like it exceedingly. You forget that I am accustomed to
-climbing.”
-
-“What was it that Miss Grimshaw called you and Jennie the other day?”
-
-“The Climbers.”
-
-“Yes, and the name rather pleased me,” continued Mr. Kirby. “Heights
-are to be won every day, and our stand-point to-day should be in
-advance of what it was yesterday. We are, or should be, all climbers,
-using every incident, occasion, and advantage as a stepping-stone to
-something better.”
-
-“I fear some of us are doing it at a snail’s pace; a lifetime of such
-climbing as mine would not amount to much.”
-
-“You remember the hare and the tortoise,” said Mr. Kirby, “and which
-won the race. The hare started off as some people would to go up this
-mountain; but he soon grew weary, and lay down to rest. The tortoise
-began as he could hold out, and the end justified his wisdom.” I now
-understood why Mr. Kirby was walking leisurely.
-
-“When I was a lad,” continued he, “I often visited my grandfather, who
-lived on a farm in the country. On one occasion he hired two men to
-work in the harvest-field. One man looked at the small field of wheat
-contemptuously, and declared it his opinion the job had better be given
-to one; he could do it all himself before sundown. Still my grandfather
-insisted on the two, and accordingly they began. One worked furiously,
-and at noon he was far in advance of his companion. As the hot hours
-passed his arm grew nerveless, his back felt as though it was broken,
-his limbs ached, and his head felt like bursting. Long before sundown
-he had to withdraw to the house of the farmer; while his companion,
-who had husbanded his strength, was left to finish the field alone.
-Patience when we commence is quite as needful in intellectual as in
-physical effort. The end of the race tells who wins.”
-
-“There is a good deal of consolation in that,” I ventured to remark.
-“Climbing hills I can easily do; but I am sometimes afraid that is the
-only climbing that will be allowed me.”
-
-“Not if you wish another. Obstacles vanish before a strong and resolute
-will.”
-
-“But circumstances, Mr. Kirby.”
-
-“Look behind you, Marston, and you will see that while walking and
-talking at our leisure, we have been advancing all the time, and have
-in reality made a very perceptible ascent. The valley looks like a
-green thread, and the few buildings that we see like pigeon-houses.”
-
-“Yes, indeed; we get along better than I expected. We’ve been steadily
-at it, that’s all.”
-
-“That is it, Marston, steadily at it. Perseverance is sure, sooner or
-later, to overcome.”
-
-“And if we have a plan, and steadily follow it, shall we succeed?” I
-asked.
-
-“Almost sure to do so; not by one endeavor, not by two, but by years of
-perpetual toil and labor. Climbers have more to contend with than those
-who sit still in the valley. Do you begin to weary, Marston?”
-
-“Oh no; but the path is much rougher, and I slip backward instead of
-getting forward.”
-
-“Now you see why I took this staff tipped with a sharp iron. It will
-help us when the way is slippery. Give me your hand; it is hard work,
-but nothing good is achieved without labor.”
-
-At length we reached a cliff which, projecting boldly into our path,
-rose like a dark grey wall to bar our advance.
-
-“What shall we do now?” I asked; “go back?”
-
-“Never do that, unless you are out of the way,” said Mr. Kirby. “We
-must get up just as we have come so far, by climbing. But it is so
-steep on this side, we shall have to go round.” After a short pause
-to ascertain the most favorable point, Mr. Kirby with his iron-tipped
-staff proceeded to put his advice into practice. Each step was
-carefully taken, another, and another; while, as we advanced, helps
-arose on all sides: here was a twig, there a rock, and there a secure
-place for the feet; and without any great fatigue, and almost before we
-were aware, we stood on the top of the enormous mass that but a short
-time before had loomed up threateningly.
-
-“You see where we are,” said Mr. Kirby. “Remember, and never give up
-when you undertake any thing. Stop only sufficiently long to make sure
-of the way, and then advance, one step at a time. You see here how
-clearly one step prepares the way for another; so it will ever be. Oaks
-are strengthened by wind and storm; so men grow firm by combating with
-difficulty and opposition.”
-
-“I don’t see how that can make them strong,” I said; for I did not
-clearly understand the import of his words.
-
-“I do not mean strong in body merely, although this might follow, but
-strong in spirit, more resolute to do, more determined to endure. If
-boys possess this quality, they will be pretty sure to make strong,
-reliable men, able to take a position in the world and have an
-influence among men. But look; what a splendid view we have from this
-point;” and Mr. Kirby looked over the broad panorama with an eye that
-seemed to see the Deity in his works; and from the top of that table
-rock he told me of his own life, of the obstacles in his way, the
-poverty and destitution that he had known: “And still by climbing, just
-as we have been doing to-day, I have made some progress; and if I keep
-on--”
-
-“What will you make?” I asked in my eagerness.
-
-“What would you say if you knew I had no higher ambition than to be a
-clergyman?” looking at me with a half smile in his clear dark eye.
-
-“I think I should be a lawyer, if I was in your place, Mr. Kirby.”
-
-“A lawyer; why so?”
-
-“Why, there’s a better chance to rise in the world. It must be very
-nice to sway men as easily as lawyers do; and then there’s a chance of
-one day being senator or judge.”
-
-“It must be very pleasant, you say, to sway men as lawyers do. Do
-you not think it equally good to sway men as clergymen do? It is the
-lawyer’s business to help men out of temporary difficulties. It is the
-clergyman’s business to show men a better way: first to show them
-their condition as sinners, then to tell them of the precious Saviour
-who died to redeem them, and who will not only save them from temporary
-difficulties, but raise them to an eternity of happiness. Is there any
-thing more glorious than this, Marston?”
-
-“I hardly know, sir. It has always seemed to me I should like to be a
-lawyer. Yet it must be pleasant, as you say, to make people better.”
-
-“I hope you will always think so, Marston,” and Mr. Kirby gathered some
-wild flowers. “They will remind us of the walk. Flowers have the happy
-power of always calling our best thoughts to the surface.”
-
-“It would seem your best thoughts are always there, Mr. Kirby.”
-
-“On the contrary, my best thoughts are sometimes out of sight entirely.
-I have to be very watchful over myself. I am too readily given to
-despondency, and not willing to trust and be bright and cheerful when
-it looks dark and lowering.”
-
-“Is it our duty always to be bright and glad?” I asked.
-
-“I think so, Marston.”
-
-“But if every thing goes wrong with us?”
-
-“Every thing cannot go wrong with us, if we love and trust the Saviour,
-for he has said that all things shall work together for our good.”
-
-“That is what mother used to say. I always wondered how she could.”
-
-“Because she trusted him, and this trust made her cheerful and happy.”
-
-“If we go to the top,” I ventured to say, “we must be going;” and again
-the dry moss rustled beneath our feet. We had not gone far before dark
-clouds began to scud over the sky, portending a sudden storm.
-
-“Had we not better return?” I asked.
-
-“We are much nearer the top than the bottom of the mountain,” said Mr.
-Kirby. “If a storm should come, it would reach us before we could get
-half way down. You are not afraid of a storm, Marston.”
-
-“Not of mere rain; but this is no place as to the wind, to say nothing
-of thunder and lightning.”
-
-“All these are in His keeping. We are the objects of his love.” He had
-hardly finished speaking, when a fearful gale swept down the mountain,
-and nearly bore us away with it. The rain quickly followed, while the
-thunder was startling, with its quick, sharp reports, then rolling
-along in one continued roar till lost in the distance.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-“This will not last long,” said Mr. Kirby, and took shelter under
-a great rock, drawing me after him. How long we stood there I hardly
-know, for the dense mass of black clouds floating so near us, carried
-swiftly by the winds, rolling and unrolling their rugged edges, fringed
-with the lurid glare, was the most fascinating spectacle that I had
-ever witnessed.
-
-After explaining to me the different strata of the atmosphere and some
-of the causes of this sudden change in the clouds, Mr. Kirby spoke of
-that great day of storm and dread, when there would be some to cry for
-the mountains to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb, and others to
-whom He would be as the shelter of a great rock.
-
-Then we stepped out from under the rock. The shower was over, and we
-again advanced. For a time the ascent was more precipitous than any
-that we had met before, while the wet boughs, brushing against our
-faces, would have seriously disturbed a less persevering spirit than
-Mr. Kirby’s.
-
-Among the remembrances of that day were the tiny pools and cascades,
-filled to overflowing during the shower. Then there were spots of soft
-green beds of beautiful moss, and short, steep acclivities, such as
-would hardly afford footing for the chamois or gazelle.
-
-At length we stood at the top. Here, on the very summit of the
-mountain, was a lovely little lake, its water clear as crystal,
-where the clouds could see their beauty reflected without comment or
-obstruction.
-
-How proud and happy I felt. The work was done. I had often looked up,
-but never before attempted going to the top. Once decided upon, it was
-done. Would it be as easy with every thing else?
-
-Scarcely had we turned from the lake, when the sun came out, rolling
-up the floating mists into wool-like drapery of clouds, revealing a
-panorama of surpassing grandeur.
-
-Beneath us lay a succession of hills, shelving down to the valley,
-while further in the distance were green fields, with farm-houses
-looking hardly bigger than mole-hills, with the river winding on to the
-ocean like a long blue thread; and the ocean itself, whose boundary
-I could not define, was an object of strange wonder to me. Ignorant
-as I was, I could not understand the strong emotion that thrilled me,
-depriving me entirely of the power of speech.
-
-“How beautiful He hath made them all;” and Mr. Kirby lifted his hat,
-and stood uncovered, awed by the glorious majesty around him. As I
-looked at him, I felt a still stronger yearning for something higher
-and nobler. That hour, I am persuaded, was a turning-point in my life.
-New hopes fluttered into being; new resolves were registered; new
-purposes were to be maintained; and a strong confidence was born within
-me, that the Lord would not leave me desolate.
-
-Mr. Kirby talked of God’s exceeding great love, and how he never turned
-any away, even the poorest and weakest, that might call upon him for
-aid. He also told me several wonderful things of the mountains, and the
-transformation continually going on in them; and then of Hugh Miller,
-and the ways by which he had achieved his great work.
-
-It surprises me now, when I think how much was crowded into that
-one day. It was to me like a new revelation; the very air was full
-of a new life; I breathed freer than I had done for months. A new
-path was opening, and I felt strong to tread where others had gone
-before--others as poor and friendless as I was. Oh that we could always
-keep ourselves on the mountain heights of faith and hope.
-
-With Mr. Kirby near to prompt and encourage me, I forgot my
-ragged clothes and rimless hat, and that my shoes were old and
-patched--forgot, or rather did not know, that to become learned as he
-was would require years of time and a great deal of money, a commodity
-that I knew little about. My heart was light and buoyant. I thought I
-could do it, and hope began to trill a measure that was henceforth to
-ring on all through my life.
-
-The sudden shower had rendered fresh and green each leaf and flower,
-while the bright sun-rays had transmuted the drops to brilliant
-diamonds, suspended in lavish profusion from tree and shrub, catching
-and reflecting its light in countless forms of splendor.
-
-Just then a wren flew out of a thicket, and settled on a low spray just
-in our path. With a sweep of my hand I could have reached the fearless
-little songster, fresh, bright, glad, offering its tribute to the
-Creator.
-
-“Shall not we thank him too?” said Mr. Kirby; and suiting the action to
-the word, he knelt, and placing one hand upon my bowed head, implored
-God, for Christ’s sake, to have compassion upon me, to make me a child
-of God, to forgive my sins, and to give me a teachable spirit, that I
-might be willing to be led, and might, through the influence of his
-grace, grow up to be a good and useful man.
-
-This was the first time that anybody had ever prayed alone with me,
-save my mother; and it brought her so forcibly before me, that I could
-not keep down the sobs.
-
-Going home, I asked Mr. Kirby if we should ever see him again.
-
-“It is not probable,” he answered. “It is very possible that I may be
-sent abroad; and if so, we may never meet again; but whether we meet or
-not, I shall think of you, Marston, and pray that we may both live so
-as to meet in heaven.”
-
-Jennie saw us coming, and bounded over the brook that ran at the back
-of the house and across the pasture to meet us, breaking out into a
-glad welcome, telling us that she had finished the book, and nearly
-hemmed the handkerchief. “Here it is,” holding it up for inspection.
-
-“Very well done,” said Mr. Kirby, shaking it out, and examining it
-attentively. “Now, my little friends, I want you both to remember this
-day. It may be the last chance I shall have to speak to you alone. Do
-your duty wherever you are. Let your first question be, Is it right?
-and then never turn back, nor be discouraged. Do this, and you will
-advance, just as we did in climbing the mountain to-day, one step at a
-time; so by one act of duty at a time, one good purpose well carried
-out, success will follow.” Then putting his hand on each of our heads,
-“Give your hearts to Christ now; love and serve him. Wherever I go, I
-shall think of you, and shall hope you are workers for him, let your
-surroundings be what they may.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-III.
-
-
-Full of my new resolves, I went about my evening’s work, followed
-closely by Jennie, telling me all the time about her book. While
-listening to the charming story, I forgot, and put brindle into the
-black cow’s place. No sooner done, than Mr. Jeffries, who had a quick
-eye, sent me spinning across the stable floor, and Jennie into the
-house and up to her attic, where I found her an hour afterwards, with
-tears still on her cheeks.
-
-“Don’t cry about it, Jennie;” and I drew up a little rocking-chair I
-had made for her out of an old one, and took her in my arms. “It was
-careless in me; I should have seen what I was about.”
-
-“He said afterwards it would not have been much matter if the cattle
-had remained so all night. Oh, if we only had a home, like other
-children, Marston. I wonder why we haven’t;” and she nestled her
-brown head on my shoulder, and tried hard not to sob any more. Just
-then a sharp voice came up from the kitchen, and for once I felt like
-resisting. I was tired, my work was all done, and I sat quite still,
-holding Jennie tightly. Again and again the call.
-
-“We must go, brother; Mr. Kirby said we must do what we have to do
-well, and then God will open a path for us. I do hope he will; don’t
-you?” Kissing my angry cheek, she put away her book, and ran down
-the narrow stairs. Brushing off the tears, I followed as quickly as
-possible.
-
-“You’ve forgotten your wood, boy; this comes of reading books. If you
-don’t quit it, you can’t stay here, I can tell you;” and Mr. Jeffries
-stormed till he was tired, and then walked into the bar-room.
-
-“Don’t mind his being cross, Marston,” said Mrs. Jeffries soothingly;
-“he’s not quite himself to-night; to-morrow he’ll be sorry.”
-
-Tired as I was at bedtime I could not sleep, the day had been so
-pleasant notwithstanding the fatigue. I had listened to Mr. Kirby, and
-thought it would be easy to be good; and then he had prayed that I
-might be led. But before my work was done I had become angry and cross,
-and half questioning God’s goodness because Jennie and I had not a
-home, with some one to love and take care of us.
-
-I went to the window where I could see the distant hills, the very
-mountain the top of which we had reached by continued effort. “Nothing
-is gained without labor,” Mr. Kirby had said. How easy it would be to
-do right, I thought, if we could always live with such people; and I
-looked up to the stars twinkling to each other in their beauty.
-
-My heart was full, and yearned for sympathy; and to comfort myself, I
-went back and lived the cheering scenes of my life over again--calling
-up every word and look of my dear mother, then all Mr. Brisbane had
-said, and now Mr. Kirby, and my books, of which I could count several.
-
-In going up the mountain Mr. Kirby had often caused me to look behind
-me, in that way getting an idea of the ascent we were really making. So
-in looking over the past I could see that I had made some advance, and
-insensibly my thoughts grew clearer. Again I looked up to the heavens;
-but I knew but little of God’s love. His precious promise was to me
-then a sealed voice. Still, there was a feeling of quiet stole over
-me, something that spoke comfort, for I went to sleep.
-
-The next morning Mr. Kirby left, and I had so much to do, and so many
-calling upon me at once, that I had no time to tell him what I had
-resolved to tell him, namely, how forgetful I had been, and what a
-passionate feeling had swept over me. I meant to try and do better, but
-I had no time to tell him.
-
-“Do right, Marston, and study all you can,” had been his last words.
-Mr. Jeffries was very kind, and as if to make amends for the last
-night, gave me an hour to myself after dinner. Taking our books,
-Jennie followed me to a flat rock under a gnarled apple-tree, and on a
-broken slate I pored over my sums, while she studied geography. Then
-I heard her lesson, and she questioned me in arithmetic; for with
-less instruction she was further advanced than I was. After that, we
-read the book Mr. Kirby had given her. It was a simple, unvarnished
-sketch of every-day life, with allusions that I could understand, and
-experiences so like my own that more than once I stopped to dry my eyes.
-
-We had just finished, and were talking it over, when who should come
-across the garden but our father? We had not seen him in a good while,
-and there was something so kind in his look and manner, that we started
-at once to meet him.
-
-“So you have not quite forgotten me,” he said, as Jennie kissed him and
-I clung to his hand.
-
-“We can never do that, pa.” He sat down on the rock and held us to him,
-with his arms close around us.
-
-“Are you willing to come home, Marston? You are getting to be a large
-boy, and can help me now; and I am going to try to do better.”
-
-Had it not been for my new mother I should have jumped at the idea of
-going with my father; but when I thought of her my heart struggled
-against it. Again Mr. Kirby’s words came to my mind: “Do right,
-Marston.” Something told me it was right, if my father was trying to
-make a better man, to help him. So I answered resolutely,
-
-“If you think it best, father; but I want to go to school, and do
-something better by and by.”
-
-“That is what I want you to do, my son; and I will try and help you.”
-
-He was sober, and spoke so kindly, we both cried when he kissed us
-good-by, and said he knew he had not been as good to us as he ought to
-have been since we had no mother. Dear father, it was a long time since
-we had seen him so kind; and it was to be a still longer time before
-we should see him so kind again.
-
-“You will come down to-morrow night, children.”
-
-“Yes, father.”
-
-This arrangement did not suit Mr. Jeffries; but he said nothing against
-it, while his wife shook her head. “The same old story; it will be as
-bad as ever in a week,” she said to herself.
-
-The next day, the last we stayed at the Jeffries’, a traveller
-presented me with a book entitled “Self Helps,” and never a miser
-rejoiced more over his treasure than I did when I caught sight of its
-contents. So there had been hosts of poor boys trying just as I was for
-something better; and at last they found it; so should I.
-
-At sunset Jennie and I walked back to our old home. Our new mother
-received us kindly, and the baby crowed and clapped his hands, seeming
-to regard us as old acquaintances.
-
-The days and weeks passed, and it was the middle of autumn. There was a
-little corn to be gathered, and a few potatoes to be dug; but father’s
-good promises had all vanished. He was not cross, neither did he often
-scold, but he stayed from home; and when he was there, he was too
-stupid to care for any of us.
-
-Winter came, and I attended a school nearly a mile from us; but this
-time we had no such friend as Charles Brisbane. The teacher seemed to
-know that we were poor and miserable; and when I went in late, as I
-almost always did, he was sure to give me a sharp reprimand. In vain it
-was to rise at four o’clock: there was fire to make, there were paths
-to shovel, the cow to milk, and breakfast to get; for my new mother
-would not rise until the room was warm, and this in our house could
-not be till the fire had been burning a good while.
-
-Poor little Jennie had to stay at home entirely. Still she studied, and
-Miss Grimshaw out of the kindness of her heart sent us each a slate for
-her Christmas present. Never were more acceptable gifts, and I question
-if any Christmas since has brought us more pleasure, brightened as it
-was by two new slates.
-
-The winter proved to be unusually severe; the snow deeper than for
-years. We managed to live, how I hardly know. There was plenty of wood
-that could be had for the cutting; but I had not sufficient strength
-to accomplish much in this way, and had to content myself with drawing
-up fallen timber, and branches that the wind had scattered. Towards
-spring, father was gone more than ever, sometimes not coming home till
-late at night; and then not till Jennie and I had taken the lantern
-and gone down to the village after him.
-
-One night he was later than usual; the day had been unusually bleak, a
-heavy snow-storm setting in before noon, and by sunset we could hardly
-wade through it. Ten o’clock, and our mother for the first time grew
-uneasy; the baby was asleep; she left Jennie to rock the cradle, and
-giving me the lantern, we started for the village.
-
-We had not made half the distance before we were covered with such
-a thick mantle of snow as to render it necessary to stop and shake
-ourselves; but my step-mother had a resolute will, when she chose to
-put it in force. In vain I counselled her to return, and let me go
-alone; finding she could not be persuaded, I waded through, making as
-good a path as possible, holding up my lantern so that father could
-see it if he was really on the way.
-
-It was twelve o’clock when we reached the village; the lights were
-nearly all out, only one room was open, and that was the fatal one that
-tempted him so often from home.
-
-“No, your father is not here,” they said in answer to my inquiries. “He
-started for home before night. It is such a terrible storm, he may have
-stopped on the way.”
-
-“More likely that he has fallen in the snow,” said mother; “it is
-frightfully cold, and the wind is drifting it in heaps.”
-
-There were few words spoken as we went back. The storm had somewhat
-subsided, and far as the eye could reach spread out before us one mass
-of fleecy whiteness.
-
-How our hearts thrilled, and then stood still, as we passed an
-eminence where the snow lay high and uneven: under that white covering
-father might be buried.
-
-“Here is an uneven track,” and mother pointed to a pile of snow at the
-foot of the hill, and very near our own door. I held up the lantern,
-but for a moment could not move onward. So near us, and still we had
-gone so far! Nerving myself at last, I followed the steps, now filled
-with snow, but still perceptible.
-
-It was as we feared. He had started for home, and had reached the foot
-of the hill, when he fell, too chilled or too insensible to rise.
-
-Oh the agony of that night! He was our father, and deeply as he had
-erred, we loved him. Such a terrible death, and we knew not where to
-look for comfort.
-
-
-
-
-IV.
-
-
-Jennie and I were alone now, for our new mother had taken her babe and
-gone back to her parents. What could we do? I thought of others who had
-worked out of just such extremities, and resolved that I would seek
-employment, but not of Mr. Jeffries.
-
-So making myself as tidy as possible, and curling Jennie’s hair over
-my fingers as I had seen my own mother do, we shut the door of our
-mountain home, and walked resolutely down to the village. Sure of
-success, I kept Jennie laughing as I portrayed the future in glowing
-colors, telling her of all that I would do, and the pretty home that I
-would make of my own, where we would always live together, with plenty
-of books and flowers--her sweet blue eyes looking up with such a glad
-earnestness.
-
-“It will be better than the story in the book, wont it?”
-
-Our first call was on Miss Grimshaw. She was a milliner in the village,
-and her one shop window was full of pictures of highly dressed women,
-whose feathers, bonnets, and flowers made a great impression upon her
-customers, to say nothing of the awe Jennie and I felt in the presence
-of such magnificence.
-
-Miss Grimshaw received us very cordially; and when I told her we wanted
-work together, she shook her head.
-
-After thinking a while, she said with sincere tenderness, “Jennie had
-better stay with me. She is too delicate to do heavy work; I will give
-her a light task, and let her have several hours to study every day:
-and it is very probable that you can find employment in the village;
-so it will not be much of a separation.”
-
-It was soon settled that Jennie should remain with Miss Grimshaw; and I
-went to look out for myself elsewhere. Fortunately the grocer who lived
-directly opposite wanted a boy; and after examining me a little in
-arithmetic, and also asking me to write his name and my own, he finally
-said,
-
-“You may try, although I will not promise to keep you a single day.”
-
-Every little village has its great man; and the village of Claverton,
-nestled at the foot of the green hills, was not without its rich man,
-Esquire Clavers being the original proprietor from whom it took its
-name.
-
-He was a little wiry man, with sparkling eyes and a hooked nose, spare
-thin hair, and whiskers thickly sprinkled with grey, and a voice that
-sounded any thing but musical, especially to the poor.
-
-Very precise in his toilet was Esquire Clavers; his linen was always
-unexceptionable, his watch chain of the largest dimensions, and from it
-dangled a massive seal and gold key, while his gold-headed cane seemed
-almost a part of himself, for never was he seen without it. He lived
-in a two-story yellow house at the head of the principal street, and
-the people looked up to him with a deferential air given to no other
-person, not even the minister.
-
-Mr. Willett, the grocery keeper, was the next on the list; and it not
-unfrequently happened, as his front shop was the largest one in town,
-that it proved the rendezvous for politicians and news-mongers--Esquire
-Clavers being of course the main speaker in the assembly, and the
-oracle in matters of opinion in all Claverton.
-
-It was spring, but not yet sufficiently warm to do without fires;
-accordingly there was a trio around the stove the very morning I
-commenced my work.
-
-“I see you’ve got a new boy,” said Jared Peat the tailor.
-
-“On trial just,” answered Mr. Willett.
-
-“Not of much account, I’ll venture; a chip of the old block,” continued
-Jared.
-
-“Smart as a steel-trap,” said Esquire Clavers, “but altogether too fine
-notions in his head. If a boy would be any thing, he must work for it.
-It’s of no use trying to work and study too; one or the other will
-be done badly. Jeffries was telling me of his being there; he could
-hardly take a horse to water without having a book along to read while
-the horse was drinking. For my part, I wouldn’t give him his salt if
-he works in that manner.” Esquire Clavers had said it, and of course
-I should find little time for books so long as I should be in Mr.
-Willett’s employ.
-
-I had heard that Esquire Clavers had once been poor, and I could not
-but ask myself, Has he forgotten? or was it not so dark and hard to him
-as it is to me?
-
-Presently a customer asked for molasses, and I went into the back room
-to draw it, Mr. Willett hastening after me.
-
-“You should not fill the measure quite full, boy.”
-
-“She asked for a quart, sir;” and I looked up, feeling sure he had not
-understood, as I held but a quart measure.
-
-“I know, but we never fill it quite full; it might run over, you know;
-and when you stop it, see that not a drop is lost.”
-
-He walked about, apparently finding something to do, but in reality
-watching me. I saw the direction of his eye; and filling my measure,
-with care that it did not run over, and that not a drop was lost, I
-emptied it into the poor woman’s jug.
-
-“Never stop to drain it; make quick work; somebody else will want you;”
-and I followed him into the front room.
-
-“I see he gives good measure,” Mr. Willett said to Jared Peat as he
-resumed his place at the fire.
-
-“Oh yes, such people are always honest.”
-
-“I don’t know about that,” answered Esquire Clavers. “His father was an
-honest man, though open-handed and generous, and I have heard say was
-at one time a gentleman. It’s a pity he drank so.”
-
-They did not seem to mind me at all, and still I felt pleased, although
-saddened, to hear my father called an honest man, and that at one time
-he had been in better circumstances. Thus thinking, and wishing that I
-knew more of his early life, I leaned against the counter, and weighed
-and tied up sundry packages; for this was, Mr. Willett said, my first
-work, to tie packages handsomely.
-
-On the day went. My hands were not idle, yet not unfrequently I found
-my thoughts straying into the future. The vision loomed up with a
-sudden brightness, a path tending onward in spite of difficulties and
-temptations.
-
-I did not know what trials would rise up from unseen places, what
-snares and pitfalls where the flowers grew brightest. But I remembered
-Mr. Kirby had said, as he climbed the mountain, “One step at a time;
-and so in life. Do what you have to do well, and God will open a path
-to something better.”
-
-Little did I then see what He was to do for me; little did I then
-understand my duty to him; but I thought of him, and felt a certain
-sense of reliance, a feeling of security, which I have since vainly
-endeavored to understand.
-
-Near sunset, and just as I was balancing the question, wishing and
-still fearing to ask Mr. Willett’s permission to study in the evening,
-Jennie came in, her bright, happy face looking still prettier in a
-light blue sun-bonnet that Miss Grimshaw had given her. I had only
-time for a kiss when she asked for Mr. Willett. I showed her to his
-desk, when she stepped forward and laid a tiny note before him. I saw
-that his face lit up with a glad surprise, and his eyes sparkled with
-pleasure as he laid it down.
-
-“Yes, tell her I’ll come.” I afterwards discovered it was an invitation
-to tea. Mr. Willett was a devoted admirer, and the little milliner held
-his heart as he did his purse, tightly. What was said I never knew;
-but the next morning Mr. Willett said if I was faithful and did my work
-well, I could study every evening with Jennie, and Miss Grimshaw would
-hear our lessons.
-
-That night was an era in my life, and very happy and hopeful was I as I
-crossed the street to the little side door Jennie had told me to enter.
-Here I found a comfortable room, a round table in the centre of the
-floor, with our two slates, an arithmetic, and geography; for Jennie
-had every thing in readiness, including a tallow candle in a white
-porcelain holder, the bottom shaped like a leaf, which Jennie thought
-was a marvel of beauty. In the corner was seated grandma Grimshaw, a
-stately looking woman with silver hair combed low on the forehead,
-white muslin cap with long embroidered tabs, and spectacles.
-
-“And this is Marston,” said she, taking my hand as I came in. “I’ve
-heard Eliza speak of you as a good boy. She used to know your ma;” and
-soon Miss Grimshaw came out of the front room, laid her hand on my
-head, and said,
-
-“You shall study two hours if you like, and then I will hear your
-lesson.” I tried to stammer out my thanks, but something choked down my
-words. “That is nothing, Marston. I used to want to study, but I had no
-chance. I like to read, and I am familiar with arithmetic; I can help
-you there as well as any one;” and she was gone.
-
-“Eliza don’t get much time,” said her mother; “but she likes to help
-others; and she used to think so much of your mother.”
-
-Brushing away the tears that would come at the mention of my mother, I
-turned to my slate. The first three rules I could understand perfectly,
-but long division troubled me. I was sure to make some mistake that
-would require me to go over and over again, and not unfrequently did I
-feel inclined to throw it aside. But one look at my “Self Helps,” and I
-worked away as resolutely as ever.
-
-At nine Miss Grimshaw came in, heard Jennie’s lesson in geography, then
-questioned me in arithmetic, and explained till the difficulties had
-all vanished. Then we read for half an hour; at the expiration of which
-she shut our books.
-
-“I promised Mr. Willett you should be there five minutes before ten.”
-
-“This is better than the boy in the book,” said Jennie, reaching up on
-tiptoe to kiss me good-night.
-
-It had been a busy day and evening, and I was tired. Still I had made
-some advance, and at this rate it would not be long before I should
-master arithmetic. I slept in a little back room; but weary as I was,
-I could not at once quiet my thoughts; so I lay and watched one little
-star as it stole across my window, and wondered if my mother could know
-how and where I was, and that I did try to care for Jennie, although we
-could not sleep under the same roof.
-
-As spring came forward, the ordinary business of the day remained quite
-the same, but how many pleasant things I had to think of. Long division
-did not trouble me any more, neither did fractions; I was beginning to
-understand interest, and my handwriting had much improved. There was
-also a sensible difference in my outward appearance, and Jennie grew in
-loveliness each day. How proud I was of that little sister; and never
-did we go to church or Sabbath-school, but I wondered if mother could
-know it.
-
-When the summer heats were on us there was less to do, and sometimes
-I got a walk with Jennie among the hills. A year had made a great
-difference with both of us, while the mountain was just the same; and
-we often thought of our last walk there, and of dear Mr. Kirby.
-
-“If he could only know how kind Miss Grimshaw is to us,” said Jennie.
-“It is God that puts it into her heart, isn’t it? and not for our
-sakes, but for Christ’s sake. I used to think it was for mother’s sake;
-but Christ died for us.”
-
-Dear little comforter; her heart was full of sweet thoughts, while I
-was ambitious for her; and this, together with Mr. Kirby’s words, kept
-me from being gloomy and desponding when I fancied Mr. Willett was
-impatient or exacting: “Do your work well, and God will open a path to
-something better.” This gave me courage and strength; so that while I
-worked in the present, I lived in the future.
-
-One day I was sent to Esquire Clavers’ with a basket of groceries he
-had ordered. As I went up the walk, Frank, his oldest son, a boy of
-about my own age, was on the piazza, a spot embowered in roses and
-honeysuckles, reading; a little girl in a blue lawn dress, with long
-golden curls framing her face like a picture, reclined near him, her
-head resting on the neck of a large Newfoundland dog. From the open
-window the pleasant tones of a piano floated out on the air, and
-involuntarily I stopped to listen. Frank looked up, and seeing me, came
-down the avenue to meet me.
-
-“What have you here? Oh, teas and things for mother. Do you like music?
-Come, go in and hear sister play.”
-
-“I should be glad to,” I answered, “but I was told to return
-immediately.”
-
-“Five minutes wont be missed; come in.”
-
-“Not now, Frank,” for I thought of what Mr. Kirby had said; and handing
-my basket to the servant, I took up Frank’s book.
-
-“What is this?” I asked.
-
-“Latin,” he answered; “and a grand old language it is;” and he began
-reading aloud.
-
-“Where do you go to school?” I asked.
-
-“To the Rockdale academy. Have you never heard of it? It is vacation
-now. We shall commence again in September. Oh, we have great times
-there. I wish you would join us; you’d like the boys: some of them
-study, and some are up to all sorts of fun.”
-
-“I wish I could go,” I answered musingly.
-
-“Well, why can’t you? it’s only four miles from here.”
-
-I did not dare stay another moment; and taking my basket, I turned,
-with a hasty good-by to Frank. Since the vacation commenced, he had
-visited the grocery almost every day, and very fond he seemed of all
-sports and amusements.
-
-This boy has a home, I said to myself sadly, and parents to watch over
-him; he does not have to look after himself; and his little sister is
-no better than Jennie; and again I dared to question why Frank Clavers
-had so much, and we were so destitute. But whatever feelings swayed me
-for the moment, the controlling idea was still the same: “Do what you
-do well, and God will open a path.”
-
-Even then God was preparing a surprise that would melt me into tears.
-For several days Miss Grimshaw had been saying that I was getting all
-she knew of arithmetic; and when September came, she surprised me by
-asking how I would like to go to the Rockdale academy.
-
-“Oh, so much, Miss Grimshaw; but it is four miles from here, and--”
-
-“It is only three miles by the river road, which is by far the
-pleasantest. Three miles is not such a long walk for a boy like you.”
-
-“Oh no, Miss Grimshaw; but you forget there is no school at night.”
-
-“You are not going at night, but in the morning early;” and my white
-face, as she told me afterwards, frightened her into exclaiming at once,
-
-“Mrs. Jeffries says that she will board you; that is, she will send me
-enough during the winter of such things as we need to pay the expense
-of your board; and you are to go to Rockdale.”
-
-I had no words, and Jennie seated herself on my knee, and kissed away
-the tears. “I am so glad, brother; I only wish I could go too.”
-
-“The walk is entirely too long for Jennie,” said Miss Grimshaw, who
-overheard the last remark; “but you can help her some, and in this way
-she will advance nearly as well as though at school all the time.”
-
-“We shall get on very nicely. I cannot sufficiently thank you, Miss
-Grimshaw.”
-
-“It is not all my work, Marston. Mrs. Jeffries had quite as much to do
-with it; she is anxious that you should both go to school.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-V.
-
-
-A great day it was when I started for the academy. With the amount
-received from Mr. Willett, Miss Grimshaw had provided me with a neat
-outfit, and also had enough left for a few new books.
-
-“I used to have a little brother,” said Miss Grimshaw as we set out;
-for the night previous, she had announced her intention of going with
-me. “Had Johnny lived, he would have been about your own age. We always
-intended to send him to college; for he loved books.”
-
-But it was not a morning to be sad. A soft hazy atmosphere floated
-around us, and softened into beauty the distant landscape. The hills
-stretching away northward loomed up through their blue veil with almost
-the majesty of mountain ranges; the green of the pines on their
-crests, and the ragged lines of the wood which marked the courses
-of the descending ravines, were dimmed and robbed of their gloom.
-The valley was still fresh, and the great oaks by the brook had not
-yet shed all their tawny leaves. A moist and fragrant odor of decay
-pervaded the air, and the soft south wind occasionally stealing along
-the valley seemed to blow the sombre colors of the landscape into
-long-continued waves of brightness.
-
-The hills, curving rapidly to the eastward, rose abruptly from the
-meadows in a succession of terraces, the lowest of which was faced with
-a wall of dark rock, in horizontal strata, but almost concealed from
-view by the tall forest-trees which grew at the base.
-
-The brook, issuing from a glen which descended from the lofty upland
-region, poured itself headlong from the brink of the rocky steep, a
-glittering silver thread. Seen through the hazy atmosphere, its narrow
-white column seemed to stand motionless between the pines, and its
-mellowed mist to roll from some region beyond the hills.
-
-“We shall see Rockdale presently,” said Miss Grimshaw. “I am sorry now
-that I did not let Jennie come. I did not think the walk would be so
-beautiful, and I was afraid it would make her sick.”
-
-“If you are willing, I would like to have her take this walk some time;
-it would please her so much; neither do I think it would tire her. We
-have both been accustomed to long walks. I have been to the top of the
-highest point, and Jennie was familiar with almost every rock about
-Mrs. Jeffries’.”
-
-“She shall come,” continued Miss Grimshaw. “But there’s the academy.
-It used to be only a private dwelling; but the owner died, and Mr.
-Harlan, our minister then, thought it would be a good place for a
-school. Terryville, just beyond, is much larger than our village, and
-most of the boys board there.”
-
-By this time we were near the house, a white two-story building, with a
-broad veranda looking southward from the last low shelf of the hills,
-with an ample school-room in the rear, and grounds fitted up with
-arbors, rustic seats, swings, and all the paraphernalia of school life.
-The avenue by which we approached was lined with maples, and on our
-advance we passed clumps of lilacs and snowballs. But the house itself,
-with its heavy windows and flagged walk before the door, was just the
-same as before, Miss Grimshaw said. A few bunches of asters nodded
-their welcome, and the chrysanthemums on the borders stood as erect as
-though school-boys never passed them. We had reached the porch before
-Mr. Harlan saw us.
-
-“And this is Marston Howe,” he said, after greeting Miss Grimshaw with
-marked kindness. “I am glad to see you, Marston; they tell me that you
-are fond of books, and determined to study. Is that so?”
-
-“I shall do my best, sir,” was all that I could say, while it seemed
-that his eyes would look me through.
-
-“It will be a long walk, Mr. Harlan,” Miss Grimshaw observed when she
-rose to leave. “I should have been glad on many accounts could Marston
-have boarded here; but for the present we could not arrange it so.”
-
-“Oh, as for that matter, the walk will do him good; the harder one
-studies, the more exercise he should have. It will deprive him of
-companionship, save his books; but perhaps that will prove no loss. It
-is a delightful walk. I make the trip sometimes, and always return well
-paid for the trouble. I am only sorry I have so few pupils from your
-village. Frank Clavers boards here, and goes home on Friday.”
-
-When Miss Grimshaw had gone, Mr. Harlan led the way into a large room
-where several boys and girls were studying. Taking his seat at the
-desk, he motioned me near him, and began questioning me closely in
-arithmetic and geography. When he had finished, he gave me a lesson in
-Latin grammar, and then seated me at his right hand, and by the side of
-another pupil, almost man grown, whom he called Lovell.
-
-He then rung his desk-bell, and through the several doors came pupils
-from the recitation rooms; another touch of the bell, and others went
-out. There was no voice, no confusion; it was done with the order and
-precision of clock-work.
-
-Twelve o’clock, and then such a buzz and whirr in the school-room
-I could neither see nor think. Soon Frank Clavers came with a
-noisy welcome, and led me out to see a new swing he had just been
-improvising, introducing me first to one and then to another.
-
-“But you’ll know them soon enough, Marston. I only wish you boarded in
-the house; such capital times as we have. Fridays I go home. I am glad
-you are here to go with me.”
-
-“But you do not walk, and I do all the time.”
-
-“No matter. I have my pony sent down, and they can just as well send
-another. But say, whom do you sit with?”
-
-“Mr. Harlan called him Lovell.”
-
-“Lovell! why, he’s the very best scholar in school; poor though; going
-to be a minister;” and Frank ran on: “There goes the dinner-bell. What
-have you for dinner, Marston?”
-
-“I shall take my dinner after I get home,” I answered.
-
-“Too bad; I wish you would board here. Why not?”
-
-“I’m too poor, Frank; I am glad to come on any terms.”
-
-There was a sudden dropping of balls and jumping from swings, and a
-general scudding across the grounds. I walked around to the south side,
-and seated myself in an arbor heavily laden with vines.
-
-It had seemed to me delightful to study Latin; but the grammar, now
-that I had it in my hand, was altogether a different thing. I thought
-of the mountain. We had gone to the top by the simple effort of one
-step at a time.
-
-“We are all climbers,” Mr. Kirby had said. Studying Latin could be done
-in the same manner as we scaled the mountain, with one step at a time.
-Before I went home at night my lesson was recited.
-
-“Very well for the first day,” said Mr. Harlan. “Perseverance and
-energy are all that is necessary. You like to study, and I trust you
-like to do what you do well. Make thorough work; understand what you
-go over. The great fault with our scholars is, they are superficial.
-It will require time to accomplish all you desire; but with the right
-effort it can be done. Make haste, but make haste slowly.”
-
-Owing to my long walk, and my not having any recitation the first
-hour, Mr. Harlan did not oblige me to come in before ten; and I was
-also privileged to leave at three. This would give me some time to
-help Jennie; and for myself, I knew I should study better in Miss
-Grimshaw’s little back parlor than in the large school-room at Rockdale.
-
-Returning home, I had just reached the point where the narrow white
-line of a brook became visible, when Jennie bounded up the pathway,
-her round cheeks all aglow, her blue sun-bonnet thrown back, and the
-sunshine playing with the loose meshes of her hair. She could hardly
-steady her voice, so eager was she to know of the day.
-
-“Tell me all about it, brother. Miss Grimshaw said Rockdale was such a
-lovely place. Oh, I am sure it cannot be more beautiful there than it
-is here. Are there any little girls that go to the school? Did you see
-any to-day; and are there any so small as I am?”
-
-“I did not see any so small as you are, Jennie.”
-
-“Oh dear, I do so wish I could go with you. Don’t you think I could
-walk easily?”
-
-“Not every day, Jennie; and besides, we are going to study in the
-evening, you know; and what I learn at school I will teach you at home.”
-
-“Will you? Oh, that is so good;” and she clung to my hand, this little
-sister that my mother had said I must love and care for. Then she
-drew me down to the brook, its waters leaping over the stones with
-a gurgling music, like the trill of a laughing child; the sunshine
-glinting through the pines and climbing up the bank to our feet.
-
-It was a scene of peculiar beauty, and dear Jennie enjoyed it with
-a keen relish. I tried, but could not enter into the same sense of
-enjoyment. To tell the truth, I was weary, perhaps hungry, and my new
-book did not seem to me quite as easy as I expected to find it.
-
-Then I recollected that, in climbing the mountain, the object was not
-accomplished by one effort, but by a succession of continued struggles.
-It was by pressing through the undergrowth, catching hold of the cliff,
-going around the rocks, creeping where it was impossible to walk, yet
-advancing steadily all the time, that the ascent was made. Mr. Kirby
-had told me it would be just so in my studies; and I looked above me
-into the bright blue sky, and thought of the prayer offered in that
-jewelled dell--the prayer that I might be led by God’s Spirit, guarded
-and guided by his grace, and that a path might open for me. It had
-opened thus far; and was not this in answer to Mr. Kirby’s prayer and
-my mother’s supplications? and again I resolved to use my time wisely.
-
-The oak grows stronger by the very winds that toss its boughs; so the
-heart, from the burdens that apparently weigh it down, gathers new
-power to soar above the mists of gloom and discontent.
-
-“You have not noticed my book,” I said at length, holding out my Latin
-grammar; “and besides, you forget that I have not been to dinner.”
-
-“It is so pleasant here, brother; don’t it rest you?” and her arms were
-twined about my neck.
-
-“Yes; but my lesson for to-morrow will require all my time,” I answered.
-
-“Mr. Willett came to see us to-day,” said Jennie as we went home. “He
-spoke kindly of you, and said he supposed you would not want to come
-back after you had been to the academy; but if you did, there would be
-a place for you; and he told Miss Grimshaw that if you needed books, he
-would get them for you. He said a good deal more.”
-
-“Perhaps he would rather you would not repeat it all. Did he know that
-you heard?”
-
-“Oh yes. It is not wrong to tell what he said before me, is it?”
-
-“Perhaps not; but Mr. Kirby said that we should not fall into the habit
-of repeating what people say, unless necessary to do so; that in this
-way much scandal is floated about, which, had it not been repeated,
-would have died out immediately.”
-
-“Oh, brother, I did not mean to say any thing wrong.”
-
-“Neither have you, Jennie. I thought at first you probably overheard
-him. There is surely no harm in repeating to me simply what he said
-before you, especially when he spoke so kindly.”
-
-That night there was a happy meeting in Miss Grimshaw’s back parlor.
-Mrs. Jeffries came down with her first instalment of eatables on my
-account; and she met us so warmly, taking Jennie on her knee, and
-asking me all the little minutiæ of school life.
-
-“You think you will like, then?” and she played with my hair in a
-motherly way.
-
-“The only fear is, that I shall have to stop before I have half
-accomplished my desire.”
-
-“One step at a time,” said Miss Grimshaw, while Jennie was so tired
-with her long walk and the unusual excitement of the day, that she went
-to sleep with her head on my shoulder, in the very effort of trying to
-master a new lesson.
-
-Friday came, and true to his promise, Frank Clavers ordered two horses
-in the room of one. It was a glorious afternoon, and as we leaped into
-the saddle, I felt a pride in being able to rein in and manage my
-horse handsomely. He was a fine-spirited animal, that Esquire Clavers
-kept for his own use. It was to oblige Frank, of course, that I was
-permitted this little indulgence.
-
-Riding was the only thing perhaps that I could do well, and this I
-had learned at Mr. Jeffries’, and I knew that here I was superior to
-the other boys. So with a questionable pride I cantered round the
-grounds, and raised my cap as I passed the young ladies at the window.
-I enjoyed, as I never had done before, the idea of doing something
-well; and I have since learned, what I did not know then, that skill in
-horsemanship is considered by all no mean accomplishment.
-
-“That was handsomely done,” said Frank. “Pray where did you learn to
-ride so well?”
-
-“You never knew perhaps that I lived two years with Mr. Jeffries. My
-business was to assist in the stable. It was there I learned to ride.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-What a race we had down the street, and how Frank’s gay laugh resounded
-through the valley.
-
-“This is something to look forward to, Marston,” said he as we reined
-up at his own door. “I have never seen Hunter carry himself better.
-It’s all because you know how to ride. Next week we’ll have just such
-another ride. It’s glorious.”
-
-“I have enjoyed it intensely,” I answered, while a secret sense of
-shame crept over me at the idea of being puffed up because I could
-ride, when in my books I knew so very little; and for that evening I
-studied harder because of my foolishness.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-VI.
-
-
-Autumn had run up her banner of red and gold, and under the spreading
-folds I had walked every day to Rockdale, and as steadily as the week
-came round rode home with Frank Clavers on Friday, until Hunter came
-to know me quite as well as his master. Still, after the first ride,
-I had never felt the same degree of satisfaction. To ride well no
-longer seemed to me such a desirable acquisition. To master my Latin as
-readily was now my ambition, and to this I bent all my energies.
-
-As the winter deepened, the walk to Rockdale proved as bleak as before
-it had been delightful, and the north winds, sweeping down through the
-mountain gorges, made my cheeks and ears tingle. Still I could not
-afford to lose a day. Frank was to stay three years, and then four more
-in college; but Frank Clavers’ father was rich, and I was dependent
-upon my own toil.
-
-As I looked forward, for the first time one night I yielded to
-despondency; my book closed, and my head fell forward on the casement.
-Far above, the bright stars were shining. It was His hand that
-sustained them. He prescribed their courses, and kept them within their
-limits; and although I did not understand how, I still felt that his
-watch and care was over me; and with this feeling came strength.
-
-Looking back, as we did in going up the mountain, I could feel that I
-had accomplished much; and still it was so little of what I craved. I
-needed to be again reminded that it was by one step at a time that the
-summit was reached; and that, had I stood at the foot of the mountain
-and attempted to leap up by a few great efforts, it would never have
-been done.
-
-My class-mates were boys accustomed to school life, and still I knew
-that some of them hardly looked in their books till they came to
-recite. At first I thought Mr. Harlan was to blame; they came to study,
-and they ought to be made to do so. Still, I have since found it is
-not an easy matter to compel pupils to do what they do not wish to do,
-what they will not do cheerfully. Doubtless he did all that he could
-to incite them to study; and this failing, he allowed them to drift
-on, hoping perhaps they would in time wake up to the responsibility of
-wisely improving their time and opportunities.
-
-Another advantage I had gained at Mr. Jeffries’ was to be seen in my
-declamation. To stimulate my memory, I had learned nearly the whole
-of my English Reader by heart, and these lessons I had been in the
-habit of repeating to the servants in the kitchen, and sometimes, if I
-had a moment’s leisure, to myself in the stable. It was in the latter
-place that Mr. Jeffries had surprised me, the mention of which he often
-made, sure of a laugh at my expense, and over which I grew extremely
-sensitive. As declamation was a regular weekly exercise in school, I
-soon found that the habit had been of great use to me; not only could I
-readily commit to memory, but there was no feeling of timidity, and I
-could speak before others without a thought of myself, leaving me free
-to profit by the suggestions of my teacher.
-
-Prominent in the memory of those days is my long daily walk, with its
-frequent concomitants of deep snows, leaden skies, and bitter winds.
-One day when the cold was at its height, Miss Grimshaw went to the
-door with me, and urged me not to think of going to Rockdale. I had
-just begun to translate, and one of my sentences troubled me till rest
-seemed impossible; I must go. Neither could I look for a ride, as
-grandma suggested. Action was necessary; and buttoning my coat closely,
-I told her I could easily go, the sun would soon make an impression.
-“It is not half as severe as some days last week.”
-
-Accordingly I started; but before I left the village I was obliged to
-stop repeating my lesson aloud; my teeth chattered and my ears were
-tingling. I tried to run, but the stiff frozen snow would not allow of
-this extra effort. A half mile from town I met Dr. Graham.
-
-“It is too cold to go to Rockdale to-day, Marston;” and he opened his
-buffalo robes and offered me a seat.
-
-“Thank you, Dr. Graham,” I answered as well as my chattering teeth
-would allow, “it wont be any worse; I can get there.” Again he tried to
-turn me; but no, I must recite my lesson, and I needed explanations; I
-felt that I could not wait another day.
-
-On I went, the wind rushing and roaring through the leafless branches
-of the trees. I rubbed my ears with my mittens, while my feet were so
-numb I could hardly walk. Midway I began to fear that I should actually
-perish. Should I go back, or should I go on? I glanced at the mountain,
-with the proud consciousness that I had been to the top. “Never give
-up,” Mr. Kirby said. It was my duty to go to school. I had started; I
-would go.
-
-I gave one glance at the marble column of the waterfall, with its
-sculptured ridges and diamond points, the feathery spray caught up and
-congealed, standing out in bold relief against the clear blue sky, more
-beautiful than art could ever hope to imitate. It was worth a great
-effort to look upon such a winter picture and I sprang forward with
-renewed energy, trying to forget my numbed feet and frozen fingers.
-
-It was harder than I had imagined, however. All the tales I have since
-read of suffering on account of cold, seem only a dim outline of what
-I then experienced. As I left the hollow I met Philip Allen with his
-wood-sled. He had a small load, and was going home as fast as he could
-goad on his oxen.
-
-“I never saw such a day as this,” said Philip; “you had better get on
-to the sled.”
-
-“I should freeze standing still,” I answered. “I must go on now;” and I
-began to feel sorry that I had started. It was indeed a terrible day.
-My father had fallen in the snow. What if it should be my fate too?
-
-“Never give up,” said I to myself, and I felt that I should like to
-have Mr. Kirby know that I was trying. At length I became aware of a
-new sensation stealing over me: it was with difficulty I could put one
-foot before the other; the beauty was fading out of the sky; I only
-wished to lie down in the snow. I forgot that I was going to school;
-strange shapes floated round me, while strains of sweet music soothed
-and quieted me. I was no longer cold, but, lapped in a delicious dream,
-seemed to be floating towards a palace of dazzling splendor.
-
-The next that I remember, I was in a nice warm room. It was not the
-school-room, although Mr. and Mrs. Harlan stood beside me. My coat was
-off, and the good woman was rubbing my hands in her own. Then I saw
-there were others present, and that not only my hands, but my whole
-body had been rubbed vigorously. I was suffering a terrible stinging
-pain.
-
-“Drink this,” said Mrs. Harlan, as a bowl of hot tea was handed me;
-“it will help you to get warm.” More to please her than from any other
-feeling, I drained it off, and ere long felt a genial glow through all
-my members.
-
-Seeing that the danger was over, Mr. Harlan went to the school-room;
-and at noon all the boys and some of the girls crowded around me. Such
-a crying and shaking of hands! And then I learned how near to death I
-had come.
-
-Jerry, the Irish man of all work, had seen me stagger along, and
-finally fall. His kind Irish heart told him at once it was the cold,
-and springing down the road, he carried me in his arms to the kitchen,
-from which Mrs. Harlan had me taken at once to her own room.
-
-“To think of your coming to school such a day, when we that live in
-the house can hardly study at all,” said Henry Alden. Robert Lovell,
-however, said, “I can understand it: you could not have stayed at home,
-had you tried. I went one winter nearly as far; but it was not so cold;
-neither was the snow so deep as this winter.”
-
-I recited my lesson in Mrs. Harlan’s room; and it seemed to me Mr.
-Harlan was never so kind before. He gave me all the explanations that I
-needed, and in such a manner that I understood perfectly.
-
-“I trust we shall not have another such a day; but if we do, you must
-not expose yourself in this way again. Promise me;” and he took both my
-hands. “It is too great a risk.”
-
-“If you say so,” I answered; “but I shall not like to stay at home.”
-
-“You will study, and I shall not mark you as absent without cause.”
-
-As I was taking my books and making ready to start for home, Mr. Harlan
-said,
-
-“Jerry will take you home in his sleigh; he has an errand down, and it
-wont trouble him at all.”
-
-Mrs. Harlan brought out a pair of fur mittens and slipped over mine,
-and got me a large grey shawl that protected me entirely.
-
-“You need not return them,” said the sweet-voiced woman; “I have been
-looking all winter for somebody that needed them.” She shook me warmly
-by the hand, and Mr. Harlan saw me down to the sleigh.
-
-“No right effort is ever lost, Marston; you aim to do what you do well
-and faithfully, and God will open a path for you when he sees that you
-can do something better, depend upon it, my son. Thank him for sparing
-your life, and devote it to his service.”
-
-The buffalo robe was nicely tucked around me, and the grey shawl pulled
-over my head; and feeling for my books, to make sure that I had them,
-we started.
-
-“Niver saw the like of such a day,” said Jerry. “If I had not seen
-you in the morning-- It was about ten you fell.” Again I shuddered,
-and thought of my poor dead father, as near our home as I was to the
-academy; and in that blinding storm we failed to see him.
-
-The next day was Saturday; and as I sat in Miss Grimshaw’s back room,
-petted a little more than usual by Jennie and grandma, I thought of Mr.
-Harlan’s words, “No right effort is ever lost.” And it seemed that I
-could hear again Mr. Kirby’s voice, “Whatever you do, do well, and God
-will open a path to something better.” Since then they have come to me
-often in characters of light, to brighten my darkest hours. They have
-helped me labor on. When my heart was sore with heaviness, they have
-aided me in adhering to the right in despite of ridicule and temptation.
-
-“No right effort is ever lost.” “Do what you do well, and God will open
-a path to you, when he sees that you can do something better.” Bind
-the sentiment to your heart, if you are a patient climber, and take
-courage. But I had not yet found the way to the Source of all strength,
-nor learned the secret of the only true and noble life.
-
-At the close of the term, in February, we had an examination. This
-was new to me, and caused me no little uneasiness. I had never been
-through with such a day, and as a matter of course I felt not a
-little frightened at the idea of being questioned before such a crowd
-as the boys told me always came. Mr. and Mrs. Harlan were very kind
-and patient teachers, and I was so fresh and new in my studies, that
-I trembled in view of the blunders I felt sure I should make before
-strangers and critics.
-
-“All Terryville will be here,” said Henry Alden; “but then you need not
-mind: you are the best one we have in arithmetic, and history too; and
-as for your Latin, why you are only a beginner; they wont expect much;
-and in declamation you know you will take the lead.”
-
-“But I have never spoken before so many.”
-
-“That’s nothing; you’ll get accustomed to it in a few times. We don’t
-mind it a feather. It a’n’t half of them that know.”
-
-The day came. Miss Grimshaw and Jennie rode with Mr. Willett in a nice
-sleigh, with a double set of bells. Then there was Mr. Farnham and Mr.
-Wentworth, ministers from Terryville, with Dr. Graham and Dr. Stiles,
-and several grey-haired men with gold-bowed glasses and ivory-headed
-canes, and with books in their hands, evidently ready to criticize
-closely.
-
-“That’s the way they always do,” said Henry; “but if you could peep
-over their shoulders, ten chances to one their books are wrong side up.”
-
-Calm and composed, Henry Alden made his comments. He was an amiable,
-kindly-disposed lad, but caring nothing for study. Still he managed
-to get along, and examination-days had no terrors for him. His easy,
-nonchalant air surprised me, and still more the light opinion he had
-formed of the learning of some of the visitors.
-
-Around the sides of the room sat the ladies from Terryville; but to me
-there was no face that looked kinder than Miss Grimshaw’s, no beauty
-that began to equal my little sister Jennie’s.
-
-At eleven o’clock the class that had finished arithmetic were called.
-I felt the blood rushing over me at fever heat, my fingers tingling,
-and my cheeks burning. Mr. Farnham questioned us, giving examples to
-each. The first sum he gave me was in interest, the second in the cube
-root. I did not tremble from fear that I could not do the examples, as
-I knew perfectly well there was not a sum in the book I could not do;
-but I wanted to do it easily, handsomely, and in order. I gave a quick
-glance to Jennie, and the calm expression of the sweet face swept away
-all trepidation. I crossed the platform, and took up the crayon. Never
-was I more collected; I forgot there were others in the room; I only
-saw Jennie, and I knew by the expression of her quiet face that she
-expected me to do well. She would be disappointed if I failed. I would
-not fail. There was no reason why I should.
-
-The example was on the board, and I stood with pointer in hand ready
-for explanation. Contrary to my expectation, my voice did not tremble;
-and when I finished, I was prouder than I have ever been since.
-
-Then followed algebra, as far as we had gone.
-
-“It is well done,” said Mr. Wentworth with a pleasant smile. “Such
-examples make boys think; and when once they begin to think, then they
-begin to learn in reality. Perhaps you sometimes wonder why such and
-such examples were put into the algebra; you can see no use in them,
-except to puzzle you. I will tell you. It is to make you deep, earnest
-thinkers. Boys that can think about their sums, solve their problems,
-and explain them readily, can also think about something else. That is
-why you study algebra, and that is why you are drilled so thoroughly
-in Latin and Greek. It is to make you think patiently, and so learn to
-overcome difficulties. Learn to think then, and never give up because
-you do not understand what practical use it is to be to you.”
-
-And as this was the last lesson on the programme, he took occasion to
-tell us the grand incentive to all this labor was because God had given
-us minds of untold worth; that these minds were to live for ever, and
-the more we acquired, so much the more should we be able to understand
-the works of the Creator, so much better should we be able to discharge
-the duties incumbent upon us, so much better able to work for Him who
-has given us these minds, who has so liberally endowed us with all
-these wonderful attributes of the soul. And he urged us all to remember
-our Creator in the days of our youth, to give our hearts to him when
-young, that we might be led and guarded by him along life’s pathway.
-
-This made me think of Mr. Kirby. “Do good men all talk alike?” asked
-Jennie, as soon as the bell struck for recess.
-
-After dinner, which we took with Mr. and Mrs. Harlan, we were again
-marched into the school-room, and examined closely in Latin. As
-beginners we came first, and I was surprised that we received so much
-praise, expecting as a matter of course that this would only be awarded
-the advanced classes; but Mr. Wentworth said,
-
-“The foundation is the chief thing. Once well grounded in the
-rudiments, and the rest is sure. Here is where the work is to be done.”
-
-At night Dr. Graham shook hands with us kindly, and said that he
-thought our village was well represented. Frank Clavers had been sick
-for a few weeks, and obliged to stay at home. Still, his class had
-well sustained themselves, and Frank had always been at the head. Mr.
-Farnham and Mr. Wentworth were particularly kind, and Jennie could
-hardly contain herself as we rode home.
-
-“It was better a great deal than the boy in the book; he broke down
-several times, and you did not fail once,” and she slid her mittened
-hand into mine.
-
-“Fail! I guess he didn’t,” cried Mr. Willett. “Why, he came out the
-best there. It was no bad thing his being with me last summer; nothing
-like practice for a boy;” and Mr. Willett enjoyed with evident
-satisfaction the idea that whatever knowledge I had of mathematics was
-based on the practice I had in his grocery.
-
-It had not been specified how long I was to remain at Rockdale. “Till
-spring,” Miss Grimshaw said; but whether that meant April or May was to
-me uncertain. What was my surprise, however, when May came and I asked
-if I was not to stop, and she answered, “The term is so nearly out it
-would be a pity for you to leave. I have spoken to Mr. Harlan about it,
-and he wishes you to remain; you must work hard enough in vacation to
-make up for it.”
-
-The term closed in June, and then there was a final examination of a
-week. Frank Clavers was again with us, and as usual at the head of his
-class.
-
-
-
-
-VII.
-
-
-By the mass of school-boys, vacation is hailed not only as a respite
-from study, but also as a time to indulge in that “dolce far niente”
-life[A] so refreshing after months of prolonged effort. Not so in
-my case. I must not take advantage of Miss Grimshaw’s kindness, nor
-encroach too far on the benevolence of Mrs. Jeffries. Through their
-goodness I had been enabled to finish the term, and now I must work as
-faithfully as I had studied.
-
-As there was little to do in the grocery and Mr. Willett already had a
-boy, I thought best to try the farmers. True, I knew little of haying
-or harvesting; but I was strong, and willing to do my best.
-
-The next day after school closed I set out to find employment. Mr.
-Cosgrove at the Corners was the first one to whom I applied.
-
-“No; you have been to school for the year; of course that has spoiled
-you for labor.”
-
-“But mine has not been an easy life, Mr. Cosgrove. I walked three miles
-to the academy and back every day. I can work just as well, for all
-that?”
-
-“No, indeed; books spoil every one for work. There never was a better
-boy than Farley Steadman, till he took it into his head to go to
-college; and now I would not let him drive a cart through a pair of
-bars. He don’t know any thing; it has just spoiled him;” and the old
-man drove the nail into the fence he was strengthening, with more force
-than usual.
-
-“Do you know of any one, Mr. Cosgrove, likely to want help?”
-
-“Why, yes, every one wants help if he can get it; I do, but I don’t
-want school-boys.”
-
-I walked away not a little disconcerted. To get work would, I thought,
-be an easy matter. I had never for one moment supposed my going to
-school would be the least drawback. The next place was Mr. Colton’s;
-he had just engaged all the help he would need for the summer. “Farmer
-White on the hill might hire you,” he said; so I trudged off to farmer
-White’s. “No, I have rented my farm, and keep no one myself.”
-
-What to do I hardly knew; I had walked all the morning, and was tired.
-Besides, I did not know of any one else that would be likely to want
-extra help for the summer.
-
-“There’s Mr. Wyman at the Cross,” said farmer White; “I shouldn’t
-wonder if he might want you. You can try him; he is a mighty fine man,
-and his wife is a good Christian woman.”
-
-I started for Mr. Wyman’s. It was five miles from Mr. White’s, and the
-hot June sun was pouring down his strongest beams. I walked fast, but
-I could not help thinking; and almost before I was aware, I seemed to
-feel the visible presence of Mr. Kirby, to hear again the prayer he
-made in the mountain temple. I remembered too that he had told me how
-much distressed he was when the doctor first told him to go into the
-mountains. He had laid out his summer’s work, and was not willing to
-leave it. Days passed; he grew worse, and again his physician advised
-him to spend a few weeks among the hills. “I called it so much waste
-time,” he said--“time in which I could do nothing for myself, or for
-others. Yet it has not proved so.”
-
-No, I knew it had not, for it was his constant aim to serve his
-heavenly Father, and if he had for a time left his work in one place,
-still he labored for souls wherever he was; consequently his daily life
-among the hills blossomed into sweet charities which would ripen into
-sweeter fruit.
-
-What did I not owe him? Jennie too had remembered his words, and
-studied the little Bible he gave her, first because he had given it,
-and afterwards because its teachings responded to her spirit’s need. It
-is hardly possible for one to be a constant reader of that blessed book
-without a marked effect on heart and life. The diligent student of the
-Bible will have his tastes refined, his affections made more pure, his
-aspirations elevated, and his whole moral and mental tone immeasurably
-exalted. I could see this in Jennie, and I trusted there was something
-of the like in my own case. But as yet I knew nothing of the pardoning
-love of the Redeemer.
-
-I gained the brow of the hill from which I could see Mr. Wyman’s house,
-and look down on the rich field of grain waving in the sunlight. Every
-thing had a fresh, tidy appearance, and spoke of good management on the
-part of Mr. Wyman. Looking along the road, I saw a boy of my own size
-coming leisurely along; and as he approached I saw it was Ezra Metcalf,
-a lad that I had seen in Claverton.
-
-“A long time since I have seen you, Ezra,” I said as he came up. “Are
-you going to the village?”
-
-“Yes; I can’t stand it any longer. Old Wyman is so cross there’s no
-doing any thing with him. It is work, work, work; and when I would
-think it was all done, he’d send me into the house to wait on his wife.”
-
-“Men hire boys to work,” I answered.
-
-“Yes; but all the time is a little too much. Rain or shine, it made no
-difference. It seemed to be all that he thought of, to get as much work
-out of me as he could.”
-
-I listened to his statement without any misgiving, and when he had
-finished, I told him of my purpose to ask Mr. Wyman for work.
-
-“You had better not, if you want any flesh left on your bones,” he
-answered.
-
-I bade him good-by, and we walked on, each his own way.
-
-I found Mr. Wyman in his field hoeing corn. He did not stop as I came
-up and made known my errand.
-
-“Yes, I want a smart, go-ahead kind of boy; one who knows how work
-should be done, and will do it faithfully, whether I am by or not, if I
-could only find one of that sort.”
-
-“Will you try me, Mr. Wyman?”
-
-“Have you ever worked on a farm?”
-
-“No, sir; but I am willing to work, and I think I could do whatever
-there is to be done.”
-
-“What have you been doing for the last year?”
-
-“I have studied at the Rockdale academy.”
-
-“What is your name?”
-
-“Marston Howe.”
-
-“Marston Howe! I have heard Mr. Farnham speak of you as a good scholar.
-If you work as you study, I will take you.”
-
-“I shall aim to do so, Mr. Wyman.”
-
-“Let me see you hoe;” and he rested a moment.
-
-“That’s right, thrust your hoe deep; in that way you cut off the roots,
-and they will not be apt to sprout again; while if you hoe lightly, you
-only clip off the tops, and after the first rain they will be quite as
-bad as they are now.”
-
-It was new work to me. I went to bed at night tired as I never was
-before in my life; and but for the remembrance of Mr. Kirby, I doubt
-if I should have had courage to commence anew in the morning. But life
-is something more than sleeping and eating. It is the maturing into
-noble deeds, the consciousness of mental power, the exercise of that
-power in heroic self-conquest, and in doing good to others. I thought
-of this as I arose and looked up to the mountain we had once climbed.
-There it stood clearly defined against the calm, pure sky, its sides
-radiant with golden light that had not yet reached the valley. The
-noble manhood that Mr. Kirby exemplified must be sought with tireless
-footsteps and self-sacrificing heart.
-
-The farmer was out as I came down.
-
-“So you did not oversleep yourself,” said he as he bade me good-morning.
-
-“I did not rise as early as usual this morning, Mr. Wyman; hoeing is
-new business. I shall get accustomed to it, and can sleep just as well
-after it as after any thing else, I suppose.”
-
-“It is hard work, and so is every thing else. Some people make play out
-of it, but that is not my way. I was brought up to think that any thing
-that was worth doing at all, was worth doing well.”
-
-There was no lack of work at Mr. Wyman’s, neither was it always
-the same thing. Sometimes I felt like murmuring when, after a hard
-day’s work in the field, I was obliged to take the horses to the
-blacksmith’s, or carry corn to the mill, mend fences, or do something
-else of like nature. Mr. Wyman did not hold to sitting still. There
-were no idle moments, all were filled up; and when night came, I was
-so tired that I fell asleep without so much as a verse in my Bible.
-
-Then haying came on; and while the hands swung their scythes with an
-easy grace that I tried in vain to imitate, it fell to my part to
-do the raking. There was something so sweet and fragrant about the
-new-mown hay, that I enjoyed haying much better than hoeing.
-
-Once Jennie came to see me in the hay-field, and her dimpled face
-lit up with excess of joy as she tossed the clover and chased the
-butterflies, her heart full of sweet-springing thoughts. Resting a few
-moments on the hay, with her glad blue eyes looking up into the sky,
-she said a few hearty words about God’s love in opening up a path to
-us. Young as she was, she was beginning to feel the sweet influence of
-his Spirit in her heart, inciting her to love and serve him, believing
-that his promises were sure, and that he would never leave nor forsake
-her.
-
-Sweet little comforter; she hardly knew from what her words often saved
-me, desponding as I not unfrequently was, and inclined to go back
-instead of forward, feeling tempted to half do my work, and never dream
-of any thing more than present comfort.
-
-Coming to me in my need, repeating the words Mr. Kirby had spoken,
-going over with her Sabbath-school hymns and texts, she reminded me
-more and more of our sainted mother, and stimulated me more than
-words can tell to make use of every means in my power to get good and
-do good. Thus my evil thoughts did not gain the ascendency; and by
-continual striving I grew to enjoy my labor as my study, doing both
-with a will and determination to succeed.
-
-Every Saturday I walked five miles, for the purpose of hearing
-Jennie’s weekly lesson and walking to church with her on the Sabbath.
-
-“Do not forget the Sabbath,” had been one of the last injunctions of
-my dear mother; and when tempted, as I often was, to stay from church
-or from Sabbath-school because I was tired, or my dress was old and
-patched, or to read and study since I had so little time in the week,
-the thought of transgressing against her wish, rather than because it
-was a positive command of God, has often led me to his house, trying
-to cultivate a proper spirit on his holy day. And now that I have
-learned more of his law and of the wonderful plan of redemption for a
-guilty world, I bless his great name that I was early inclined to keep
-his Sabbath. Let me ask any little boy or girl who is trying to be a
-climber, to remember the Sabbath; not to think idle, foolish, wicked
-thoughts, neither to make companions of those who are accustomed to
-doing this; but reading God’s word, thinking of his love, listening to
-his servants, and praying for the indwelling of his Spirit.
-
-The Sabbath before the fall term of the academy was to commence, Mr.
-Harlan preached at Claverton. His text was, “The entrance of thy word
-giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” He spoke of
-light as the great vivifier, the life-giving principle, the beautifier.
-It paints the leaf of the lily and the rose, veins the violet, and
-tinges the varied landscape with beauty. Without sunlight the visual
-scope would be limited, and the beautiful around us would fail to
-awaken our interest.
-
-Before the Creator uttered that great fiat, “Let there be light,”
-darkness was upon the face of the great deep; all matter was in a
-circumfused mass, no ray of light to penetrate the gloom; and when
-there was light, it presented the earth without form and void. But when
-the sun was set in the firmament of heaven, then the earth brought
-forth grass, herbs, trees, and flowers; even the angels were charmed
-with its beauty, and the morning stars sang together for joy.
-
-So without the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great light of the moral
-firmament, all the light man has can only present a world without
-form, void of all beauty and all good; and it is only so far as “the
-Day-spring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit
-in darkness and in the shadow of death,” that the moral earth begins
-to shoot forth the choicest plants and to produce the richest fruits,
-so that the sons of God shout for joy and heaven rings with anthems of
-praise.
-
-The Scriptures set forth the birth of Christ under the figure of the
-rising sun. How glorious is this figure! When the heart drinks in the
-beauty of his words, when the light of his countenance shines upon
-the repentant soul, what a flood of rapture thrills the entire being!
-Christ is to us what the sun is to the material world, the dispenser of
-light, life, and joy.
-
-We have seen vegetables growing in corners or cellars, pale and
-delicate, creeping feebly towards a ray of light that penetrated some
-small crevice, like beings in distress stretching out their hands for
-help. Like those delicate and sickly plants, watching eagerly every
-ray of light, feeling their way through the darkness, hoping to find
-some opening that would lead out into a world of beauty, is often the
-experience of the individual Christian. Religion is not a thing of
-gloom and clouds. It is a lamp, a light, a sun; the very thing to cheer
-a desolate heart, and to brighten still more a cheerful, happy spirit.
-
-“That was what made Mr. Kirby so good and happy, wasn’t it?” said
-Jennie as we went home.
-
-“And Mr. Brisbane,” I continued. “I often wondered how he could be so
-happy when he was always suffering.”
-
-It had always been a habit since we had been with Miss Grimshaw to
-repeat as much of the sermon as we could to grandma, as we called Miss
-Grimshaw’s mother. This morning the sermon was easy to remember; and
-when we finished the poor woman took off her spectacles, and wiped the
-tears from her wrinkled face. She was one of God’s chosen ones; but
-her life had been darkened with much sorrow. Of eight children, she
-had buried all but one. Still was she uniformly cheerful and happy.
-A simple untaught woman, her understanding had been developed by the
-reading of His word, and his precious promises were familiar utterances
-in her humble home.
-
-Monday morning I rose early; the dew-drops sparkling on the grass,
-and the birds filling the trees with music. Jennie walked through the
-village and beyond the mill with me. Stopping to say good-by, we heard
-a noise of distress, and a fluttering of wings in a thicket near the
-roadside.
-
-Jennie was attracted at once, her loving heart responsive to the agony
-of the fluttering birds. On careful inspection, we found two little
-birdlings on the ground. They had fallen out of their nest, and though
-able to hop a little, could not fly.
-
-“Come, brother, put them back again,” and she held the little panting
-things, while I parted the leaves and found the nest, standing on
-tiptoe to put them in, and then retreating a little distance to see
-what the old ones would do.
-
-“Fallen out of their nest, just like us, brother; but God will take
-care of us. He has, and he will;” and she flung her arms round my neck
-and kissed me good-by, and I ran on as fast as I could.
-
-“Like birds fallen out of our nest.” I thought of it till I reached Mr.
-Wyman’s. I had lost a little time, for Jennie could not walk as fast as
-I could. Breakfast was nearly over; but Mr. Wyman was not cross, and
-Mrs. Wyman gave me a cup of coffee, and a plate filled with what she
-had set away for me, and for which my early walk had given me a keen
-relish.
-
-The haying was over; but there was grain to cut, and I took my sickle
-for the first time. All day my heart was light and cheerful; I felt
-the influence of the Sabbath rest, and I seemed continually to hear
-Mr. Harlan’s text, “The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth
-understanding to the simple.” I resolved that I would study my Bible;
-it should be to me a daily friend and companion. Mr. Kirby’s words too
-went ringing through my brain: “Do what you do well, and God will open
-a path where He sees that you can do something better.” Then Jennie
-and the birds came up again; and thus with a continued succession of
-pleasant thoughts, the day went happily away.
-
-Mr. Wyman was kind, and more jovial than usual; and after the evening
-meal, when I had filled the buckets with water, and helped Mrs. Wyman
-in the dairy, I drew up my chair to the table and commenced reading the
-weekly paper. Presently Mr. Wyman left his seat on the porch, knocked
-the ashes from his pipe, laid it on the mantel, and said,
-
-“Wife, have you told Marston what Mr. Farnham said?”
-
-“I have not had time; you had best tell him, papa.”
-
-I looked up in surprise. What had I done now? Was it because I was
-a few minutes behind time in the morning? There was no room for
-conjecture. Taking the arm-chair, Mr. Wyman began:
-
-“Have you any plans for the fall and winter, Marston?”
-
-“I was hoping that you would need me for the fall, Mr. Wyman; and in
-the winter I should like to go to school,” I answered with a choking
-voice.
-
-“Mr. Farnham was here Saturday night, after you went to Claverton. He
-spoke of you, and said that you was trying to study, and hoped to go
-through college. Do you really think of any thing like this?”
-
-“If I can, Mr. Wyman, although I am sometimes afraid it will take
-a long time. I can only hope to go to school winters, at least for
-several years.”
-
-“That is just what Mr. Farnham said, and as we no longer have a boy to
-educate, he made me more than half believe that I ought to help you. He
-said that you could nearly pay your board with errands, and odd jobs
-for Mr. Harlan; and I told him I would pay you wages through this month
-and the next. So if you want to go to school, you had better begin
-Wednesday. The more one knows, the better they may get along. Learn all
-you can, and try and make a man. Boys sometimes think their employers
-have no hearts. There has not been a day since you came here, in which
-I have not remembered my Willie, and felt for you. I could have made
-your work easier, but that would not be the way to make you a prompt,
-useful, industrious man.”
-
-My head bowed low while he spoke. I wished that I could live over the
-past months. I had tried; but there had been many days when I had
-dragged on, working because obliged to, yet not cheerful and happy. So
-many resolves I had made and broken; so many times felt like running
-away, and hiding myself out of sight and sound, longing to be free from
-responsibility and from effort, and then in a moment ashamed to think
-I should so forget, should be so weak and vacillating. Could I only
-live the vacation over again, I would be more watchful, more patient in
-trial.
-
-It is thus we ever feel, when we look back. Yet do we always gain
-wisdom from the retrospect? The future instead of the past calls for
-our resolves, and the wail of memory blending with the whispers of
-conscience, should be our incentive to a more useful life.
-
-But when Mrs. Wyman came in with some nice new shirts that were once
-Willie’s, and a handsome blue cloth jacket, that “looked so like the
-dear boy,” she said, I broke down entirely.
-
-“I do not deserve all this,” I said, choking down the tears. She put
-her hand on mine.
-
-“We give you these, Marston, to show that we approve your effort.
-Mr. Farnham told us how you went to school last year. There were no
-obstacles you did not overcome. A long walk twice a day, with bitter,
-stinging cold, and still you made no excuse. You have worked faithfully
-during vacation, and Mr. Wyman will let your wages run through the next
-month. But you cannot go to school without clothes; we have no one to
-wear them now;” and tears were on both of our faces. “Here’s a cap, and
-boots too, that were Willie’s. I shall be glad to see you wear them.
-Willie loved books. He would have gone to college, had he lived.”
-
-I could not answer; it was all so sudden, so unexpected. I could look
-back and see so many places where I had failed. With a full heart I
-hurried up to my room, thankful that I was to go to school, that a path
-had opened; and resolving anew that each moment should be spent to the
-best advantage.
-
-How it would gladden Jennie’s heart. “One step at a time,” she had
-whispered to me so often; “Mr. Kirby said that was enough for you to
-plan now. All that you are required to do is the work of the present
-hour, and then forward to the next. You will do it yet, Marston, I know
-you will.”
-
-Borne up on the encouragement of her words, I felt that I should. It
-would take years; but others had gone over the ground, and I could do
-the same; and with the thought of Mr. Kirby and Jennie, I fell asleep.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-VIII.
-
-
-It was said by a celebrated divine, “What we wish to be, that we
-become.” And perhaps it is so; for when our Creator allows a great
-longing to fill the soul, in the wish itself lies the surest pledge of
-its future realization. It was thus with me in reference to going to
-school. In addition to what Mrs. Wyman had given me, Miss Grimshaw had
-provided me an outfit, for it seemed she had an inkling that I was to
-return in September.
-
-I spent one night with Jennie, and Wednesday found me at Rockdale. Mr.
-Wyman had taken me over in his buggy: he had business at Terryville,
-he said, and would like to call at the academy; he used to know Mr.
-Harlan. Taking a kind leave after a short call, he said,
-
-“When your money gives out, don’t be afraid to call on me. You can pay
-me when you get through, if you like. If not, it will only be a trifle
-of what I should have done for Willie.”
-
-This was the man whom I had often called cold and unfeeling since
-that morning on which I met Ezra Metcalf going back to the village:
-no sympathy for a young heart in its struggles, no encouragement to
-give one trying to do right. How my heart smote me now, as I stood and
-watched him till he was out of sight; and then I tried to concentrate
-all my thoughts on my lesson.
-
-The first day of the term is always a broken one. Lessons are laid out,
-but not expected to be studied; new scholars coming in, and old ones to
-greet. Frank Clavers and Robert Lovell were delighted to have me back
-again, and Robert drew me into the same old seat.
-
-“Not that,” said Mr. Harlan laughing. “I look to you for assistance as
-well as study. Pupils that I know I allow to sit back; the seats near
-the desk are for new-comers;” and together we went down the aisle to
-the back seat.
-
-Robert Lovell did not board in the academy. He was the only son of a
-widowed mother, who lived in Terryville, and he paid his tuition by
-teaching a class of the smallest boys. Hence he was looked upon as both
-teacher and pupil; and his good sense and judicious bearing won the
-entire regard of those with whom he had to do. Of Scotch descent, large
-and overgrown, he looked much older than he really was. As a scholar,
-he was deep rather than brilliant, with a powerful memory, and fine
-appreciation of the beautiful. He was studying for the ministry, and
-his heart was alive to the importance of the work; but why he gave me
-such marked demonstrations of his friendship, I never knew; while for
-him I soon felt a warmth of regard second only to that given Mr. Kirby.
-Further advanced in his studies, he was of great assistance to me in
-my lessons--not by helping with translations, solving problems, etc.,
-but telling me circumstances connected with the time he was studying
-such and such a book, what he was obliged to do, his walks to school,
-and the efforts he had to make; giving me to see how small was my labor
-in comparison with his, my self-denial nothing like that he had known.
-Then drawing his chair nearer, and taking my hand, he would tell me the
-sweet story of the cross, painting in such colors the matchless purity
-and beauty of a life it was ours to imitate, that I forgot myself and
-my books, and only saw the bleeding, dying Saviour; only heard the
-sweet accents of his love, “Come unto me.”
-
-I shall never forget the first Sabbath at Rockdale. It did not seem
-that I could be denied spending the day with Jennie, and still Mr.
-Harlan had specified that I was to remain there. Try as I would, I
-rebelled not a little. Robert Lovell came into my room, and seeing
-my sorrowful face, asked the cause. I told him of my little sister,
-my mother’s charge concerning her, and that I could not be happy if
-obliged to remain from her over the Sabbath.
-
-“It is a great self-denial, I can see; but if you have the right
-spirit, you do not need to go to Claverton to spend Sunday properly.
-God looks at the heart; he sees all your love and devotion, and he
-is not one to forget. You want an education; through the kindness of
-friends, you are put in a position to help yourself. This involves
-your being here at your post all the time, and Saturday is of course
-your busiest day.”
-
-“I know it, and I feel quite ashamed of being so gloomy about it; but
-Jennie will miss me at Sabbath-school.”
-
-“That is just what I came in for. I want you to spend the Sabbath with
-me. Mr. Farnham has given me a class of boys about your age, and I
-should like to have you with us. We study together. I do not know so
-much more than they do, but I am willing to do what I can, and we shall
-improve in proportion as we become interested in that blessed book.”
-
-“So am I willing to do any thing,” I answered. “I am sorry I have been
-so fretful this morning. As you say, if I have the right spirit, I can
-spend the Sabbath here as well as in Claverton. I can think of Jennie
-as she sits in her little room; and when we do meet, we can compare our
-lessons and note our advancement just as we do in our other studies.”
-
-“Certainly; and remember that God knows us, and approves not so much
-what we have accomplished, as the effort that we make. It is not what
-we give that makes our offering acceptable, but the spirit in which it
-is given; not what we do, but the spirit in which it is done.”
-
-“I wish it was not such an effort to be good. I do try.”
-
-“It is so to every one, Marston; you are no exception. The more you
-read and study the Bible, the more you will learn that life is a
-continued warfare. Good and great as St. Paul was, he felt this more
-keenly than you do. The natural heart is deceitful, depraved, and
-desperately wicked; and even when renewed by divine grace, still
-constant watch and care are needed lest we fall into temptation.”
-
-“Who then can be good?” I asked.
-
-“All those who lean upon the Saviour. But so soon as we aim to walk by
-ourselves, we are lost. You must do this, Marston;” and Robert Lovell
-slid his arm around me, and in the silence of my own room, prayed with
-me as Mr. Kirby had done, that I might become an earnest follower of
-Christ; that I might be willing to be taught of him; and that now,
-in the morning of life, I might dedicate both heart and life to his
-service.
-
-“This is what I want to do,” I said as we rose from our knees; “but
-when I try hardest, my thoughts will fly off to something else, or
-hasty, impetuous feelings will rush over me, and make me feel there is
-no use in trying. Oh Robert, you don’t know what a wicked boy I am.”
-
-“There is no good in ourselves, Marston. It is all of His mercy. Go
-to the Saviour just as you are, and ask his assistance, his Spirit.
-He knows all your temptations, all your weaknesses, and he also knows
-all your efforts. Love and trust him, and his Spirit will help you to
-overcome. You will try to do this? say that you will;” and he held me
-firmly by the hand.
-
-“I will, Robert; I will.”
-
-Rockdale was less than half a mile from Terryville. It had been Mr.
-Harlan’s custom to have his pupils go to Mr. Farnham’s church, leaving
-him free to preach in the neighborhood adjacent. In this way many were
-favored with the preached word that would otherwise have been deprived
-of it; and it is to be hoped much good was done by thus scattering the
-seed in out-of-the-way places.
-
-But while Mr. Harlan was doing all the good he could, and Robert
-Lovell was not unmindful of the work before him, active in the double
-position of both teacher and pupil, there were at Rockdale other
-spirits quite as energetic in another direction--boys that seemed to
-have no idea of any thing beyond physical enjoyment, to elude the
-teachers, escape study, and “have a good time.” This was the great end
-and aim of their school life.
-
-As Robert Lovell’s home was at the extreme part of the village, I
-did not see as much of him as of some of the others; and no doubt he
-thought me weak and vacillating, contrasting as I sometimes did the
-industrious, painstaking pupil with the selfish, ease-loving one, who
-seemed to get along just as well. Happy, cheerful, fun-loving spirits,
-with plenty of money to spend, and always ready for a forage on
-watermelons or into the cakes and pies in Mrs. Harlan’s pantry. Their
-only concern was, not to be discovered. Like the Spartan, they held it
-was no harm to steal; the only disgrace was in being discovered; every
-other consideration was too trivial for a moment’s notice.
-
-“Such boys will not make men,” said Robert Lovell. “Look in your ‘Self
-Helps’--you will find no such examples.”
-
-After a while I had an opportunity to go home, as I continued to call
-Miss Grimshaw’s, more perhaps because Jennie lived there than any
-thing else. All the weeks that I had been at school, Jennie had been
-studying; and that evening she had much to tell me of her lessons,
-many questions to ask, and explanations to go over. She had taken up
-philosophy and natural science; and her quick understanding seemed to
-grasp easily what it had taken me a long time to learn.
-
-“There is one exercise that you have,” she said at tea, “that I should
-like very much, and that is composition.”
-
-“Composition!” and I laughed heartily; for the week before I had
-listened to a knot of girls as they spoke particularly of their dislike
-of this exercise above all others.
-
-“If you desire to write compositions,” I replied, trying to look grave,
-“I do not see why you may not write them here. I have to write them,
-and I try to do my best. I can’t say how little I might do if I was not
-obliged to do it.”
-
-“Yes, but how am I to know if they are correctly written?”
-
-“You can see that they are spelled rightly, written and folded neatly.
-Put your thought into the very best language you have. The second time
-it will be easier than the first, and so on. Write just as you would
-talk, easy, naturally, and without effort. These are the rules Mr.
-Harlan gave me. I will find some one to correct them for you.”
-
-Besides composition, Jennie had to tell me about her pupil, for young
-as she was she had turned teacher.
-
-“He is a big boy, nearly as large as you are, Marston; but I felt so
-sorry for him. He said his father and mother were both dead, and he
-had no one to care for him, no one to mind whether he was bad or good;
-that he did try to work, and Mr. Wyman turned him away: he forgot one
-night to put up the bars, and the cows got into the corn. He was sorry,
-and would not have neglected it again; yet Mr. Wyman would not believe
-him, but told him he had nothing more for him to do. I couldn’t help
-telling him that if he would come in every evening I would teach him
-arithmetic; and sure enough, he has been in regularly, and is studying
-in good earnest.”
-
-“Pray what is your pupil’s name?”
-
-“Ezra Metcalf. Oh, brother, you know he is a big boy; but he has never
-had anybody to tell him how to be good. He goes to Sabbath-school too;”
-and she looked eagerly for my approval.
-
-“He has improved a great deal,” said grandma; “he hardly looks like the
-same boy; as trim and neat as anybody now: he has found a place to live
-and work, and goes to church regularly. I never saw such a change in
-any one. I shouldn’t wonder if he made somebody right smart yet; if he
-does, you’ll have the credit of it, child.”
-
-“I do not think there is any credit in it, grandma. What should I have
-known, had there been no one to tell me? Marston and I have much to be
-thankful for. I often think of Mr. Kirby, and how much he told me.
-Ezra Metcalf never had a friend like that.”
-
-“You are right, Jennie,” said grandma with a little pat of her hand; “I
-am glad to see that you are willing to share with others the good that
-you have yourself received. This is as it should be.”
-
-Thus Jennie was finding her work, and I was stimulated anew as we
-talked over all that Mr. Kirby had taught us.
-
-“If we could only have such a person with us all the time,” said
-Jennie. “And still my Sabbath-school teacher says that we can all have
-a Friend better and wiser than any earthly friend can be. All that is
-necessary is to ask him; the precious Saviour is always ready to be a
-friend to any who heartily desire him. You do, don’t you, Marston?” and
-she laid her little head on my shoulder; “and I do. Mr. Kirby could not
-stay with us, neither can we be together; we both want just such a
-Friend;” and the blue eyes looked up to mine pleadingly.
-
-“Yes, Jennie, I mean to ask Him.”
-
-“We will both ask Him. Miss Ackers says he never turns any away,
-especially if they are poor. I told Ezra Metcalf of this, and he
-promised to seek the Saviour.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-IX.
-
-
-The gorgeous autumn days had gone, and the snow was beginning to
-whiten the mountains, when Robert Lovell left Rockdale to teach in a
-neighboring district during the winter months. Very lonely it seemed
-without him; for with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan, there
-was no one else that felt half the interest in me, and as a natural
-consequence, of whom I thought half as much. I should miss him, but
-then my duties would not allow of many regretful moments. Snow, ice,
-and cold weather would only add to my work; and I tried hard to look it
-in the face, and to be cheerful and happy.
-
-“Homesick without Lovell!” said my room-mate, one of the best-natured,
-most amiable, and still most indolent scholars in school. “Such an
-old sanctimonious thing; he never entered into any of our fun, neither
-would he let you. I tell you what, Marston, you’ve been shut up long
-enough. We have some capital times that the old folks know nothing
-about.”
-
-“Is that right, Farden?” I asked.
-
-“‘Right!’ that’s Lovell all over,” and he laughed till the room
-fairly echoed. “‘Right’ who ever heard such a question but from some
-white-livered thing like Lovell?”
-
-“Farden, you shall not speak of Lovell in that manner. Cowardice has no
-part in his character; you know as well as I do there is not a braver
-scholar in the school;” and I bounded across the room, startled out of
-my usual quiet by the unjust accusation.
-
-“Really, Howe, you show anger just as soon as any of us, in spite of
-all your goodness. A thousand pities Lovell is not here to see you in
-such a towering passion. That’s just what I like, though. I only said
-it to see if you could be worked up.”
-
-“You knew it was untrue, and yet said it to stir me up. Richard Farden,
-I had not thought you could do any thing so base as that; for the
-future I shall understand you better;” and I turned on my heel and went
-back to my book.
-
-“I know he’s as brave as a lion. Come, Howe, it was foolish; I did not
-mean to anger you; I am sorry. Come, make up with me. I see Lovell has
-not spoiled you; only say that you will be one with us.”
-
-“I will not be one with you,” and I opened my Virgil.
-
-“What’s the use of studying your eyes out, Howe? it will do you no
-good.”
-
-“Good or not, I shall study,” I answered, vexed at myself for being
-so hasty; “I came here to study.” I thought of Jennie’s pale face, and
-earnest eyes; she was now studying, and I could not but acknowledge to
-myself that she would feel sorry did she know how easily I had been
-disturbed. How was it that my good resolves were so easily shaken?
-Why was I so moved by the word and look of another? Could I only have
-looked with an unwavering trust to Him who was both able and willing to
-be to me the friend I so much needed.
-
-And still I thought I loved and trusted him. But Oh, it was only a half
-trust. I did not lean implicitly on him; I still felt that I could do
-something to merit his favor; that something was expected and required
-of me, and I must do it.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-And here let me urge all in the long list of climbers, to examine well
-and see if self does not intrude: if they are in truth willing to
-be guided and led by Christ; willing to walk in the path appointed,
-not idly, not passively, not sleepily, but with energy, doing all that
-can be done, always doing their best. Never giving way, going back,
-desponding, or denying Christ. Or, if they have denied him, like Peter
-repenting bitterly, and resolving as he did to be more energetic, more
-fearless, more faithful in the future.
-
-The room was so still I thought Farden had gone out; but soon there
-was a blue line of smoke curling and twisting upward, and the subtle
-perfume of the “fragrant weed” was plainly perceptible. A little sigh,
-and Farden poised his cigar in true professional style, tipped back his
-chair, planted both feet on the mantel, and spoke again.
-
-“I came here to study. There was no end to the plans I laid. I was
-to study every day and every night, and in a short time I expected to
-learn all that was to be taught here; then to college, and had little
-doubt but I should speedily distance the professors, and perhaps rival
-Humboldt himself. Instead of that I don’t look into a book once a week,
-except when I recite; and I don’t see but I get along just as well. If
-I don’t know it, I only have to pick out a difficult word or phrase,
-and say that it is not clear to me, that I do not quite understand it;
-and usually it takes so long to explain it that the time is up. We boys
-take turns in this game.”
-
-“And you own to such meanness,” I said, as much excited as at first.
-
-“They’ve no business to allow themselves to be deceived.”
-
-“You neither deceive yourself, nor any one else. Your tutor
-understands it, and so does Mr. Harlan; and you know it is not right.”
-
-“‘Right,’ again; of course I do. But I do not see the use. I shall
-never talk in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew; then why delve so many years
-over them?”
-
-“Mr. Farnham said it was to make us think.”
-
-“Very little good comes of it that I can see,” said Farden putting his
-cigar to his mouth; “that problem in equations that you worked on so
-long, a precious little good it will do you.”
-
-“Mr. Harlan told us the other day that every obstacle overcome gives us
-just so much additional strength; that it is by these stepping-stones
-that we attain the desired result.”
-
-“Stepping-stones of obstacles! that is well enough for Mr. Harlan; but
-I’ll tell you what, Howe, money is the stepping-stone in this country.
-Give me that, and I don’t care a picayune for any thing else.”
-
-“The one that knows most usually succeeds best; knowledge wins money.”
-
-“Pshaw! nonsense! that’s not so. Why, the richest man in this county
-can hardly write his name.”
-
-“That may be; he may prove an exception; but that in no wise does away
-with the rule.”
-
-“Well, my cigar is out. All I can say is, that we are going to have a
-capital time to-night; you had better come along. You wont tell, any
-way; Lovell never did: we could always trust him;” and the door closed.
-
-Why was it that I could not study? Why was it that I should strive and
-struggle between my inclination to live easily, as Farden did, and my
-desire to do right? “No right effort is ever lost,” sounded out strong,
-clear, distinct, almost as though some one spoke it aloud; and so
-forcibly did it take possession of me, and so much strength sprung up
-out of each little word, there was no more murmuring, and my morning’s
-lesson did not suffer from the ungovernable feeling of the evening
-previous.
-
-A few days after the above conversation Farden came in after his
-skates, and Harry Gilmore with him. Tapping me on the shoulder, Harry
-said, “Put up that book; you are looking like a scarecrow. Come.”
-
-“Where?” I asked.
-
-“First to the ice, and then,” looking up archly, “where we have no
-stupid books, but plenty of fun and frolic. Why not go? What if you do
-fail in the next lesson? Some of the boys fail every day.”
-
-“You will never be thought less of,” said Richard Farden. “I do not
-look at my translation till I go in to recite. It comes to me just as
-I want to say it.”
-
-“It does not come to me without study,” I answered.
-
-“That is because your brains are so knotted up poring over it all the
-while,” persisted Harry. “Clear them out occasionally with a good jolly
-spree, and you’ll be all right. Come along.”
-
-“What will Mr. Harlan say?”
-
-“Mr. Harlan will never know. He thinks we are all in bed by ten
-o’clock.”
-
-“And so we are,” said Richard; “they don’t seem to think we can get up
-again.”
-
-“Do what you do well”--I seemed to hear Mr. Kirby’s voice urging me to
-do right, while Jennie’s sweetly pleading eyes looked reproachingly.
-
-“No, I will not go,” I said determinedly. “I came here to study, and I
-will do it. You know your parents could not approve of your course;
-you know Mr. Harlan would not; you know your own conscience does not. I
-will not go with you, and I advise you to stay at home yourself.”
-
-“Lovell all over; isn’t it, Harry?” and my room-mate examined his
-skates carefully.
-
-“I do wish you would come, Howe;” and he spoke half reproachfully.
-
-“I came here for a purpose, and I shall follow it.”
-
-The door closed with a slam. I crossed the room and leaned my head on
-the mantel; school life was so different from what I had expected.
-I had supposed that everybody appreciated study, that everybody
-longed for an education, and that only opportunity was wanted to make
-good scholars. I had learned differently. Nominal students were not
-actual learners; neither were those who applied themselves the most
-diligently, in all cases the most appreciated. Then I remembered again
-Mr. Kirby’s words: “Doing right is the only safe course, and although
-slow and wearisome at first, is sure to succeed. Other paths may look
-as if they would lead into shaded nooks and flowery dells; but ruin
-lurks in secret, and despair has a lodge there. The only safety is
-in keeping clear of them, having nothing to do with them; while the
-onward road, narrow and rough though it be, will in the end lead to the
-desired result.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-X.
-
-
-In so large a school as that in Rockdale, of course there were various
-cliques, and each clique with its leader. Frank Clavers was at the head
-of the Senior class, and round him gathered good scholars and studious
-boys; while Richard Farden and Harry Gilmore, by virtue of wealth, good
-looks, and an easy, good-natured manner, took the lead in all sports
-and amusements; and Robert Lovell was looked up to and followed by all
-who had a thought of the future. Few enough there were of these; and to
-this clique I had attached myself. Hence the goodness that my room-mate
-was constantly reproaching me with, when I refused to join in their
-stolen revels.
-
-“I am sure I should be on the ice half the time, if I could skate as
-you do,” said Harry Gilmore once as I joined the skaters during recess.
-
-“So should I perhaps, had I nothing else to do,” I answered, skimming
-over the smooth surface with all the freedom of a bird on the wing.
-“It is a good deal of self-denial for me to stay at home, Harry. I own
-there are times when an hour on the ice would please me much better
-than sawing wood or making paths through the snow.”
-
-“Why don’t you do it then? we have to beg you ever so long. I had no
-idea you could skate so beautifully.”
-
-“I cannot afford the time,” I answered frankly. “I came here to study;
-and you know I nearly pay my board with what I can do during the hours
-that you have for recreation.”
-
-“And your father don’t give you a cent?”
-
-“My father and mother are both dead, Harry. I have the dearest little
-sister in the world; but as for money, I earn all I have with my own
-hands.”
-
-“This is why you work and study then,” said he, linking his arm in mine
-and flashing across the pond. “It makes me ashamed of myself every time
-I hear you refuse to go with Richard; but I didn’t know that--”
-
-“That I was so poor?”
-
-“That your parents were dead, and you trying to educate yourself.”
-
-“How is this?” shouted Richard Farden as soon as he turned the bend and
-came to shore--“how is it that you have got Howe on his skates? What
-arguments have you used, what inducements held out?”
-
-“Golden ones, I’ll be bound,” shouted Charles Eaton, while the boys
-laughed uproariously.
-
-“I have no influence over Marston Howe,” said Harry, calling me by my
-first name. “He has an influence over me, however, and I am resolved
-each day more and more to follow it.”
-
-“How now? what’s the matter?” cried several voices as we unstrapped our
-skates.
-
-I saw by the look of the sun that my time was up, and without another
-word I hurried up the hill and across the field to the academy.
-
-Before the study bell rang, Harry Gilmore came to my room. “Have you a
-moment to spare, Marston?”
-
-“Yes, a moment for you,” I answered.
-
-“And you will not call it so much lost time?” drawing his chair to the
-table, and placing his feet on the fender. “To tell the truth, I am
-ashamed of the life I am leading this winter; the deception we practise
-is outrageous.”
-
-“You do not deceive any one, Harry. Mr. Harlan may not know all of your
-nightly wanderings; but he knows who studies and who does not, and so
-do all the teachers.”
-
-“Then why don’t they scold us as we deserve, send us home, or expel us?”
-
-“Perhaps you would not do any better at home. They do all they can,
-both by precept and example; and they hope that time and your own good
-sense will at length compel you to do better.”
-
-“And I am determined that I will. I have been led by Richard long
-enough. I am resolved to study for the rest of the term; and if I do,
-will you be my friend?” and he looked at me earnestly.
-
-“You forget how poor I am. I pay my board by waiting on the household.”
-
-“So much the more honor for you. My father was once a poor man. He’s
-rich now; worth half a million, I suppose. But that only makes me
-think meaner of myself. Only think of the money I spend every week,
-flinging it away, and you have none. You say you have a sister; so
-have I; and such good letters she writes me, telling me to use my time
-profitably, and not to be led away by ease-loving, indolent companions.
-I am going to try now, and you must help me.”
-
-His look and tone touched me, and my words leaped out, “As far as I can
-I will help you to do right, Harry.”
-
-“I shall be a better boy if you will let me come here sometimes and see
-you study. Say that you will, Marston. There goes the bell. Say that I
-may come.”
-
-“As often as you like.”
-
-“If my lessons are good to-morrow, you may take the credit of it;” and
-the door closed.
-
-Presently Richard came in, flung down his cap and gloves, and hastily
-tore the envelope from a letter.
-
-“I declare it’s too bad; not a cent of money. Father has no idea of the
-little things that draw upon the purse.”
-
-“It cannot be that you have used the last he sent,” I exclaimed, seeing
-his look of distress.
-
-“Yes, but I have though, and had to borrow besides. You see every thing
-is so high; our suppers have cost enormously; and now the lectures are
-coming on, and I have not a dime.”
-
-“I have several tickets; that need not trouble you.”
-
-“The lectures would be dull enough if it was not for something
-afterwards: and the sleigh-rides; I’ve promised ever so many I’d treat
-them to a ride. It’s just the time now; and the old fellow don’t seem
-to appreciate it at all.”
-
-“He appreciates study more, perhaps.”
-
-“I know it, Howe, as well as you do. I don’t study. I feel ashamed of
-it, and still I cannot do better. I mean to in the spring. I’ll turn
-over a new leaf, as Gilmore says.”
-
-“Why not begin now?” I ventured to ask.
-
-“Because I can’t; I’ve got out of the way of study, and to go back
-is not so readily done. I would not have father know how I spend
-my time; and my sister is always writing me to make good use of my
-opportunities. Poor mother, I am all the boy she has got, and I know
-how anxious she is about me. I don’t mean to be wild, but I’m afraid
-that I am.”
-
-The last words, mournfully spoken, touched my heart. Besides, the idea
-of his trifling with a mother’s love moved me to speak.
-
-“Why not try now to do what you feel to be right? You might easily be
-the first in your class.”
-
-“I meant to be when I came here; but when I saw how some of the others
-managed, by degrees I fell into the same ways.”
-
-“It is not too late to commence. Mr. Harlan told us that when we become
-conscious of an error, we should turn from it immediately. It is easy
-for us to do wrong; and to turn as soon as we become conscious of it,
-is the only true wisdom.”
-
-“I don’t believe I can here; the boys all know me, and they will expect
-me to do just as I have done.”
-
-A little tap at the door. Charles Eaton entered, and conversation took
-a more general tone.
-
-A few evenings after this, in passing out of the supper-room, Mrs.
-Harlan handed me several papers, magazines, etc. Looking them over,
-I found a notice of the death of Charles Brisbane, my first teacher.
-My eyes grew dim as I gazed upon the record, which spoke of early
-promise, rare graces of mind, and the deep religious element underlying
-a character devoted to the elevation of the human race. I cannot
-describe the effect produced by the perusal of that short obituary.
-Mr. Brisbane’s words had roused me to action, and taught me my duty
-to myself and to my Maker; but his death gave to his well-remembered
-utterances all the force and power of a voice from heaven. Thenceforth
-I cherished his image still more, as one of my choicest treasures;
-and the desire of my heart was deepened to acquire knowledge and
-discipline, and to be, like him, a good and useful man.
-
-And still, with all my resolves, I was conscious I failed in the most
-important, point. Did I love the Saviour as he did? Did I as closely
-follow Him?
-
-Winter passed, and spring blossomed into beauty. Robert Lovell was
-again with us. There was more study; examination was coming, and all
-were anxious to make a good appearance. My room-mate was more studious,
-and Harry Gilmore was trying to redeem time. Out of school my time
-was taken up with gardening; and much pleasanter it was than making
-paths in the ice and snow. True, I had never done any thing of this
-before; but although a little awkward at first, it soon came easy.
-Besides, it brought me in continual contact with Mr. and Mrs. Harlan;
-and their remarks were not only pleasant, but profitable. In the room
-of feeling despondent, as I had now and then done during the winter, I
-was cheerful and happy; and without enjoying my books the less, I did
-enjoy my labors more.
-
-“It is strange how quickly the weeds grow,” I said to Mrs. Harlan as I
-was thinning out the early vegetables.
-
-“I never look at the weeds without thinking of my own heart,” she
-answered. “Goodness, patience, humility, and faith are here to be
-cultivated with constant care; while selfishness and passion spring up
-almost imperceptibly, and their seeds are, like the thistle-down, borne
-on the lightest breeze.”
-
-“There is one comfort with the weeds,” I answered; “we can cut them
-up by the roots; but the evil in our hearts, the foolish and wicked
-desires that so often strive for the mastery, are not so easily
-managed.”
-
-“Not by ourselves, Marston; but there is One that can help us in this.
-Like the careful gardener, that lops off and prunes the vine till it
-seems, as it did to you the other day, that it would die cut down so
-closely, so God deals with us according to the condition in which we
-are placed, lopping off a branch here and there, taking away a support,
-replanting according to our needs and necessities, and all to improve
-the growth and life, that the fruit may be more abundant. You remember
-in January, when the shade-trees were trimmed, you thought they were
-ruined, and exclaimed against it.”
-
-“Yes, I thought they were cut too closely, the last year’s growth
-almost entirely cut away, leaving little but the bare trunk.”
-
-“And you see now how they are putting forth new and vigorous branches.
-They had branches and leaves last year, but no beauty; and there was
-too much top for the roots; hence the necessity of cutting them
-closely: watch them, and you will see how much more beautiful and
-fruitful they will be for such severe pruning.”
-
-“If we could always keep this in mind,” I answered; “but it is so easy
-to grow despondent when we cannot understand the why and wherefore of
-our trials.”
-
-“The plants do not ask why and wherefore, but put forth all their
-energy in the direction to which they are guided,” was the reply.
-
-“It is their nature; but with us it is not so easy and natural,” I said.
-
-“How so? it is our privilege to be guided and supported. The Saviour is
-often represented under the figure of a gardener, his garden the world,
-and the plants in it the human beings for whom he died. If we are his
-servants, the afflictions and privations we are called upon to endure
-are only prunings from his hand. Neither should we ask why; but turning
-our gaze in the direction specified, seek to fulfil his purpose.”
-
-“And if we try, does he see and notice our effort?”
-
-“Yes, Marston, the fall of a sparrow is noted by him; and there is
-nothing connected with our well-being but interests him. He is moved
-with a feeling of compassion when he looks upon our suffering; and so
-great is his love, that if he could spare us the least pang he would do
-so.”
-
-By this time I had finished the asparagus-bed, while the rows of
-lettuce stood neatly defined, and the delicate tendrils of the
-pea-vines began twisting themselves about for the support I had placed
-within their reach. Mr. Harlan suggested that one walk needed to be
-widened, and another to be gravelled. It was Saturday, and I took the
-wheelbarrow and crossed the pasture to the brook.
-
-While shovelling gravel, with my coat off and sleeves rolled up,
-I heard shouts and voices. A light wagon, drawn by two spirited
-horses, and filled by half a dozen boys, was coming down the road
-from Terryville. Richard Farden was driving, and when opposite me, he
-stopped.
-
-“We are going down to see Frank Clavers, and then on a fishing
-excursion up the river. There is room enough for one more; put down
-your sleeves and jump in; we’ve plenty of hooks and lines.”
-
-“A grand treat it will be,” cried several from the back seat; “you had
-better come.”
-
-“We shall have a splendid supper,” added Richard, “and then home by
-moonlight. Such a chance you don’t get every day. Come on.”
-
-I longed to avail myself of the privilege. I had not had a ride, save
-on horseback, for a long time. And then it was to see Frank; and
-perhaps I could stop for a moment at Miss Grimshaw’s, and see Jennie.
-Still I had no time. Mrs. Harlan was expecting me back, and there stood
-the wheelbarrow half-full of gravel. “No,” I answered, “I cannot go. I
-have not the time; drive on;” and I took my shovel, not daring to look
-up till the handsome turnout was out of sight.
-
-The next half hour was one of mingled feelings. Why was my lot so hard,
-and that of others so easy? “He deals with us according to our needs,”
-Mrs. Harlan had said; and I tried hard to work cheerfully, though
-saying to myself now and then, “It is Saturday, and no more than fair
-had I gone home. How much good it would have done me;” and plunging my
-shovel into the yielding bank, I started my wheelbarrow.
-
-“Do not work so hard, Marston; you look heated;” and Mrs. Harlan looked
-up approvingly.
-
-“What a difference it makes,” said she as I scattered the gravel in
-heaps, and then spread it evenly.
-
-“It will require two or three loads more,” I answered; and on I went,
-feeling that any thing was better than to stand still.
-
-Again had I reached the gravelled shore, and was shovelling away
-smartly, when Harry Gilmore leaped down the bank with his merry laugh
-and cheerful voice.
-
-“If I was to envy anybody at Rockdale, it would be you,” he said, after
-a few words about the fishing party.
-
-“Me!” and I pointed to my bare arms and my face dripping with
-perspiration.
-
-“Yes, I believe you have more real comfort than any one of us who have
-rich fathers. You prize every hour in school, because it costs you
-self-denial; while we have never learned to value privileges that cost
-us nothing. Now let me help you,” he said, taking off his coat, “for I
-am to have a drive in the evening, and I want you should get through in
-time to join me.”
-
-“A drive! where?”
-
-“Anywhere you please; to Claverton, if you will.”
-
-“Oh, that will be so good. Are you really to go?”
-
-“Certainly I am to go, and you are to go with me. Now give me that
-shovel.”
-
-“There’s nothing more to do with it just now.”
-
-“What a pity there are not two wheelbarrows. I will go back with you
-and get another.”
-
-“You forget your clothes,” I said, looking at his neat suit of
-broadcloth.
-
-“Gravel is clean; it will all brush off;” and we started, each grasping
-a handle of the wheelbarrow and keeping step over the green sward.
-
-With an amused look, Mrs. Harlan eyed us as we came up.
-
-“Two boys work faster than one,” she said, as Harry scattered the
-gravel and I smoothed it.
-
-“Two more loads will be enough, wont they, Mrs. Harlan?” asked Harry;
-and being answered in the affirmative, away he went to the wood-shed,
-and returned with a heavier wheelbarrow for himself.
-
-“Not that, Harry; you are not accustomed to it. If you insist on
-going, you must take this.” With a few playful words we exchanged
-wheelbarrows, while Mrs. Harlan looked after us as we trundled down the
-path at a brisk pace.
-
-“How stupid. I forgot that we had but one shovel,” said Harry with a
-light laugh.
-
-“I will fill both,” I answered.
-
-“No, I came to help you. I will sit still while you fill yours; then
-you shall rest till mine is ready, and we can start even.”
-
-There seemed to be no other way, and I assented.
-
-“There, old fellow,” said he as the gravel lay piled in my barrow, “now
-it’s my turn.”
-
-“Oh, Harry, it will tire you out; let me,” I persisted.
-
-“My back is no better than yours; go and sit down.”
-
-Overcome by his kindness, I went and sat on the bank, hardly conscious
-of my own identity. I had felt so bitterly in the morning, thinking
-my lot so hard; and now to find that Harry had stayed at home to take
-me out for the evening, and then, fearing I should not finish in time,
-helping me himself--the boy that never had waited on himself doing this
-heavy work, and all for me.
-
-“There, I am done,” leaving the shovel standing upright in the middle
-of his load.
-
-“You will find it heavy; you had better tip out some,” I suggested.
-
-“My arms are strong; have no fear,” he answered, and struck into the
-path ahead of me.
-
-“Pretty warm,” said Harry, after a few moments. “I reckon I’ll tip off
-my vest instead of the gravel;” and I saw that his collar was limp and
-the linen on his shoulders wet through and through.
-
-“This will be sufficient,” said Mrs. Harlan as we finished smoothing
-the walk. “You have worked so well, Marston, the rest of the day may
-be your own.”
-
-“Mrs. Harlan,” and Harry stood with his cap in his hand, “I am to go to
-Claverton this evening, for the ride merely, and I would like to take
-Marston with me, if you have no objection.”
-
-“To Claverton this evening! You will see Miss Grimshaw and Jennie,”
-turning to me.
-
-“If I go, I shall hope to see them.”
-
-“I will see;” and she crossed the veranda into her husband’s study.
-
-“Yes, Mr. Harlan is willing you should go,” she said. “I hope the ride
-will be pleasant. Let me see you before you go, Marston.”
-
-“All ready,” shouted Harry as he drove up in a pretty open buggy drawn
-by a high-spirited black horse, that pawed the ground just a little, to
-show his impatience.
-
-“In a minute, Harry.” I had not yet seen Mrs. Harlan, and I flew down
-stairs and across the hall to the parlor.
-
-“Not there, Marston,” and Mrs. Harlan called me to her own room. “Here
-are a few things that I intended for you before examination. It will be
-a good time to wear them this evening, however, and you may try them on
-at once; I am impatient to see if they fit.”
-
-My hand trembled as I took them, and my voice still more.
-
-“Do not be afraid to wear them, you have fairly earned them. Mr. Harlan
-told me that he owed them to you.”
-
-They were a nice spring suit of light grey cloth. I could not stop to
-half thank her, but hastened into my own room, and slipping into them,
-gave one look into the little mirror, and then down stairs, under Mrs.
-Harlan’s kindly review, and then out to Harry.
-
-“Why, Marston, what’s the matter? You are actually crying.”
-
-“It was all so unexpected,” I murmured, dropping into my seat.
-
-“They are not a bit too good for you; I was with her when she ordered
-them. The tailor measured me instead of you; that’s the reason they
-fit so nicely. I told Mrs. Harlan you could wear my clothes. But come,
-cheer up; don’t let a nice suit of clothes spoil your eyes. We shall
-have lots to see.”
-
-Impatient as I was to see Jennie, the ride seemed short; and when we
-drove up to Miss Grimshaw’s little white gate, I thought I had never
-seen a picture half so beautiful. It was a soft spring day, the parlor
-windows open, and the white muslin curtains fluttering in the breeze.
-The breath of the lilacs perfumed the air, and the tulips were budding
-into beauty. Miss Grimshaw had moved her shop to a larger building,
-and we walked up the yard and were looking through the half-open door,
-when grandma spied us, and came forward, leaning on her staff.
-
-“Why, Marston, is that you? I am so glad to see you. How you have
-grown, child.”
-
-“And this is Harry Gilmore,” I answered, till then forgetting to
-introduce my companion.
-
-“Sit down; Jennie will be in presently.”
-
-“Where is she, grandma?”
-
-“In the strawberry bed at the back of the house. I will call her.”
-
-“No, grandma, let us go for her: and may we pick some strawberries?”
-
-“As many as you wish.”
-
-By this time Jennie had seen the buggy, and surmising who had come,
-started to meet us. One glad cry of surprise, and her arms were round
-my neck.
-
-“Oh, brother, I am so glad to see you. I began to fear you would never
-come again;” then turning to Harry, as I named him, she held out her
-little dimpled hand. “I am glad you came to-day, the strawberries are
-so fine. This is the first day we have had them in abundance. Will you
-take some of mine?” holding up a bowl she had picked quite full, the
-red stain still on her fingers.
-
-“Grandma said we might help ourselves.”
-
-An hour passed deliciously, and then Jennie ran in, smoothed out her
-sunny curls, and put on a fresh pretty gingham, looking handsomer than
-I had ever seen her before. Miss Grimshaw came in for tea, and the
-nice white rolls were enjoyed by us with a peculiar zest, while the
-strawberries and cream were, as Harry said, beyond all praise. After
-tea we strolled out to the river, gathered violets, and talked of our
-studies.
-
-“It looks natural, and still every thing wears a brighter hue,” I said
-to Jennie as we stood on the door-step. “I have never seen the spring
-half so beautiful.”
-
-“Perhaps it is in ourselves,” Jennie said. “You have not forgotten what
-Mr. Kirby said: ‘If we think good and happy thoughts, we shall look
-through such a medium that every thing about us will wear the same
-hue.’”
-
-“I like to hear you repeat what Mr. Kirby said,” I continued.
-“Sometimes I am afraid that I am forgetting him.”
-
-“We both owe Mr. Kirby more than anybody else in the world. We must
-never forget him.”
-
-[Illustration]
-
-Harry had been walking round the flower beds with grandma. They stopped
-near us, and she said, “You have grown tall, Marston, and I hear
-people say that you are getting to be a fine scholar. I do not know
-much of books, but I have picked up a verse that I want you to think
-of: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’”
-
-“And you too,” she continued, addressing Harry. “You will both make
-better men for heeding it.”
-
-“So my mother says,” was Harry’s reply.
-
-We did not see Frank Clavers, neither hear any thing of the
-excursionists. At parting Jennie gave us a basket of strawberries for
-Mrs. Harlan, and stood with cheeks flushed and eyes misty with tears,
-the gold brown curls waving over her white shoulders.
-
-“The prettiest picture that I have ever seen,” said Harry as we drove
-away. “You may well be proud of your sister, Marston.”
-
-“And so I am,” I replied. “The best of all, she is as good as she is
-beautiful.”
-
-For some reason we talked quite soberly during our ride back to
-Rockdale, going over the incidents of the past, and the changes that
-our short lives had witnessed. Then we talked of the future, which we
-robed in bright hues like the blossoms of that lovely spring time.
-True, Harry was the principal talker. My heart was full. Still I knew
-that I must scale steep heights, tread rugged paths, press on when
-footsore and weary, perchance to meet little earthly success. Ah, how
-mysterious a thing human life would be, could we not discern in it the
-threshold of a higher, purer existence.
-
-
-
-
-XI.
-
-
-By rigid economy, by laboring in vacation, and performing various
-little offices in term time, I managed to continue at Rockdale two
-years. Latin was no longer a trouble to me, and Greek was becoming
-easy; but my purse was nearly empty. I was in need of several new
-books. And I began to turn in my mind what I could do towards defraying
-new expenses.
-
-At this juncture the president of the board of trustees visited the
-school, where he remained the entire day, examining the classes, and
-inspecting the monthly reports. I had no suspicion of his purpose,
-and consequently gave my whole attention to my recitations. Although
-not as quick as many, I had been thorough, understood the principles
-of almost every thing that I had been over, and thus obtained correct
-answers. Greek and Latin were read easily, and the president was
-evidently satisfied with our progress.
-
-That evening Mr. Harlan sent for me to his study. The time and the
-occasion were new to me, and I went with some trepidation. Mr. Harlan
-was not there, but in his place the visitor, Mr. Stovill.
-
-“Mr. Harlan tells me that you intend to go through college, if your
-hands and your brains can take you there,” was his somewhat abrupt
-greeting.
-
-“I am hoping to go. Others have done the same without more means.”
-
-“What will you do to obtain the money? it will require a good deal for
-that.”
-
-“I shall work for it.”
-
-“Would you haul wood, build a stone Wall, or break stones on the
-street?”
-
-“Any thing, sir, that offered me an equivalent.”
-
-“Then you do not think that work will degrade you?”
-
-“On the contrary, I think that labor will ennoble me. But as I wish to
-study, I should like to do that which would bring me the most for the
-least number of hours.”
-
-He was silent, while I sat in suspense as to his purpose. What did he
-mean by all these questions?
-
-“I believe you will do,” he said at length. “Young men are apt to think
-that work will degrade them. They forget that oaks spring from acorns,
-and little efforts lead to great results. The boy that will work to
-improve himself, will pretty surely merge into the man that will work
-for the good of others.”
-
-In a few words he made known his plan. Robert Lovell was going to
-college; some one else must supply his place as under-tutor.
-
-Mr. Harlan had suggested the names of two, Silas June and myself. Silas
-was very quick, and priding himself on this, he did not study. To be
-brilliant was his desire, and yet he might have been a thorough scholar
-had he studied. His quickness ruined him.
-
-This situation, in consideration of my standing in class, was offered
-me, with sufficient remuneration to defray all my expenses.
-
-I could hardly keep back the tears. This ray of light stealing
-through the darkness, was a reproof for all my faint-heartedness and
-despondency. “No right effort is ever lost.” There was a sun behind the
-clouds, though I had doubted it.
-
-“I might have had that chance,” said June. “It was all my own
-foolishness. If I had only known the day Mr. Stovill was coming, I
-would have had my lessons; there would have been no trouble. My reports
-were against me.”
-
-I could say nothing to comfort him, and the hour passed without words.
-
-“If I could only begin again, I would not lean so much on my quickness.
-It is the same old story--the hare and the tortoise. You will get there
-quicker than I shall.”
-
-“It is not too late for you,” said I; “try it.”
-
-“I cannot do three years’ work in one. Besides, it is easier to fall
-into bad habits than to get rid of them. After all, I may get along
-just as well; but mother expected me to fill Lovell’s place. She wrote
-me in her last letter, that if I could not help myself a little, she
-should have to take my sister from school; she could not afford the
-expense of both. Poor mother.”
-
-“Poor mother,” I echoed, and thought of what I should do, had I only a
-mother to write me letters full of loving words, and a sister that must
-be taken from school unless I could help myself in a measure. I was
-roused by his voice.
-
-“We can never be young but once. I want my share of pleasure.”
-
-“Do you find it?”
-
-“Not yet; but I am hoping every day for something better.”
-
-“Which you will never find, I am afraid. Judging from your own words,
-you are making your mother unhappy, and yourself miserable.”
-
-“It is so; but what can I do?”
-
-“Break off your idle habits; say good-by to your fun-loving companions,
-and begin to work right earnestly. This is the way others have done.”
-
-“I ought to do it; but it is too late.”
-
-“And you will oblige your mother to take that little sister from
-school?”
-
-“Oh, I hope not; she is not so poor as she thinks. True, I have been
-spending a good deal this winter. Gilmore has a rich father, and I
-could not bear to be shabby in the suppers.”
-
-This was my last year at Rockdale; and if the service was pleasanter,
-it was not less arduous. I had very little time for myself, a
-half hour’s stroll at twilight being my only recreation. Still I
-believed that I was improving, both intellectually and morally;
-and this sufficed me. Jennie was also climbing the hill of science
-rapidly. Frank Clavers’ sister had returned the year previous from
-boarding-school; and being pleased with Jennie, and learning that she
-could sing, she had offered to give her lessons in music. Seeing
-her fondness for books, Miss Clavers soon kindly offered to help her
-here also. This called for additional gratitude on my part; I had
-felt so troubled about this little sister, whom my mother left in my
-charge. Doing for myself, I hardly felt it to be right not to aid her
-personally more than my duties would allow. Now she had the benefit of
-example, and also the instruction of a young lady who was said to be a
-finished scholar.
-
-Thus easily I slipped into Robert Lovell’s place as tutor, and also
-into his class in Sabbath-school. Teaching others is one of the best
-means of self-culture; and I was in this way sent to my Bible, if not
-more frequently, at least with a more intense desire to understand its
-teachings. Thinking, studying, meditating, I drew nearer the cross each
-day; each day began to realize more perfectly the beauty of His words
-who spake as never man spake, the glory of his countenance beaming
-with untold love; the terrible agony he suffered on the cross; his
-willingness to forgive sin; and above all, the encouragement in coming
-to him freely, as to a friend loved and confided in. Oh, why had I not
-seen this before? I had hopes that I did love him--that I did trust
-him--that I did follow him; but Oh, it was so far off. Had I been near,
-I should never have doubted as I had done; I should never have gone
-through all these months with my heart heavy, the waters going over
-my soul, striving to do only because I knew it to be right, and only
-half trusting the divine promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake
-thee.” Oh, blind and foolish heart, thus to grope in darkness when He
-was waiting with outstretched arms to receive thee.
-
-How bright and beautiful my pathway now opened before me. Not that
-barriers were all removed, obstacles all cleared away; but I no longer
-felt troubled with a weak, half trust. I knew His promises were sure;
-that he would not leave me; that he would be in reality not a personal
-friend merely, but one closer than a brother. A long time had I been
-learning the lesson of his love, a long time discovering the depth
-of his tenderness; now, satisfied to rest on him, I found it joy
-unutterable.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-XII.
-
-
-My first vacation after leaving Rockdale was spent with Mr. Wyman.
-Four years since I had left him, poor and ignorant. Now, I certainly
-was not any richer. Still I had advanced in knowledge of books and in
-mental discipline; and although my longing after an education was not
-in the least abated, I had learned there is nothing really desirable
-in comparison with the fear of God and true holiness. I did not care
-now to choose in what part of his vineyard I should work. I only wished
-to labor for him; and to do this effectually, I must not falter in my
-purpose of an education.
-
-With this intent I went into the hay-field with as much ardor as before
-into the school-room. Money, Mr. Stovill said, was desirable to go
-through college with, and I knew the worth of it.
-
-“I see that you have not forgotten how to work,” said Mr. Wyman, coming
-into the meadow one sunny afternoon.
-
-“Not forgetting, but still more accustomed to it, Mr. Wyman. I have
-been hard at it ever since I was here.”
-
-“There is a difference between head work and hand work,” said the
-farmer with a quiet smile.
-
-“I have been doing both,” I replied; “turning book leaves has not
-bleached my hands.”
-
-“While I have to confess to the doing of only one. The young folks of
-this day have much better advantages than were common when I was a boy.
-We had no such schools then as Rockdale.”
-
-“I think you do yourself injustice, Mr. Wyman, when you say that you
-have only been working with your hands. Had it not been for you, I
-could not have gone to Rockdale when I did, if ever. In word and deed,
-your labor has budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruit. We sometimes
-study quite as effectually out of books as in them.”
-
-“True; but if I could live my life over again, I should think more of
-a book education. Those that know the most have the means of doing the
-most good.”
-
-“There is one comforting truth,” said I, turning the hay vigorously:
-“God directs all our steps. He appoints our place; he gives us our
-work. I used to think there was in labor a great choice, and although
-I was willing to do any thing because I felt it to be right, still
-there was also a consciousness that, could I choose, such would not
-be my employment. I remember the morning I came here for the first
-time; I rebelled not a little against it. Still it was a means, a
-stepping-stone to the desired good.”
-
-“And is it not the same now?”
-
-“No; I am willing to be directed. I like to be led by Him, and feel
-safe in following. Then I feared continually lest I should make a
-mistake, and through weakness or ignorance fail to use the means to the
-greatest advantage. Now I try to exercise human wisdom and a prudent
-forethought, and still rest contented, whatever the result. The Lord
-knows all, and he knows whether this or that shall prosper. To do
-right, and to do my best, is all that he requires of me; events are
-with him, and success is given wheresoever he pleases.”
-
-Saturday evening at length came. We had worked hard through the week,
-but the hay was not all in. Nine o’clock, and there still remained
-several loads. A consultation was called.
-
-“It looks like rain,” said Mr. Wyman. “But you are all tired, and the
-oxen have done enough for one day; perhaps we had better let it rest.
-It will not rain to-night; and if it does to-morrow, it wont take long
-to put in three loads.”
-
-“But to-morrow will be Sunday, Mr. Wyman.”
-
-“I know; but it would not be right to let the hay spoil.”
-
-“I do not understand that; the command is positive: ‘Six days shalt
-thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath
-of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy
-son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy
-cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.’ Nothing can be more
-explicit.”
-
-“It is also equally incumbent upon us not to waste our substance,”
-said Mr Wyman. “If you read the New Testament rightly, you will find
-that it is lawful to do works of mercy and necessity.”
-
-“True; but would the getting in hay be counted such a work, when God
-expressly bids us keep his Sabbath even in harvest time?”
-
-“Yes, if the hay was to be spoiled by the neglect, it ought to be got
-in.”
-
-There was no more said. It was late, and the men dispersed. I went
-directly to my room, not a little disconcerted about what I might be
-called upon to do. Mr. Wyman was an old man, and had been very kind to
-me; it was not for me to speak to him as an equal. He felt it to be
-right; I felt it to be a direct act of disobedience. We must each act
-according to our conscience; and with this thought I went to sleep.
-
-The next morning the sun peeped through a dull, hazy atmosphere,
-looked, and was gone, showing occasional glimpses of his face till
-nearly church time, when the clouds began to gather and roll themselves
-into inky blackness, and rain seemed inevitable.
-
-“Put the oxen to the cart,” said Mr. Wyman; “that hay will be ruined.”
-
-“But, pa, it is Sunday,” said Mrs. Wyman.
-
-“Well, what if it is? You are ready to go to church, and the wagon is
-at the door; go on, I shall stop for the hay. It is just as much a
-duty to save our property as to do any thing else. We are told to be
-diligent in business;” and the farmer exchanged his Sunday coat for his
-work-day one, and went out.
-
-“Marston,” he said as he passed through the back porch, “you load
-faster than any of the others. If we hurry, we can get it in and then
-go to church.”
-
-“I cannot do that kind of work on the Sabbath, Mr. Wyman. I regard it
-as an open violation of His law.”
-
-“If you cannot work for me to-day, you certainly cannot to-morrow.”
-
-I did not stop to question; there was but one course for me. My head
-bowed over my hands. To lose Mr. Wyman’s friendship was more than I
-could bear.
-
-“What is that to thee? follow thou me,” floated through my brain and
-comforted me. Presently a light hand was on my shoulder, and a kind
-voice said,
-
-“Marston, will you drive us to church? I do not think it will rain at
-all.”
-
-“If you desire it, Mrs. Wyman.”
-
-We started, Mrs. Wyman with Emma and Alice. As we passed the meadow,
-Mr. Wyman was busily pitching on the hay, Anderson and Gregory each
-having a cart. The oxen stood with their great patient eyes rolling
-about, as if not quite sure of the right of breaking in upon their day
-of rest. Nothing was said, however.
-
-We reached the church door just in time to escape a few quiet drops;
-but these were soon gone; the clouds unrolled and dispersed their dark
-folds, and before noon all was bright again.
-
-“Oh, father, you should have heard the sermon this morning,” said Alice
-Wyman, a sweet, blooming girl, tripping into the parlor as though
-nothing had happened. The farmer sat in his straight-backed chair, the
-hay was all in, and he was reading the Bible.
-
-“What was the text, child?” he at length said.
-
-“‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,
-and verily thou shalt be fed.’ Mr. Gordon spoke so beautifully of the
-implicit trust we are privileged to have, it seemed to me I never felt
-so forcibly before how far short we come of realizing all that might be
-ours, the contentment that would fill our hearts, would we put aside
-self and lean more perfectly upon Him.”
-
-“But there is something for us to do,” said her father. “We are not to
-sit still; we are to act, and that diligently.”
-
-“Yes,” answered Mrs. Wyman, “Mr. Gordon said there was something for us
-to do. The first act was obedience; the second was love and trust.”
-
-By this time dinner was on the table. The farmer was evidently in no
-talkative mood, and few words were spoken.
-
-In the afternoon I walked with Alice to the Sabbath-school, and
-returned comforted. Perhaps Mr. Wyman would turn me off; it was more
-than probable he would. I had displeased him. Still, having done what I
-thought to be right, I would trust it all to God.
-
-The next morning as we finished breakfast, and before we arose from the
-table, Mr. Wyman said,
-
-“I owe you for two weeks’ work, Marston: I am sorry for what happened
-yesterday; still I must have the direction of what shall be done on my
-own farm. I shall fill your place with some one who will do what I ask
-of him.”
-
-“Had it been any other than a plain, positive command, I should have
-gone with you, Mr. Wyman; but so positive is the decree with regard to
-the Sabbath, there could be no question with me concerning my duty.”
-
-Mrs. Wyman and Alice followed me down the walk, and begged me not to
-cherish unkind feelings towards Mr. Wyman.
-
-“No fear of that,” I answered. “He has always been my friend, and I
-shall not think unkindly of him for this. He is too good a man not to
-be sorry when he thinks of it with his accustomed coolness.”
-
-I had nothing to do but to walk back to Claverton, and tell Jennie what
-had befallen me.
-
-“I am sorry, Marston; but I should have been still sorrier had you
-acted otherwise;” and she pressed her red lips to mine. “An entire
-obedience is necessary. Do not be troubled; some good will come of it.”
-
-We walked down to the little gate, where stood a messenger from Mr.
-Willett.
-
-“Mr. Willett would like to see Marston,” as Jennie took the message.
-
-“He has not been well for several weeks, and has inquired for you
-continually,” she said, as she held the gate for me to pass.
-
-Mr. Willett was pillowed up in his easy-chair, and seemed delighted to
-see me.
-
-“I am glad that you are free,” he said at length. “I have been sick,
-and the doctor forbids all kinds of exertion. Every thing is going to
-ruin in the store. If you will just go in, I shall consider it a great
-favor, and will give you more than you can get doing any thing else.”
-
-How soon the black cloud had showed a silver lining. I had felt so
-unwilling to leave Mr. Wyman, so sad and desponding, that I could not
-think of any thing else as I walked back to the village. With all my
-waywardness, God was not unmindful. Could I ever despond again? I felt
-at the time that it would be impossible.
-
-“I told you something good would come of it,” said Jennie as I crossed
-the street and once more entered the parlor. “‘A right effort is never
-lost.’ This should teach us both to trust more perfectly.”
-
-Mr. Willett recovered rapidly; and by the time vacation was over, I was
-appointed a regular teacher in the Rockdale academy.
-
-“This will delay your college course, but it will be better for you in
-the end,” said Mr. Harlan. “You are still young enough to wait next
-year, and your salary will enable you to begin. Besides, if you choose
-to study while teaching, I will aid you all I can; and I have little
-doubt you can enter the Sophomore class instead of the Freshman.”
-
-This was a step I had not thought of, and I quickly resolved not a
-moment should be lost; to teach and to study should be my work for
-another year.
-
-Among the first of the new pupils that particularly interested me when
-I entered upon my duties was Ezra Metcalf. Stimulated by his little
-teacher, he had put forth very commendable effort; and through the
-interest of Mr. Gordon and one or two benevolent ladies of Terryville,
-Mr. Harlan had been induced to take him, the boy paying his board, as I
-had done, by labor.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-XIII.
-
-
-It proved as Mr. Harlan had said. The next year I entered the Sophomore
-class, once more finding myself face to face with Frank Clavers and
-Harry Gilmore. Their greeting was most cordial, and Harry’s friendship
-was as warm as ever. Although my year’s salary had clothed me decently
-and left me something for books, it still required the closest economy
-to get along; making me appear, to those who had plenty, as close
-and parsimonious. This was in itself a trial, and the hardest with
-which I had to contend. Yet my frank avowal of a scanty purse saved
-me from many temptations. In the various expedients of the students
-for killing time I was not expected to share; and still I always had a
-spare dollar for a new book, or sufficient to expend upon a course of
-scientific lectures; while there were some lavish in expenditures for
-rides, suppers, ices, and sherbet, who were at times obliged to deny
-themselves the means of improvement.
-
-It was not trying to acknowledge poverty when the admission brought no
-dishonor. Still, when with some of my class-mates who were rich men’s
-sons, and well supplied with pin-money, I found to my cost that I had
-not learned the lesson of self-conquest so perfectly as I had flattered
-myself. I was once looking at a second-hand book in the presence of
-Morris and Wright, two of the richest students in college.
-
-“That is what I call small business, to look up old threadbare books,”
-said Morris, in a tone that I could not avoid hearing, at the same time
-ordering a new copy of the same work; to which Wright replied, while
-a contemptuous smile wreathed his proud lips. I could have wept with
-vexation; and the next moment was ashamed of myself for giving way to
-such a weak, ignoble feeling.
-
-Through all these days Jennie’s letters comforted me, and Mr. and Mrs.
-Harlan did not forget me.
-
-“Regard the right,” said the latter in one of her letters, “and seek
-for companions such as honor it. Think too much of yourself to cherish
-a selfish thought or feeling; and let every act prove that a light
-purse does not of necessity imply low tastes or a meagre intellect.”
-
-Little did the good woman imagine all the trials springing out of my
-weakness. Still the strife was short, and invariably I found my way
-back to the sheltering arms of that Friend who looks not alone to the
-outward, and who judges not as man judges.
-
-Overhearing one of the professors saying that he could not find a
-suitable gardener for his grounds, and having learned a good deal
-of gardening from Mr. Harlan, I offered myself, and was accepted. I
-needed exercise. This was just as good as boating, ball-playing, or the
-gymnasium.
-
-One Saturday, as I returned from the river with a wheelbarrow of
-pebbles for the flooring of a new arbor I had just planned, I met
-several of my class-mates at the gate. Conquering my first impulse of
-false shame, I advanced as though it was the most pleasant exercise
-imaginable.
-
-“Gardening for the pleasure of it?” said Stevens, in a tone of irony he
-knew so well to use.
-
-“Not for pleasure, Stevens, but from necessity;” and I walked on. The
-next meeting was easier. I had filled the wheelbarrow again, and was
-crossing the carriage-way, when Wright drove leisurely along in an
-open buggy. As he passed me he touched his hat, while a mocking smile
-wreathed his lips:
-
-“There goes the best scholar in his class.”
-
-“And the best I intend to be,” I said to myself, but without any
-unpleasant feeling.
-
-Finishing my task, I went to the office for letters; passing the hotel
-just as the numerous hacks had left a greater number of guests than
-usual. I had nearly passed, when suddenly my name was called, and in
-a voice that seemed strangely familiar. It was Silas June. He had
-given up study, and had been two years in the city, and talked largely
-of city pleasures and pursuits. His uncle had recently become very
-wealthy through land speculation, and had generously offered Mrs. June
-a home, and also taken Silas into his employ as a clerk.
-
-“I suppose you are planning ways and means yet,” he said at length. “I
-remember you used to be good at this.”
-
-“Practice makes perfect,” I answered.
-
-“I have never had any thing else to do, and I am now quite as expert as
-ever.”
-
-“I told you I should get along just as well without so much study,
-although I did not then dream of the good in store for me. Uncle is
-rich, and without a family of his own. He must do something with his
-money, and I shall come in for a large share.”
-
-“I hope you will repay him by making a good and noble man.”
-
-“I shall please him, if that is what you mean, although it goes greatly
-against my inclination to sit bound down day after day to the day-book
-and ledger. Still night comes, and I enjoy while he sleeps.”
-
-“You enjoy; how so?”
-
-“Go to parties, operas, theatres, or into some saloon; anywhere, if I
-find good company.”
-
-“You used to try to deceive yourself with regard to study,” I said,
-with a degree of earnestness that made him laugh heartily. “Do not
-deceive yourself now, and run into company that will lead you to ruin,
-just because your uncle is rich enough to give you the opportunity.
-Deception cannot prosper.”
-
-“Don’t everybody deceive--everybody but you and Lovell?”
-
-“That many practise it, I allow, and that some for a time succeed, is
-very possible; but the end is not yet.”
-
-“There is no use in denying self-interest is the motive,” he answered;
-“and if some noble deeds and benevolent actions are performed, the
-mainspring is the same. I humor my uncle, for I need his money; you
-study enough to kill a common man, making this a stepping-stone to
-something else. What’s the difference?”
-
-There was a difference, notwithstanding his fluent speech. Back as
-far as I could look there was still one purpose-- a strong and noble
-manhood, a life of usefulness and honor; and in my estimation, a good
-education would greatly contribute to bring this about. This was why I
-studied, why I was resolved to study--not merely distinction, worldly
-honor, or aggrandizement, but to possess a truly excellent character,
-worthy the regard of others and the respect of myself.
-
-
-
-
-XIV.
-
-
-At length a year in college had passed; one more layer was unwrapped
-from round the kernel of college lore, and as Juniors we were trying
-with renewed powers honorably to rival each other.
-
-Not alone to us change had come, but to others. Miss Clavers had opened
-a seminary in the little village bearing her father’s name, and Jennie
-was an assistant. How full of love and encouragement were her letters.
-How strange it all seemed: no longer a little girl that nestled in
-my arms, and looked up to me as one able to do so much, but a tall,
-stately young woman, going in and out before her pupils with the
-conscious grace of one who feels that she is able to do all that she
-has undertaken.
-
-It was a bright autumn day when Stevens invited a party of some half a
-dozen students to walk with him to a town not far distant. For the last
-six months I had been on friendly terms with him, so I did not think
-it strange when he invited me; neither did I refuse to go. It was a
-perfect day: the rich, fervid hues of autumn were spread over miles of
-forest-trees and shrubbery; a thin veil of mist hung over every winding
-stream, while the brilliant sunshine illuminated the many varying
-shades of wood, water, and cloud, blending all in perfect harmony.
-
-That hazy, dreamy atmosphere, how well I remember it. The memory of
-that walk makes my heart beat with much of its youthful buoyancy. Under
-the exhilarating influence of the day, and our unexpected freedom, we
-ran, laughed, shouted--appearing, as we really were, a company of
-grown-up school-boys. I remember Harry Gilmore’s mirthful tone as we
-pelted him with chestnuts, and how Wright forgot his dignity when we
-covered his hat and shoulders with red and yellow leaves.
-
-After visiting a gallery of paintings, which was the ostensible object
-of the excursion, and which we all expressed ourselves as sorry to
-leave, Stevens invited us to step into a restaurant for refreshment.
-Wright and Gilmore left us to make a call, but the remainder of the
-party entered the saloon.
-
-When seated in an elegant room, we were soon supplied with tempting
-viands. Not satisfied with a lavish profusion of fruits, cakes, and
-ices, Stevens rang for the waiter, to whom he gave orders in an
-undertone, the nature of which was evident from the speedy appearance
-of glasses and bottles.
-
-“Now to the health of the company: may the shadow of each never
-be less,” said Stevens, filling his glass. There was a burst of
-applause, and I looked around the table, hoping to find at least one
-representative of total abstinence; but with the exception of my own,
-every glass was drained.
-
-“How is this?” said Stevens, eyeing me keenly; “afraid or unwilling to
-pledge me in a glass of wine?” All eyes were turned upon me, and I felt
-the blood recede from my face.
-
-“I am afraid, Stevens. I saw a student carried to his room the other
-night. If I take a glass now, who knows but I may one day be found in a
-like situation?”
-
-We walked back more quietly than we went. The sun had set, and a
-vaporous veil of golden haze had floated off into the purple twilight,
-and the watching stars came out one by one, with a dim, subdued light,
-only seen on such autumnal nights. Stevens, who was my companion in
-spite of my not joining him in the wine, was in a contemplative mood.
-
-“I don’t approve,” he said, “of wine, tobacco, or any thing of the
-kind, and very often I make up my mind never to touch them again;
-especially did I the other night when I saw Darcy in such a state.”
-
-“It is the only safe course,” I answered.
-
-“I know it,” he said earnestly, “and I like you all the better for not
-touching it. I only ordered it for fear there were some who would think
-it mean; ‘nothing to drink,’ as they say.”
-
-And so I believe it would be in every instance where a young man openly
-avows his determination not to drink, smoke, or chew, waste his time,
-or trifle with duty. After his resolves have once been tested, he
-will only be thought more of by the wildest associate he has, and his
-influence from that moment will be wider and more powerful.
-
-In college, as elsewhere, it is easy to select our associates. If
-we wish, we can have the most studious and high-minded; or the
-pleasure-seeker, who came to college because it was fashionable to do
-so, and will get a diploma, if he gets one at all, because the wealth
-of his father purchases it for him, the same as any other article of
-luxury.
-
-Still, try as I would, I could not make friends with Wright. At first
-he had looked down upon me: more recently he seemed to regard me only
-as a rival; and to say the truth, we were quite even, our regular marks
-in recitation seldom varying. The time now came when the subject for
-a prize essay was given out, and knowing my chief competitor would be
-Wright, I determined to surpass him.
-
-Not having a strong constitution, study wore upon him sadly.
-
-“Do not work so hard, I entreat you,” said our President one day as he
-saw how wan and pale Wright was growing. “There is no use in this,”
-taking the feverish hand in his. “Indeed I have been blind not to see
-it before; you must rest, at all hazards.”
-
-“Not now,” said Wright. “I came here to take the first honor in my
-class, and I will do it.”
-
-“You will not live to reach it, at this rate; and then what profit can
-come from all your ambitious labors?”
-
-A week or two afterwards Wright was prostrate.
-
-“They say that you will win the prize,” said Stevens, coming into my
-room on his way from the sick-bed. “If poor Wright had not been sick,
-you might not have been so certain, however.”
-
-“Wright probably wrote his essay before he was sick,” I answered.
-
-“Yes, he wrote it, and I have read it, and I assure you it is a fine
-production; but he cannot read it, and of course the prize will be
-yours.”
-
-I went to my room in no enviable state of mind. I wanted the prize. I
-had worked for it. But if Wright had written his essay, he must not
-lose the honor because he was sick. Nothing more was said of it, and
-all seemed to take it for granted that I should be the successful
-competitor.
-
-At last I could bear it no longer. I called upon Stevens, as a friend
-of Wright, to procure the essay; and then, with the conviction that
-I was destroying my own hopes, I carried it to the chairman of the
-committee, and begged him to suspend his decision until this had been
-sufficiently examined.
-
-The result was as I expected. Wright was announced the winner of the
-prize at the same time we were told that he was dangerously ill. How
-insignificant at that hour the honors of the world! How sorry I was
-that, in order to rival me, he had been obliged to study so hard; how
-glad to think that perhaps he might know that he had won, and the
-knowledge give him pleasure.
-
-Not long afterwards a messenger came to me from the sick-room. Wright
-wanted to see me. I found him lying upon his bed, pale and wasted, the
-mere shadow of his former self.
-
-“I wanted to thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf; they told me
-all about it;” and his eyes closed languidly. I pressed his thin hand
-cordially in my own.
-
-“Nor is that all,” he said, opening his eyes, glistening with deep
-feeling. “I want you to forgive my former rudeness. I have always been
-ashamed of it; not a moment but I have longed to tell you of my regard;
-but you were my rival in study, and I could not bear it.”
-
-Was this Wright, the rich student, the one who had never given me a
-word save those dictated by common civility, now asking my pardon, and
-saying that he had always regarded me, and had longed to tell me so?
-There was no room for deception; there he lay, weak and pale. I could
-not restrain my emotion, and before I was aware, I was on my knees, my
-arms about him, and my head resting on his pillow.
-
-“Sickness has taught me to see life under a new phase,” he resumed.
-“These petty rivalries are unworthy the attention of immortal beings.
-I have lived as though this life were all, following a shadow until it
-had well-nigh landed me in the grave. Oh what would have become of me
-had I died then?” and a shudder passed over his features. “You will
-be glad to know that I have found Him whom you have loved for a long
-time. I trust my sins are pardoned, that I have given my heart to the
-Saviour. You must be my friend now; I cannot rest till I have it from
-your own lips.”
-
-“Now, and ever,” I answered, as well as my emotion would allow. A sweet
-peace showed itself on his countenance.
-
-“I knew you would forgive me.”
-
-The attendant came in and said that he must rest, and I went out full
-of wonder at the power that could humble a proud spirit like Wright’s,
-and change him to a meek penitent.
-
-My astonishment was increased when returning health enabled him to go
-on with his studies. There was no longer rivalry; a new purpose burned
-in his heart, beamed in his eye, and influenced every look and word;
-not one that had known him before but was constrained to say that he
-had been with Jesus.
-
-My last year in college was a constant delight to me. I was not so much
-pressed by pecuniary matters. Above all, I had succeeded in winning the
-good-will and esteem of those around me. After Wright’s illness, his
-heart clung to me with as much intensity as before he had carefully
-avoided me, while Harry Gilmore gave me all a brother’s love, and Frank
-Clavers was the same true friend as ever.
-
-At Commencement, when the highest honor was awarded me, I felt a thrill
-of satisfaction that was an ample equivalent for long years of labor.
-Afterwards, when I stood before the assembled throng, conscious that
-many eyes were upon me, and bright, happy faces looking their approval,
-I only saw one, a sweet, pure face, with the golden hair parted over a
-broad white forehead, while an expression of peace and of trust rested
-on the whole countenance. It was a happy day to Jennie. So far my work
-was done, and, they said, well done. I looked upon it as only reaching
-another stage in my ascent; the first and second heights were won, and
-a profession was now to be chosen.
-
-In the evening there was a levee at the President’s house, and for
-Jennie’s sake as well as my own I was glad. The good man received me
-very kindly, and so far unbent himself as to speak of the courage and
-industry of my last three years, then of my success--introducing me to
-several men who were there, and whom it was an honor and a privilege to
-meet. “Energy is essential,” he said, “but patience and perseverance
-are the crowning virtues. You have practised these faithfully. God
-grant that you may continue to do the same to the end.”
-
-It was a happy gathering; and when I went to my room, it was first
-to fall upon my knees, pouring out my heart in gratitude to that God
-who had been so mindful, leading me by the hand up through the narrow
-defile of poverty and want, into a broader way, where I could catch
-glimpses of the promised land, renewing my vows, and consecrating
-myself anew to his service.
-
-
-
-
-XV.
-
-
-“Now you are ready for a profession,” said Miss Grimshaw, as once more
-we were seated in her little parlor.
-
-“Marston is troubled about being a lawyer,” Jennie said, as she leaned
-over my shoulder, running her taper fingers through my hair. “He used
-to think he could be happy in nothing else.”
-
-“Yes,” said grandma, “what fine speeches he used to make before the
-looking-glass, and how often he said he would never undertake a case
-that was not just, and then he would be sure to win.”
-
-True, grandma’s words carried me far back into my boyhood. I could
-see now that I had been ambitious. Poor and friendless, I had read of
-others who had attained worldly preferment and riches, and I resolved
-to do the same. To be a successful lawyer seemed to me to be the height
-of intellectual attainment. This I would be, and for this did I first
-study. I was ambitious for myself, and I was equally ambitious for
-Jennie.
-
-Once my great desire was to rise in the world; but now my aim was
-higher. As a lawyer, I did not intend that my knowledge and influence
-should become a screen for guilt. I would never be an oppressor of
-the poor and miserable. I had not the remotest wish to make vice
-appear virtue, nor to clothe transgressors in the garb of honorable
-men; neither did I expect to bury my conscience. I looked for a noble
-manhood.
-
-Now it seemed to me my life could not be spent aright if I did not make
-the service of God my chief and direct aim, and that no other service
-would suit me so well as, in utter self-renunciation, to give myself
-entirely to the work of saving poor ruined sinners, spending my time,
-talents, health, all, in telling in the nooks and corners of the land,
-wherever I could find a listener, of the depth and fulness of His love
-for man. Compared with this, the fields of worldly ambition seemed a
-vast waste, without flowers or fruit.
-
-“I am glad that you feel like this, Marston;” and grandma tottered
-across the room and laid her withered hand upon my head. “I have prayed
-earnestly for this. Young, earnest, persevering, you have the power of
-doing much good. I am thankful, Oh how thankful, that you see it in
-this light.”
-
-The tears streamed over the cheeks of this aged saint. Jennie was
-weeping too, and I could not speak. I felt my own unworthiness and
-insufficiency, and only prayed that God would give me that ready tact
-and skill to say and do those things that would be pleasing in his
-sight, and enable me to win souls for his kingdom.
-
-Still, I had only passed through my collegiate course; there were years
-of preparation before I could become fitted for the high and noble
-office of a preacher of his word. In the darkest lot there is some
-sunshine. With health, strength, some culture of mind, and the presence
-of my Saviour, the passing clouds only made the sunshine brighter.
-
-Before the vacation closed I met Mr. Wyman. With his old frankness, he
-invited us all to spend the day with him, and more than this, sent his
-carriage to take us there. Considering that I had done nothing wrong, I
-was delighted with again meeting him, as well as Mrs. Wyman and Alice,
-in their old home.
-
-My greeting was cordial, while his had all the tenderness of a father.
-
-“I am glad to see, Marston, that you can forgive me for sending you
-away as I did. I knew that I was wrong, that I ought not to do it, that
-I was breaking a positive command; but I had always seen it done. My
-father I believed to be a good man; and though he did not work on the
-Sabbath, still, if his harvest or his hay-field was in danger of being
-ruined by a shower, he gathered it in, let the day be what it might.
-Then I was angry that you should reprimand me before all the hands.”
-
-“I only repeated the commandment. I did not intend it as a reproof of
-mine. It was God’s command, and must be obeyed.”
-
-“I knew it; but I was vexed. You have forgiven me, Marston, and I hope
-God has forgiven me. I have not had any Sabbath work done on the place
-since then, that could possibly be avoided; and I trust that I live
-nearer my Saviour and am a more consistent Christian than I was before.”
-
-Neither of us said any more on that subject; and before we left,
-we bowed with clasped hands to seek our Father’s blessing upon the
-reconciliation and on our future life.
-
-“Henceforth you shall truly stand to me in the light of Willie,” said
-Mr. Wyman; “and still, had Willie lived, he would have been a minister
-in the room of a lawyer.”
-
-“By the grace of God, I am to be a minister, Mr. Wyman.”
-
-“Are you, Marston? God be thanked for this. How many times during
-the last four years have I washed it. But we thought you were fully
-determined to become a lawyer.”
-
-“So I was; but God has made me feel that it is the highest honor for
-mortals to serve him, and the highest service to spend and be spent in
-telling poor sinful men of the Saviour. If I can get through with my
-theological studies, I trust this will be my work.”
-
-“You can and you shall, Marston. Willie was to have been a minister.
-You shall be to me as my Willie would have been.”
-
-When we reëntered the farm-house there was great rejoicing, Mrs. Wyman
-taking me by the hand and telling me how thankful she felt that I had
-changed my purpose.
-
-“A broad field of usefulness lies before you, Marston; you must, you
-will fill it nobly.”
-
-I entered upon my theological course at once. Mr. Wyman was faithful
-to his promise, making of me a second Willie. And now, as the pastor
-of a prosperous church, I love to look back over the track of my early
-years, and read His goodness in ordering all my steps. Surely his
-goodness is unsearchable, and his love past finding out.
-
-Led by His grace, I love to recount all his goodness in the way he
-has led me. I never pass a lad in the street, dirty, ragged, and
-homeless, but I think of my own early lot; never look upon the pale
-face and blue eyes of a little girl, that I do not think of Jennie,
-kept by his goodness and shielded by his love. And I would say to all
-the climbers--to all those boys and girls who are striving to help
-themselves, to work, and study--first make the Saviour your friend,
-give him your hearts, then go on courageously in the path he will be
-sure to open before you. Never stop to parley with wrong, or to shun a
-duty, however small and insignificant. A lofty purpose, pursued with
-undeviating integrity, never fails of a rich and gracious reward.
-
-Would you know of my class-mates? Robert Lovell is a foreign
-missionary, known and loved of God and man. Frank Clavers and Harry
-Gilmore are lawyers of acknowledged ability and rare moral worth.
-Wright, my former rival, is not only a brother clergyman and friend,
-but as the husband of my darling Jennie, he claims still more of my
-regard.
-
-Surely the prayers of our sainted mother, and the supplications of
-our early friend, were heard by Him who ruleth all. Our path has been
-hedged about by his kindness, and his banner over us has been love.
-
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-<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Climbers, by Lizzie Bates</p>
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
-at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
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-country where you are located before using this eBook.
-</div>
-
-<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Climbers</p>
-<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Lizzie Bates</p>
-<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 10, 2022 [eBook #67809]</p>
-<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p>
-  <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Juliet Sutherland, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net</p>
-<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIMBERS ***</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter hide"><img src="images/coversmall.jpg" width="35%" alt="" /></div>
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus002.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="titlepage">
-
-<h1>THE CLIMBERS.</h1>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus003.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<p>PUBLISHED BY THE<br />
-<span class="large">AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY</span><br />
-150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK.</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<div class="blockquot">
-<p><span class="smcap">Entered</span> according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by the
-<span class="smcap">American Tract Society</span>, in the Clerk&#8217;s Office of the District Court
-of the United States for the Southern District of New York.</p>
-</div></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span>
-<p class="ph2">THE CLIMBERS</p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">I.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p>&#8220;<span class="smcap">It&#8217;s</span> of no use, and what&#8217;s more, I
-don&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s right,&#8221; said Mr. Jeffries,
-&#8220;this filling every boy&#8217;s head with
-thoughts of rising in the world. It looks
-all very well in books; but is quite a
-different thing in reality. I tell you
-what, it&#8217;s doing a mighty deal of damage
-in the world. Why, it&#8217;s almost impossible
-for anybody that wants help to get
-any of the right sort. Once find a boy
-that has any grit in him, and he&#8217;s off as
-soon as he can scrape up enough money
-to go to school with. There&#8217;s that stable-boy
-of mine, as good a little fellow as I&#8217;d
-ever care to have; but in the room of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span>
-playing like other boys, when he has a
-moment&#8217;s leisure, he&#8217;s off to the barn
-with a book in his hand. I&#8217;ve told him
-many a time &#8217;twould be the ruin of him;
-but he seems to take to it as naturally as a
-duck does to water;&#8221; and the little hotel-keeper
-looked around complacently.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I thought that was the very spirit
-that was commendable in this country,
-Mr. Jeffries,&#8221; said I, turning my gaze
-from the mountain towering above us to
-the face of my host. &#8220;Hope is the
-grand incentive to the American boy,
-the hope of knowing more, and doing
-better for himself and others, than his
-father and grandfather did before him.
-Look around you and see who are the
-men of the present; ten to one they are
-poor men&#8217;s sons. They felt that they
-could do something, and they accomplished
-it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It looks all fair, I allow; but the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[5]</span>
-thing is carried too far; it makes them
-discontented and unsteady, changing from
-one thing to another. In my opinion, if
-you want to make any thing in the world,
-you must stick to one thing. It is an old
-saying, &#8216;A rolling stone gathers no moss.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;True; but may not these poor boys
-have a higher aim and purpose, and carry
-it out quite as effectually as if it
-required no changes? Your stable-boy
-may have mapped out, vaguely perhaps,
-his future, and to reach it must make use
-of such stepping-stones as come within
-his reach. He does his work well, does
-he not?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, there&#8217;s nothing to say against
-him, only I don&#8217;t like to see him always
-reading; he can&#8217;t go by a newspaper&mdash;and
-my wife keeps them hung up by the
-side of the roller&mdash;without stopping for
-a bit, catching as a hungry horse does at
-a spear of grass or hay that comes within<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[6]</span>
-his reach. I give him pretty good
-wages for a boy, and the women folks
-patch up his clothes and see that he has
-plenty to eat. It seems to me that he
-ought to be contented and happy, with
-jests and frolic like the rest, in the room
-of being shut up with his book. And
-then, to cap all, I went into the barn the
-other day, and there he was perched up
-on the haymow, talking away and making
-gestures just as the parson does. I
-could not keep from laughing, and he came
-down and skulked away looking sheepish
-enough.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You have interested me in this boy,
-Mr. Jeffries. Who, and what is he?
-Where did you find him?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, his father lives up among the
-mountains, a thriftless, good for nothing
-creature, who spends all his earnings in
-whiskey. The mother was a delicate
-ladylike woman; my wife thought a heap<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span>
-of her; and when she died, she made us
-both promise to look after her children.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Just then a showy carriage was driven
-round from the stable, and a sprightly lad
-jumped quickly down, and stood holding
-the lines respectfully while the owner
-made ready to start. He was a tall,
-slight young man, whom I had noticed in
-the hotel as excessively talkative, flush
-with his money, drinking and smoking
-freely, and interlarding his conversation
-with now and then an oath. He came
-out with a swagger, followed by a little
-crowd of idlers. Mr. Jeffries broke off
-the thread of conversation, giving the
-hand of his guest a prolonged shake.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Always glad to see you when you
-come this way, Robinson; you will always
-find the bar just the same; I never
-keep any thing but the best.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s a fact; the best mint julep
-I&#8217;ve had in a long time.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span>While the leave-taking was going on,
-I was eagerly scanning the face of the
-stable-boy. My heart ached for him as
-he stood there, the little torn straw hat
-just covering the mass of dark hair, that
-had apparently not seen a comb for days,
-the great heavy locks clustering over a
-broad well-formed forehead, above delicately
-curved eyebrows with long brown
-lashes. But the eyes were hidden; I
-could only imagine what they must be
-from the profile of the face, the straight
-nose, somewhat deep upper lip, and well-turned
-chin. Still and straight he stood,
-and almost as motionless as though carved
-out of marble: yet not a dead, passive
-statue; his very stillness had a life in it,
-just as the framework of machinery is
-still while the movable parts are running
-swift as thought can follow.</p>
-
-<p>Down the steps and into the buggy
-the young gentleman passed, and as the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span>
-lines were handed him he tossed a silver
-coin to the stable-boy, but so carelessly
-that it glanced from his shoulder, rolled
-across the porch and down a crack in the
-floor before he could stop it.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s gone, Marston; better luck next
-time,&#8221; said Mr. Jeffries with a patronizing
-air. The boy bit his lips, while the
-eyelids quivered, and turning on his heel
-was out of sight in an instant.</p>
-
-<p>It was not in my heart to talk any
-more. Life was new to me; I was myself
-trying to make my way upward in character
-and life. Just through college, my
-health failed, and I was told to try mountain
-air and exercise. My meagre purse
-would not allow of my gratifying my
-benevolent feelings, and still every day
-there were just such cases occurring.
-&#8220;Work yourself out&#8221; had been my
-motto. No doubt Marston Howe would
-adopt the same. A rough, thorny way<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span>
-he will find; the feet will become weary,
-the hands torn and bleeding; still, if he
-wills he will succeed. It is better to
-wear out than to rust out; better be a
-climber than a cumberer; and though
-we seem never fully to attain our desires,
-let not the heart grow bitter and
-misanthropic, moody and uncharitable.
-Success is sure if we try for it. Let me
-whisper this to Marston Howe, and I
-have then done him all the good I can.
-Looking up I saw the doctor&#8217;s buggy
-coming slowly round the curve of the
-mountain, and a moment after it drew
-up, while a kindly face looked out. &#8220;How
-is this invalid of mine? Almost ready
-to go home?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Nearly ready, doctor,&#8221; and my eye
-caught sight of the stable-boy with his
-pail of water for the doctor&#8217;s horse.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s right, Marston,&#8221; said Mr. Jeffries;
-&#8220;the doctor&#8217;s horse don&#8217;t like to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span>
-pass here without something,&#8221; but the
-doctor did not notice the hint.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You are fond of books,&#8221; I said to
-Marston as he held the pail for the horse
-to drink; &#8220;I have one in my pocket which
-I think will please you. It is called
-&#8216;Self Helps,&#8217; and will show you how
-others have worked and struggled to become
-good and useful men. I hope that
-is what you wish to do.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall try for it,&#8221; he answered in a
-clear tone, while his grey eye brightened
-as he grasped the book. &#8220;Aim to do
-right, Marston, and what you do, do well;
-perhaps we shall meet again.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Quick as an arrow he bounded round
-the corner, and the doctor&#8217;s pony trotted
-leisurely down the mountain with
-us.</p>
-
-<p>It had been a glorious afternoon, and
-I had taken a longer stroll than usual;
-resting at the little mountain house, while<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span>
-the doctor visited a patient further up the
-mountain.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do you know any thing of Marston&#8217;s
-family, doctor?&#8221; asked I, when we finished
-what we had to say of the immediate
-landscape.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not much. The mother was a well-educated
-gentlewoman, above the majority
-in these parts; she died soon after I
-came here, and her husband soon married
-a real vixen. They say he spent
-every thing in whiskey after that, and
-these two children, Marston and Jennie,
-live with Mr. Jeffries, a good-natured
-man in his way, but mightily puffed up
-with his success in that hotel. He has
-a good many boarders in summer, and is
-making a great deal of money.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>By this time pony had struck into a
-quicker pace; the road was more familiar,
-or he scented the corn crib, and his master
-let him have the rein.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span>The next day I left the mountains, but
-not without a thought of Marston Howe,
-and an earnest wish that he might succeed.</p>
-
-<p>Poor, and dependent on his own labor,
-there was something in his case that reminded
-me strangely of my own; and
-more than once I felt my heart throb
-with a quicker beat as I thought of what
-might be in store for him, had he the
-courage ever to undertake what I saw
-from his look he so earnestly craved.</p>
-
-<p>Still, with constant effort, untiring self-denial,
-and inflexible purpose, the height
-might be won. The germs of the future
-harvest must be planted before it can be
-gathered in. Slow and difficult might be
-the ascent, and many a time the feet
-might falter in the way, and the heart
-well-nigh break, while weakness, prejudice,
-and passion hinder the progress of
-the eager soul.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span>One look to God, however, and obstacles
-vanish, doubts dissolve. His strength
-is never denied those that ask him. Marston
-Howe&#8217;s mother was a Christian.
-His cradle was consecrated by her prayers,
-and the little son she left behind her
-was still the object of divine love and
-care. Such thoughts comforted me. He
-must go up through the narrow defile of
-labor, the rocky strait of necessity; but
-he will overcome: the mother&#8217;s prayers
-will not be lost.</p>
-
-<p>Years have passed since that summer
-day: we have both been climbers; both
-began at the same level, the only difference
-being that I had the start by some
-half a score of years; difference enough
-when starting in the race, but hardly perceptible
-when standing, as we both now
-do, nearer the top than the bottom of the
-ladder.</p>
-
-<p>Last summer I again met with Marston<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span>
-Howe; and for the sake of the climbers
-who have suffered and striven, and of
-others who are still suffering and striving,
-I am induced to tell his story as
-nearly as he told me as I can well remember
-it.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus017.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">II.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> my early life I cannot remember
-much before we went to the mountains,
-and still I have always had a vague remembrance
-of a pleasant home surrounded
-with tall trees, a fountain bubbling
-up and catching the sun&#8217;s rays in a thousand
-bewildering forms, sweet flowers,
-and singing birds; while in my own little
-room there was a curious round glass
-with rock and moss at the bottom, where
-the gold fish flashed their beauty through
-the crystal water. Then there were days
-indistinct and shadowy, when the glory
-and beauty had gone, where I hardly
-knew, and we had another home&mdash;my
-mother, Jennie, and I.</p>
-
-<p>My father I had seldom seen, and now
-I saw less of him than before. I did not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span>
-so much wonder, for it was not home to
-me, that little brown house perched like
-a bird&#8217;s nest on the shelf of the mountain.
-I did not like it, and often used to ask
-my mother why we were there. She
-never used to answer me; but putting
-her arm around me drew me closely to
-her, kissing me over and over again,
-while the tears fell on my face, but saying
-nothing.</p>
-
-<p>It was not so with Jennie, the pretty
-golden-haired baby that I used to rock
-in a nice little crib in our first home.
-Then we had pretty carpeted floors, and
-I could ride my pony all day in a room
-made on purpose to play in.</p>
-
-<p>But when I grew older I saw it all,
-and understood why my mother pressed
-me to her heart and wept. I then knew
-what made my father reel and stagger
-so as he came up the path; and why,
-when Jennie put up her hands, and crowed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span>
-out her evening welcome, he took no
-notice of her, and one night came very
-near crushing the little creature as he fell
-over the threshold. Oh, sad, sad days,
-when he was so cross, declaring the house
-was cold and cheerless, or the rooms
-were so bare of comfort&mdash;when he went
-to the village at the foot of the hills every
-morning, and if he did not come back at
-night, mother took Jennie in her arms,
-and we went after him.</p>
-
-<p>In this way we lived till Jennie was
-five years old; then mother grew sick,
-and for days lay on the bed so white and
-still, Jennie curling up beside her, putting
-her little chubby cheek close to the
-thin pallid one, while I dug up raspberry
-roots and boiled them into broth for
-mother and the baby to eat.</p>
-
-<p>One day she spoke less frequently; I
-thought she was asleep, and walked about
-very carefully so as not to wake her: at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span>
-length she looked up, beckoned me to
-her, put her arms about my neck, and
-kissed me. &#8220;Whatever happens,&#8221; she
-said, &#8220;you must be a good boy, Marston.
-You are now almost ten years old; you
-will take good care of Jennie, and never
-let her leave you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I will, mother; but what makes you
-talk so?&#8221; and I cried aloud in grief and
-fear.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am very sick, Marston, and I may
-die. If I do, you will take care of Jennie;
-promise me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, mother; but you will not die.
-God must not&mdash;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Hush, my son; God knows what is
-best; you will always remember to love
-and obey Him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How can I, mother, if he takes you?
-You are all we have in the world. What
-will Jennie and I do without you? No,
-mother, if he is good, he will not do this;&#8221;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span>
-and I buried my face in the pillows. My
-poor sick mother put her thin arms about
-my neck, and drew me still nearer, her
-hot cheek meeting mine.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;God <i>is</i> good, my child, and still I
-must leave you. Mother would not tell
-you any thing that was not so. You believe
-me, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I believe you, mother,&#8221; I cried passionately,
-&#8220;but I cannot let you go; if
-you go, I must go with you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, Marston, you must stay to take
-care of Jennie and your father. Jennie
-is such a little girl, what would become
-of her without you?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Will it make you happier, mother, if
-I take care of Jennie?&#8221; and I kissed her
-white cheeks again and again.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, my son, I shall be very happy
-if you will promise to be a good boy, and
-take care of your little sister for Christ
-and for me.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span>&#8220;I will promise; I will be good, mother,&#8221;
-and my tears were dried.</p>
-
-<p>Invested with a new dignity as the
-protector of my little sister, I must be a
-man; and I took up Jennie and fed her
-from the one little china bowl that remained
-to us of our old home.</p>
-
-<p>Weary with the effort of talking, my
-mother fell asleep, looking so calm and
-placid; while I rocked the baby, and
-watched her quiet breathing.</p>
-
-<p>Presently a neighbor came in, and
-bending over the bed asked how long
-she had been sick.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Two weeks,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Poor thing; why didn&#8217;t she send for
-the doctor?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;She thought she should be better
-soon,&#8221; I replied, laying Jennie down on
-the foot of the bed; and going softly to
-my mother, I gently kissed the pale forehead.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span>&#8220;Marston, promise,&#8221; and she opened
-her eyes.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do, I will, mother.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Dear me, Mrs. Howe, why did you
-not send for me? your husband told me
-this morning that you were sick; and as
-soon as we had dinner, I came right up.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I knew there was no help for me.
-If it was not for leaving my children&mdash;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t be troubled, Mrs. Howe. It
-isn&#8217;t much that I have, but such as it is
-they shall have a part.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Slowly the sun went down, and as the
-darkness rolled up the mountain father
-came home. He was steadier than usual,
-and for the first time he seemed sorry
-that mother was sick; took her hand
-kindly in his, and bent over the pillow
-and kissed her.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Only get well, Mary, and I will stay
-at home always.&#8221; It was all he could
-say, the tears choked him.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span>&#8220;I am very sick, Robert. You will
-do this for the children,&#8221; and her eyes
-closed.</p>
-
-<p>All night the two watched by her bed,
-Mrs. Jeffries and father; while Jennie
-nestled in my arms, occasionally putting
-up her mouth for a kiss, thinking it was
-mother.</p>
-
-<p>I lived an age in that night, and how
-many resolves I formed and plans laid
-of what I would do, and how I would
-care for that one little sister.</p>
-
-<p>Alas, I had to learn that he who wins
-must walk through rough places; that
-the sweet rest for which we long is only
-given to those who have been prompt in
-duty, resolute against temptation, strong
-in faith, patient in the hour of trial.
-Alas for the weary feet that must walk
-through the world without a mother&#8217;s
-guidance.</p>
-
-<p>Before morning Jennie and I were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span>
-alone, while my poor father was stricken
-into soberness.</p>
-
-<p>Three months passed. My father was
-much steadier, stayed more at home, and
-was no longer cross and overbearing;
-for hours would he read to us, then
-taking Jennie on his knee, sing her to
-sleep.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If mother could only see him,&#8221; I said
-frequently to myself. I had not known
-he was so handsome, for he kept himself
-much better, and looked like a new man.
-Then at night he would put us in bed,
-and sometimes sit down by himself, or go
-out looking so good and happy; I did not
-understand it.</p>
-
-<p>One day I had been down to Mrs. Jeffries
-with Jennie, and Mr. Jeffries asked
-me what I would think if my father gave
-me a new mother. I told him that could
-not be; we could not have but one mother,
-and our mother was dead.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span>&#8220;But what if your father marries
-again?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I went home in tears. Cheerless as
-our home was, I could not bear that another
-should enter it. It was no place
-for a good woman to come, and I felt it
-so. It was not long, however, before I
-found the reality of what I feared. My
-father, on the strength of his good looks,
-married a pretty, showily dressed woman,
-and brought her to our mountain home.
-Very kindly he introduced us; but she
-did not so much as kiss either of us. I
-grew indignant, and could have darted
-out of the house, but for my remembered
-promise to my mother.</p>
-
-<p>A year, and she had turned us out,
-while a baby of her own nestled in her
-arms, and our father was nearly as bad
-as ever. Jennie had always been a
-delicate little thing, or my new mother
-would not so readily have parted with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span>
-her. But my father, with all his waywardness,
-always said to her that we
-should not be parted.</p>
-
-<p>We knew no one but Mrs. Jeffries,
-and she kindly consented to take us in;
-while her husband allowed me to hold
-the horses, and after a time to drive
-them to and from the stable.</p>
-
-<p>In this way I gained something. The
-first winter I was there I went to school
-eighteen days; not enough to learn much,
-and still enough to give me a thirst for
-more. The schoolmaster was a lame
-man that lived near the school-house,
-and directly on my way.</p>
-
-<p>Thin and scant my clothes were, and
-I used sometimes to go in and warm myself.
-What a different atmosphere pervaded
-his home: his mother, a sweet
-woman, with soft braids of still brown
-hair about her face, while her mild blue
-eyes reminded me of my own mother,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span>
-and not unfrequently the tears would
-start as she inquired kindly for my little
-sister.</p>
-
-<p>Charles Brisbane was to be a clergyman;
-and when he read and prayed with
-us every morning, it seemed the easiest
-thing in the world to be good, and I wondered
-why my father had not been just
-such another good man. And when at
-the close of the day he talked to us of
-the dear Saviour, who came down to
-earth, took upon himself our nature, suffered
-and died to redeem us, I resolved
-that I would love and trust and serve
-him; and then I thought he would take
-care of Jennie and me, and make my
-father a sober man. Then I used to
-shut my eyes, and dream all sorts of
-pleasant things, longing for a world
-where the people loved each other and
-did right, and where death would never
-come.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span>My dear mother seemed to be very
-near me whenever Charles Brisbane was
-talking; and when I went back to Mr.
-Jeffries&#8217; it did not seem so hard to do
-the little errands that were always ready
-for me.</p>
-
-<p>Jennie was beginning to do something
-for Mrs. Jeffries, who herself took the
-lead in her own house-work; and of course
-could not be expected to do more for us
-than to see that we had plenty to eat,
-were tidy, and not actually ragged.</p>
-
-<p>I remember stopping one day at Mr.
-Brisbane&#8217;s, and how I longed to be able
-to go to school regularly; and could not
-but say this in rather a fretful mood.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am sorry that you cannot come,
-Marston; but remember that you can
-learn, wherever you are.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How so?&#8221; said I.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;By reading and studying at home.
-Improve all your time; always have a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span>
-book in your pocket or on a shelf near
-you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But I have no books.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am going to give you some. Here
-is the Geography you studied at school,
-and your Arithmetic. True, you are just
-commencing, but with occasional help, I
-have no doubt you will get on finely.
-Come to school when you can; but when
-kept at home by Mr. Jeffries, do not fret
-over it. Do your work faithfully, and look
-forward. God helps those who help themselves.
-He will not leave you, my boy.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>How strong and happy I felt as I
-climbed up the hill-side to Mr. Jeffries&#8217;
-house. I forgot the dark, cold mornings
-when I had to rise at four o&#8217;clock,
-and make paths through the snow; and
-help feed the stock and see to the horses,
-the poor patient brutes waiting until an
-opening could be made in the trough, or
-the snow melted. Then there were pigs<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span>
-to feed, and corn to shell for the poultry,
-and the kitchen to sweep; and by the
-time I had done it was nearly noon, and
-too late for school that day. And Jennie
-would climb up into my lap, and tell me
-not to cry; and I would read my Geography
-to her very much as, the last summer,
-I had read Jack the Giant Killer,
-Babes in the Wood, Robinson Crusoe,
-and Sinbad the Sailor; her blue eyes
-looking up wonderingly as she nestled
-still closer, laying her white velvet cheek
-to my brown one.</p>
-
-<p>Dear little comforter, much as I loved
-her, my heart rebelled not a little at the
-loss of school-hours. Still I did not forget
-Mr. Brisbane&#8217;s words, so that I neither
-cried nor murmured outwardly,
-studying every moment I could get, and
-repeating my lesson aloud to Jennie, who
-in her turn began to study geography,
-and to make figures on my slate.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span>My writing lesson I suffered the most
-in. But Mrs. Jeffries had a sister that
-visited her occasionally, and when there,
-Miss Grimshaw condescended to set me
-copies; so that between my duties at
-home, Mr. Brisbane, and Miss Grimshaw,
-I made considerable advancement.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Jeffries scolded not a little whenever
-he saw my books, and one day actually
-tossed them out of the window,
-where Molly the cook rescued them from
-a mischievous puppy, minus one of the
-covers. I could have cried over this;
-but the leaves were all there, and afterwards
-Mrs. Jeffries gave us two chairs
-and a little table in her linen closet;
-and as this was the tidiest place in the
-house, and above all, never entered save
-by Mrs. Jeffries, we were for a time uncommonly
-happy.</p>
-
-<p>While I had my books and a chair in
-the linen closet, Jennie had a few pots of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span>
-geraniums and tea-roses that Mrs. Brisbane
-had sent her, and which she nurtured
-with great care. Never shall I
-forget the look of distress on the little
-face, when one morning she had watered
-them tenderly, taxing her strength not a
-little to set them where they would have
-all the benefit of the sun, watching them
-with delight, counting the buds on the
-rose-bush, and thinking of the little bouquets
-she would be sure to make, first
-for me and then for Mrs. Jeffries, putting
-one in Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s room by way of
-surprise. All at once Mr. Jeffries came
-through the room, and seeing the little
-girl idle for the moment, with one sweep
-of his hand landed the rose-bush in the
-middle of the yard, the stem broken and
-the opening buds torn. There was not
-a tear, not a word of complaint as she
-stole up to the linen closet and laid the
-ruined stem in my hands, hiding her face<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span>
-on my shoulder, and trembling like an
-aspen.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Who has done this, Jennie?&#8221; said I
-hurriedly, and in a passion.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t be vexed at him; it was Mr.
-Jeffries. He&#8217;ll be sorry to-morrow.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But this was yours; what right had
-he to touch it? I will go and ask him;&#8221;
-and I flung down my book and started up.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, Marston, you must not anger
-him. It is all the home we have; and if
-you vex him, he may turn us away, or
-at least not let you have this nice little
-closet to study in.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There was something in Jennie&#8217;s philosophy
-that quieted me a little; and
-drawing her to my side, I tried first to
-command myself and then comfort her.
-Excited as the poor child was, she soon
-fell asleep; and not seeing any thing but
-the clean white linen in the room, I took
-off my coat and spread it on the floor, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span>
-laid her down. Accustomed to a hard
-bed, she did not waken. Try as I would,
-I could not study, but sat looking at the
-broken rose-bush and then at the thin,
-troubled face of the sleeper, the blue lids
-swollen, and the delicate veins plainly
-perceptible about the throbbing temples.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How could he do it? By what right
-deny this little child the only treasure
-she possessed?&#8221; and I was getting into a
-passion again, when Mrs. Jeffries entered.</p>
-
-<p>She read it all at a glance; went out
-and brought a quilt and a pillow for
-Jennie, and taking up the broken stalk,
-looked at the roots.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It will live. There is another pot,
-Marston, and if you will fill it with fresh
-mould, I will help you. Its beauty has
-gone for the present, but it will grow
-again.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I did not move or stir, my anger was
-too deep. She laid her hand on my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span>
-shoulder, and kindly said, &#8220;You can&#8217;t
-be sorrier than I am, Marston. I saw it
-all: but you wont be angry; Mr. Jeffries
-will be sorry to-morrow.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Just what Jennie said; but that
-wont help it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It may, Marston; at least it will not
-do any good to be angry about it. I
-know you wont, Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, I will not be angry;&#8221; and at
-once I went to work filling the pot.
-Mrs. Jeffries cut off the broken part,
-put the buds the least injured in a little
-china vase filled with salt and water,
-and set them on a shelf in the little attic
-where Jennie slept. I did not see Jennie
-again till my work was done at night,
-when she said cheerily,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mrs. Jeffries says it will grow again.
-It was very good of her, wasn&#8217;t it, Marston?&#8221;
-and she nestled by my side, and
-together we studied our geography.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span>When the warm weather came, the
-schoolmaster and his mother went away,
-and we never saw them afterwards.
-When the June sun was glowing, and
-the soft winds wafted the fragrant breath
-of flowers up through the mountain gorges,
-Mr. Jeffries&#8217; house was once more
-filled with visitors; and I was not unfrequently
-called upon to show some gentleman
-or lady the best views, as they
-were called, until I became familiar with
-the beauties and glories of nature, and
-felt their genial influence thrilling me
-with a new and indefinite pleasure.</p>
-
-<p>Sometimes I was brought face to face
-with the storm in the mountain passes,
-while thunder and lightning shook and
-vibrated through them, rolling slowly
-down the sides of the mountain and
-echoing along the valley in terrific grandeur.</p>
-
-<p>One day in the heat of summer a gentleman<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span>
-came up, saying to Mr. Jeffries
-that it was his intention to remain for a
-week; that he had come out of the city
-expressly for mountain air and scenery,
-and that he wished to make the best use
-of his time. His name was Kirby, and
-he had not been there a day before I felt
-that he was another Charles Brisbane&mdash;the
-same views, the same hopes, the
-same manner characterized them; and
-after my work was done in the morning,
-it was my privilege to join him in his
-rambles, provided I returned in time to
-have every thing in readiness for the
-night. What made this arrangement
-still pleasanter, Jennie was permitted to
-go with us whenever it was not too far,
-while Mr. Kirby would tell us stories of
-mountains over the sea.</p>
-
-<p>I remember, one evening, we were
-flinging our lines in a little brook that
-ran gurgling along through the green<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span>
-grass like a silver serpent, when Mr.
-Kirby told us of the Rosenlani glacier
-in such glowing language, that we seemed
-to see distinctly the pale sunshine dancing
-on its sharp peaks of frosted silver,
-its blue ice caverns, its fringe of firs,
-with hanging ledges of short crisp grass,
-and giant masses of grey rock, and the
-sudden shower of snow from falling avalanches.
-Then he unrolled a map, and
-pointed out the jagged pyramid of the
-Wetterhorn, and told us of the people
-that lived there; and by the time we
-returned, in season to have our trout for
-supper, we had learned more of the
-geography of Switzerland than we should
-have learned from poring over books for
-a long time.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;To-morrow,&#8221; said Mr. Kirby, &#8220;we
-must go up to the highest point of the
-mountain. I am afraid my little Jennie
-must stay at home.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span>&#8220;Why so, Mr. Kirby?&#8221; and Jennie
-pressed to his side; &#8220;I like to be with
-you and Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I should like to have you go, but I
-am afraid it would make you sick; it
-will be a hard walk for us. If I give
-you a nice story to read, it will interest
-you quite as much; and when we come
-back, you shall tell us all about it. Besides,
-Miss Grimshaw is to teach you
-how to hem that new handkerchief. You
-will be contented to stay now, wont
-you?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you think it best,&#8221; and the long
-brown lashes drooped over the blue eyes.</p>
-
-<p>The next morning I was up earlier
-than usual; but not before Jennie, who
-insisted on sharing my labor, feeding the
-pigs, and then scattering corn to the
-poultry, and throwing wheat to the few
-pigeons that circled about the premises.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do want to go with you,&#8221; she said<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span>
-as she kissed me good-by; but Mr. Kirby
-was there with the neatly bound book
-he had promised, and the tears were
-soon dried, Jennie looking the last look
-as she ran up to her attic to lay aside her
-treasure, till the moment when her work
-should be done and Mrs. Jeffries should
-give her permission to do what she
-pleased.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Shall you have patience to climb?&#8221;
-asked Mr. Kirby as we stood at the base
-of the tallest peak, its jagged sides covered
-with stunted shrubs and shelving
-rocks as far as the eye could reach, a
-veil of clouds and mist resting on the
-summit.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall like it exceedingly. You forget
-that I am accustomed to climbing.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What was it that Miss Grimshaw
-called you and Jennie the other day?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The Climbers.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, and the name rather pleased<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span>
-me,&#8221; continued Mr. Kirby. &#8220;Heights
-are to be won every day, and our stand-point
-to-day should be in advance of
-what it was yesterday. We are, or
-should be, all climbers, using every incident,
-occasion, and advantage as a stepping-stone
-to something better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I fear some of us are doing it at a
-snail&#8217;s pace; a lifetime of such climbing
-as mine would not amount to much.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You remember the hare and the tortoise,&#8221;
-said Mr. Kirby, &#8220;and which won
-the race. The hare started off as some
-people would to go up this mountain;
-but he soon grew weary, and lay down
-to rest. The tortoise began as he could
-hold out, and the end justified his wisdom.&#8221;
-I now understood why Mr. Kirby
-was walking leisurely.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;When I was a lad,&#8221; continued he,
-&#8220;I often visited my grandfather, who
-lived on a farm in the country. On one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span>
-occasion he hired two men to work in
-the harvest-field. One man looked at
-the small field of wheat contemptuously,
-and declared it his opinion the job had
-better be given to one; he could do it
-all himself before sundown. Still my
-grandfather insisted on the two, and
-accordingly they began. One worked
-furiously, and at noon he was far in advance
-of his companion. As the hot
-hours passed his arm grew nerveless, his
-back felt as though it was broken, his
-limbs ached, and his head felt like bursting.
-Long before sundown he had to
-withdraw to the house of the farmer;
-while his companion, who had husbanded
-his strength, was left to finish the field
-alone. Patience when we commence is
-quite as needful in intellectual as in physical
-effort. The end of the race tells
-who wins.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is a good deal of consolation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span>
-in that,&#8221; I ventured to remark. &#8220;Climbing
-hills I can easily do; but I am sometimes
-afraid that is the only climbing
-that will be allowed me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not if you wish another. Obstacles
-vanish before a strong and resolute will.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But circumstances, Mr. Kirby.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Look behind you, Marston, and you
-will see that while walking and talking
-at our leisure, we have been advancing
-all the time, and have in reality made a
-very perceptible ascent. The valley
-looks like a green thread, and the few
-buildings that we see like pigeon-houses.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, indeed; we get along better
-than I expected. We&#8217;ve been steadily
-at it, that&#8217;s all.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is it, Marston, steadily at it.
-Perseverance is sure, sooner or later, to
-overcome.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And if we have a plan, and steadily
-follow it, shall we succeed?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span>&#8220;Almost sure to do so; not by one
-endeavor, not by two, but by years of
-perpetual toil and labor. Climbers have
-more to contend with than those who sit
-still in the valley. Do you begin to
-weary, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh no; but the path is much rougher,
-and I slip backward instead of getting
-forward.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Now you see why I took this staff
-tipped with a sharp iron. It will help
-us when the way is slippery. Give me
-your hand; it is hard work, but nothing
-good is achieved without labor.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>At length we reached a cliff which,
-projecting boldly into our path, rose like
-a dark grey wall to bar our advance.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What shall we do now?&#8221; I asked;
-&#8220;go back?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Never do that, unless you are out of
-the way,&#8221; said Mr. Kirby. &#8220;We must
-get up just as we have come so far, by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span>
-climbing. But it is so steep on this side,
-we shall have to go round.&#8221; After a
-short pause to ascertain the most favorable
-point, Mr. Kirby with his iron-tipped
-staff proceeded to put his advice
-into practice. Each step was carefully
-taken, another, and another; while, as
-we advanced, helps arose on all sides:
-here was a twig, there a rock, and there
-a secure place for the feet; and without
-any great fatigue, and almost before we
-were aware, we stood on the top of the
-enormous mass that but a short time before
-had loomed up threateningly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You see where we are,&#8221; said Mr.
-Kirby. &#8220;Remember, and never give up
-when you undertake any thing. Stop
-only sufficiently long to make sure of the
-way, and then advance, one step at a
-time. You see here how clearly one
-step prepares the way for another; so
-it will ever be. Oaks are strengthened<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span>
-by wind and storm; so men grow firm
-by combating with difficulty and opposition.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see how that can make them
-strong,&#8221; I said; for I did not clearly understand
-the import of his words.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do not mean strong in body merely,
-although this might follow, but strong
-in spirit, more resolute to do, more determined
-to endure. If boys possess this
-quality, they will be pretty sure to make
-strong, reliable men, able to take a position
-in the world and have an influence
-among men. But look; what a splendid
-view we have from this point;&#8221; and Mr.
-Kirby looked over the broad panorama
-with an eye that seemed to see the Deity
-in his works; and from the top of that
-table rock he told me of his own life, of
-the obstacles in his way, the poverty and
-destitution that he had known: &#8220;And
-still by climbing, just as we have been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span>
-doing to-day, I have made some progress;
-and if I keep on&mdash;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What will you make?&#8221; I asked in
-my eagerness.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What would you say if you knew I
-had no higher ambition than to be a
-clergyman?&#8221; looking at me with a half
-smile in his clear dark eye.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I think I should be a lawyer, if I
-was in your place, Mr. Kirby.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;A lawyer; why so?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Why, there&#8217;s a better chance to rise
-in the world. It must be very nice to
-sway men as easily as lawyers do; and
-then there&#8217;s a chance of one day being
-senator or judge.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It must be very pleasant, you say,
-to sway men as lawyers do. Do you
-not think it equally good to sway men as
-clergymen do? It is the lawyer&#8217;s business
-to help men out of temporary difficulties.
-It is the clergyman&#8217;s business<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span>
-to show men a better way: first to show
-them their condition as sinners, then to
-tell them of the precious Saviour who
-died to redeem them, and who will not
-only save them from temporary difficulties,
-but raise them to an eternity of
-happiness. Is there any thing more glorious
-than this, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I hardly know, sir. It has always
-seemed to me I should like to be a lawyer.
-Yet it must be pleasant, as you
-say, to make people better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I hope you will always think so,
-Marston,&#8221; and Mr. Kirby gathered some
-wild flowers. &#8220;They will remind us of
-the walk. Flowers have the happy power
-of always calling our best thoughts to the
-surface.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It would seem your best thoughts
-are always there, Mr. Kirby.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;On the contrary, my best thoughts
-are sometimes out of sight entirely. I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span>
-have to be very watchful over myself.
-I am too readily given to despondency,
-and not willing to trust and be bright
-and cheerful when it looks dark and lowering.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Is it our duty always to be bright
-and glad?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I think so, Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But if every thing goes wrong with
-us?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Every thing cannot go wrong with
-us, if we love and trust the Saviour, for
-he has said that all things shall work together
-for our good.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is what mother used to say. I
-always wondered how she could.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Because she trusted him, and this
-trust made her cheerful and happy.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If we go to the top,&#8221; I ventured to
-say, &#8220;we must be going;&#8221; and again the
-dry moss rustled beneath our feet. We
-had not gone far before dark clouds began<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span>
-to scud over the sky, portending a
-sudden storm.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Had we not better return?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We are much nearer the top than
-the bottom of the mountain,&#8221; said Mr.
-Kirby. &#8220;If a storm should come, it
-would reach us before we could get half
-way down. You are not afraid of a
-storm, Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not of mere rain; but this is no place
-as to the wind, to say nothing of thunder
-and lightning.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;All these are in His keeping. We
-are the objects of his love.&#8221; He had
-hardly finished speaking, when a fearful
-gale swept down the mountain, and nearly
-bore us away with it. The rain quickly
-followed, while the thunder was startling,
-with its quick, sharp reports, then
-rolling along in one continued roar till
-lost in the distance.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus054.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span>&#8220;This will not last long,&#8221; said Mr.
-Kirby, and took shelter under a great
-rock, drawing me after him. How long
-we stood there I hardly know, for the
-dense mass of black clouds floating so
-near us, carried swiftly by the winds,
-rolling and unrolling their rugged edges,
-fringed with the lurid glare, was the
-most fascinating spectacle that I had ever
-witnessed.</p>
-
-<p>After explaining to me the different
-strata of the atmosphere and some of the
-causes of this sudden change in the clouds,
-Mr. Kirby spoke of that great day of
-storm and dread, when there would be
-some to cry for the mountains to cover
-them from the wrath of the Lamb, and
-others to whom He would be as the shelter
-of a great rock.</p>
-
-<p>Then we stepped out from under the
-rock. The shower was over, and we
-again advanced. For a time the ascent
-was more precipitous than any that we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span>
-had met before, while the wet boughs,
-brushing against our faces, would have
-seriously disturbed a less persevering
-spirit than Mr. Kirby&#8217;s.</p>
-
-<p>Among the remembrances of that day
-were the tiny pools and cascades, filled
-to overflowing during the shower. Then
-there were spots of soft green beds of
-beautiful moss, and short, steep acclivities,
-such as would hardly afford footing
-for the chamois or gazelle.</p>
-
-<p>At length we stood at the top. Here,
-on the very summit of the mountain,
-was a lovely little lake, its water clear
-as crystal, where the clouds could see
-their beauty reflected without comment
-or obstruction.</p>
-
-<p>How proud and happy I felt. The
-work was done. I had often looked up,
-but never before attempted going to the
-top. Once decided upon, it was done.
-Would it be as easy with every thing else?</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span>Scarcely had we turned from the lake,
-when the sun came out, rolling up the
-floating mists into wool-like drapery of
-clouds, revealing a panorama of surpassing
-grandeur.</p>
-
-<p>Beneath us lay a succession of hills,
-shelving down to the valley, while further
-in the distance were green fields,
-with farm-houses looking hardly bigger
-than mole-hills, with the river winding
-on to the ocean like a long blue thread;
-and the ocean itself, whose boundary I
-could not define, was an object of strange
-wonder to me. Ignorant as I was, I
-could not understand the strong emotion
-that thrilled me, depriving me entirely
-of the power of speech.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How beautiful He hath made them
-all;&#8221; and Mr. Kirby lifted his hat, and
-stood uncovered, awed by the glorious
-majesty around him. As I looked at
-him, I felt a still stronger yearning for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span>
-something higher and nobler. That hour,
-I am persuaded, was a turning-point in
-my life. New hopes fluttered into being;
-new resolves were registered; new purposes
-were to be maintained; and a
-strong confidence was born within me,
-that the Lord would not leave me desolate.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Kirby talked of God&#8217;s exceeding
-great love, and how he never turned any
-away, even the poorest and weakest,
-that might call upon him for aid. He
-also told me several wonderful things of
-the mountains, and the transformation
-continually going on in them; and then
-of Hugh Miller, and the ways by which
-he had achieved his great work.</p>
-
-<p>It surprises me now, when I think how
-much was crowded into that one day.
-It was to me like a new revelation; the
-very air was full of a new life; I breathed
-freer than I had done for months. A<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span>
-new path was opening, and I felt strong
-to tread where others had gone before&mdash;others
-as poor and friendless as I was.
-Oh that we could always keep ourselves
-on the mountain heights of faith and
-hope.</p>
-
-<p>With Mr. Kirby near to prompt and
-encourage me, I forgot my ragged clothes
-and rimless hat, and that my shoes were
-old and patched&mdash;forgot, or rather did
-not know, that to become learned as he
-was would require years of time and a
-great deal of money, a commodity that I
-knew little about. My heart was light
-and buoyant. I thought I could do it,
-and hope began to trill a measure that
-was henceforth to ring on all through
-my life.</p>
-
-<p>The sudden shower had rendered fresh
-and green each leaf and flower, while the
-bright sun-rays had transmuted the drops
-to brilliant diamonds, suspended in lavish<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span>
-profusion from tree and shrub, catching
-and reflecting its light in countless
-forms of splendor.</p>
-
-<p>Just then a wren flew out of a thicket,
-and settled on a low spray just in our
-path. With a sweep of my hand I could
-have reached the fearless little songster,
-fresh, bright, glad, offering its tribute to
-the Creator.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Shall not we thank him too?&#8221; said
-Mr. Kirby; and suiting the action to the
-word, he knelt, and placing one hand
-upon my bowed head, implored God, for
-Christ&#8217;s sake, to have compassion upon
-me, to make me a child of God, to forgive
-my sins, and to give me a teachable
-spirit, that I might be willing to be
-led, and might, through the influence of
-his grace, grow up to be a good and useful
-man.</p>
-
-<p>This was the first time that anybody
-had ever prayed alone with me, save<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span>
-my mother; and it brought her so forcibly
-before me, that I could not keep
-down the sobs.</p>
-
-<p>Going home, I asked Mr. Kirby if we
-should ever see him again.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is not probable,&#8221; he answered.
-&#8220;It is very possible that I may be sent
-abroad; and if so, we may never meet
-again; but whether we meet or not, I
-shall think of you, Marston, and pray
-that we may both live so as to meet in
-heaven.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Jennie saw us coming, and bounded
-over the brook that ran at the back of the
-house and across the pasture to meet us,
-breaking out into a glad welcome, telling
-us that she had finished the book, and
-nearly hemmed the handkerchief. &#8220;Here
-it is,&#8221; holding it up for inspection.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Very well done,&#8221; said Mr. Kirby,
-shaking it out, and examining it attentively.
-&#8220;Now, my little friends, I want<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span>
-you both to remember this day. It may
-be the last chance I shall have to speak
-to you alone. Do your duty wherever
-you are. Let your first question be, Is
-it right? and then never turn back, nor
-be discouraged. Do this, and you will
-advance, just as we did in climbing the
-mountain to-day, one step at a time; so
-by one act of duty at a time, one good
-purpose well carried out, success will follow.&#8221;
-Then putting his hand on each of
-our heads, &#8220;Give your hearts to Christ
-now; love and serve him. Wherever I
-go, I shall think of you, and shall hope
-you are workers for him, let your surroundings
-be what they may.&#8221;</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus062.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">III.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Full</span> of my new resolves, I went about
-my evening&#8217;s work, followed closely by
-Jennie, telling me all the time about her
-book. While listening to the charming
-story, I forgot, and put brindle into the
-black cow&#8217;s place. No sooner done, than
-Mr. Jeffries, who had a quick eye, sent
-me spinning across the stable floor, and
-Jennie into the house and up to her attic,
-where I found her an hour afterwards,
-with tears still on her cheeks.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t cry about it, Jennie;&#8221; and I
-drew up a little rocking-chair I had made
-for her out of an old one, and took her in
-my arms. &#8220;It was careless in me; I
-should have seen what I was about.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;He said afterwards it would not have
-been much matter if the cattle had remained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span>
-so all night. Oh, if we only had
-a home, like other children, Marston. I
-wonder why we haven&#8217;t;&#8221; and she nestled
-her brown head on my shoulder,
-and tried hard not to sob any more.
-Just then a sharp voice came up from
-the kitchen, and for once I felt like resisting.
-I was tired, my work was all
-done, and I sat quite still, holding Jennie
-tightly. Again and again the call.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We must go, brother; Mr. Kirby
-said we must do what we have to do
-well, and then God will open a path for
-us. I do hope he will; don&#8217;t you?&#8221;
-Kissing my angry cheek, she put away
-her book, and ran down the narrow stairs.
-Brushing off the tears, I followed as
-quickly as possible.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ve forgotten your wood, boy;
-this comes of reading books. If you
-don&#8217;t quit it, you can&#8217;t stay here, I can
-tell you;&#8221; and Mr. Jeffries stormed till<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span>
-he was tired, and then walked into the
-bar-room.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t mind his being cross, Marston,&#8221;
-said Mrs. Jeffries soothingly; &#8220;he&#8217;s
-not quite himself to-night; to-morrow
-he&#8217;ll be sorry.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Tired as I was at bedtime I could
-not sleep, the day had been so pleasant
-notwithstanding the fatigue. I had listened
-to Mr. Kirby, and thought it would
-be easy to be good; and then he had
-prayed that I might be led. But before
-my work was done I had become angry
-and cross, and half questioning God&#8217;s
-goodness because Jennie and I had not a
-home, with some one to love and take
-care of us.</p>
-
-<p>I went to the window where I could
-see the distant hills, the very mountain
-the top of which we had reached by continued
-effort. &#8220;Nothing is gained without
-labor,&#8221; Mr. Kirby had said. How<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span>
-easy it would be to do right, I thought,
-if we could always live with such people;
-and I looked up to the stars twinkling to
-each other in their beauty.</p>
-
-<p>My heart was full, and yearned for
-sympathy; and to comfort myself, I went
-back and lived the cheering scenes of
-my life over again&mdash;calling up every
-word and look of my dear mother, then
-all Mr. Brisbane had said, and now Mr.
-Kirby, and my books, of which I could
-count several.</p>
-
-<p>In going up the mountain Mr. Kirby
-had often caused me to look behind me,
-in that way getting an idea of the ascent
-we were really making. So in looking
-over the past I could see that I had
-made some advance, and insensibly my
-thoughts grew clearer. Again I looked
-up to the heavens; but I knew but little
-of God&#8217;s love. His precious promise was
-to me then a sealed voice. Still, there<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span>
-was a feeling of quiet stole over me, something
-that spoke comfort, for I went to
-sleep.</p>
-
-<p>The next morning Mr. Kirby left, and
-I had so much to do, and so many calling
-upon me at once, that I had no time
-to tell him what I had resolved to tell
-him, namely, how forgetful I had been,
-and what a passionate feeling had swept
-over me. I meant to try and do better,
-but I had no time to tell him.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do right, Marston, and study all you
-can,&#8221; had been his last words. Mr. Jeffries
-was very kind, and as if to make
-amends for the last night, gave me an
-hour to myself after dinner. Taking our
-books, Jennie followed me to a flat rock
-under a gnarled apple-tree, and on a
-broken slate I pored over my sums, while
-she studied geography. Then I heard
-her lesson, and she questioned me in
-arithmetic; for with less instruction she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span>
-was further advanced than I was. After
-that, we read the book Mr. Kirby had
-given her. It was a simple, unvarnished
-sketch of every-day life, with allusions
-that I could understand, and experiences
-so like my own that more than once
-I stopped to dry my eyes.</p>
-
-<p>We had just finished, and were talking
-it over, when who should come across
-the garden but our father? We had not
-seen him in a good while, and there was
-something so kind in his look and manner,
-that we started at once to meet
-him.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;So you have not quite forgotten me,&#8221;
-he said, as Jennie kissed him and I clung
-to his hand.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We can never do that, pa.&#8221; He sat
-down on the rock and held us to him,
-with his arms close around us.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Are you willing to come home, Marston?
-You are getting to be a large<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span>
-boy, and can help me now; and I am
-going to try to do better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Had it not been for my new mother I
-should have jumped at the idea of going
-with my father; but when I thought of
-her my heart struggled against it. Again
-Mr. Kirby&#8217;s words came to my mind:
-&#8220;Do right, Marston.&#8221; Something told
-me it was right, if my father was trying
-to make a better man, to help him. So
-I answered resolutely,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you think it best, father; but I
-want to go to school, and do something
-better by and by.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is what I want you to do, my
-son; and I will try and help you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>He was sober, and spoke so kindly, we
-both cried when he kissed us good-by,
-and said he knew he had not been as
-good to us as he ought to have been since
-we had no mother. Dear father, it was
-a long time since we had seen him so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span>
-kind; and it was to be a still longer time
-before we should see him so kind again.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You will come down to-morrow night,
-children.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, father.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>This arrangement did not suit Mr. Jeffries;
-but he said nothing against it, while
-his wife shook her head. &#8220;The same old
-story; it will be as bad as ever in a
-week,&#8221; she said to herself.</p>
-
-<p>The next day, the last we stayed at the
-Jeffries&#8217;, a traveller presented me with a
-book entitled &#8220;Self Helps,&#8221; and never a
-miser rejoiced more over his treasure
-than I did when I caught sight of its contents.
-So there had been hosts of poor
-boys trying just as I was for something
-better; and at last they found it; so
-should I.</p>
-
-<p>At sunset Jennie and I walked back
-to our old home. Our new mother received
-us kindly, and the baby crowed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span>
-and clapped his hands, seeming to regard
-us as old acquaintances.</p>
-
-<p>The days and weeks passed, and it was
-the middle of autumn. There was a little
-corn to be gathered, and a few potatoes
-to be dug; but father&#8217;s good promises
-had all vanished. He was not cross,
-neither did he often scold, but he stayed
-from home; and when he was there, he
-was too stupid to care for any of us.</p>
-
-<p>Winter came, and I attended a school
-nearly a mile from us; but this time we
-had no such friend as Charles Brisbane.
-The teacher seemed to know that we were
-poor and miserable; and when I went
-in late, as I almost always did, he was
-sure to give me a sharp reprimand. In
-vain it was to rise at four o&#8217;clock: there
-was fire to make, there were paths to
-shovel, the cow to milk, and breakfast to
-get; for my new mother would not rise
-until the room was warm, and this in our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span>
-house could not be till the fire had been
-burning a good while.</p>
-
-<p>Poor little Jennie had to stay at home
-entirely. Still she studied, and Miss
-Grimshaw out of the kindness of her
-heart sent us each a slate for her Christmas
-present. Never were more acceptable
-gifts, and I question if any Christmas
-since has brought us more pleasure,
-brightened as it was by two new
-slates.</p>
-
-<p>The winter proved to be unusually
-severe; the snow deeper than for years.
-We managed to live, how I hardly know.
-There was plenty of wood that could be
-had for the cutting; but I had not sufficient
-strength to accomplish much in this
-way, and had to content myself with
-drawing up fallen timber, and branches
-that the wind had scattered. Towards
-spring, father was gone more than ever,
-sometimes not coming home till late at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69]</span>
-night; and then not till Jennie and I had
-taken the lantern and gone down to the
-village after him.</p>
-
-<p>One night he was later than usual;
-the day had been unusually bleak, a
-heavy snow-storm setting in before noon,
-and by sunset we could hardly wade
-through it. Ten o&#8217;clock, and our mother
-for the first time grew uneasy; the baby
-was asleep; she left Jennie to rock the
-cradle, and giving me the lantern, we
-started for the village.</p>
-
-<p>We had not made half the distance
-before we were covered with such a thick
-mantle of snow as to render it necessary
-to stop and shake ourselves; but my
-step-mother had a resolute will, when
-she chose to put it in force. In vain I
-counselled her to return, and let me go
-alone; finding she could not be persuaded,
-I waded through, making as good a
-path as possible, holding up my lantern<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[70]</span>
-so that father could see it if he was really
-on the way.</p>
-
-<p>It was twelve o&#8217;clock when we reached
-the village; the lights were nearly all
-out, only one room was open, and that
-was the fatal one that tempted him so
-often from home.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, your father is not here,&#8221; they
-said in answer to my inquiries. &#8220;He
-started for home before night. It is such
-a terrible storm, he may have stopped on
-the way.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;More likely that he has fallen in the
-snow,&#8221; said mother; &#8220;it is frightfully
-cold, and the wind is drifting it in
-heaps.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There were few words spoken as we
-went back. The storm had somewhat
-subsided, and far as the eye could reach
-spread out before us one mass of fleecy
-whiteness.</p>
-
-<p>How our hearts thrilled, and then<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span>
-stood still, as we passed an eminence
-where the snow lay high and uneven:
-under that white covering father might
-be buried.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Here is an uneven track,&#8221; and mother
-pointed to a pile of snow at the foot
-of the hill, and very near our own door.
-I held up the lantern, but for a moment
-could not move onward. So near us, and
-still we had gone so far! Nerving myself
-at last, I followed the steps, now filled
-with snow, but still perceptible.</p>
-
-<p>It was as we feared. He had started
-for home, and had reached the foot of the
-hill, when he fell, too chilled or too insensible
-to rise.</p>
-
-<p>Oh the agony of that night! He was
-our father, and deeply as he had erred,
-we loved him. Such a terrible death,
-and we knew not where to look for comfort.</p>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">IV.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Jennie</span> and I were alone now, for our
-new mother had taken her babe and gone
-back to her parents. What could we do?
-I thought of others who had worked out
-of just such extremities, and resolved that
-I would seek employment, but not of Mr.
-Jeffries.</p>
-
-<p>So making myself as tidy as possible,
-and curling Jennie&#8217;s hair over my fingers
-as I had seen my own mother do, we shut
-the door of our mountain home, and walked
-resolutely down to the village. Sure
-of success, I kept Jennie laughing as I
-portrayed the future in glowing colors,
-telling her of all that I would do, and the
-pretty home that I would make of my
-own, where we would always live together,
-with plenty of books and flowers&mdash;her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span>
-sweet blue eyes looking up with such
-a glad earnestness.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It will be better than the story in
-the book, wont it?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Our first call was on Miss Grimshaw.
-She was a milliner in the village, and her
-one shop window was full of pictures of
-highly dressed women, whose feathers,
-bonnets, and flowers made a great impression
-upon her customers, to say nothing
-of the awe Jennie and I felt in the
-presence of such magnificence.</p>
-
-<p>Miss Grimshaw received us very cordially;
-and when I told her we wanted
-work together, she shook her head.</p>
-
-<p>After thinking a while, she said with
-sincere tenderness, &#8220;Jennie had better
-stay with me. She is too delicate to do
-heavy work; I will give her a light task,
-and let her have several hours to study
-every day: and it is very probable that
-you can find employment in the village;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span>
-so it will not be much of a separation.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>It was soon settled that Jennie should
-remain with Miss Grimshaw; and I went
-to look out for myself elsewhere. Fortunately
-the grocer who lived directly opposite
-wanted a boy; and after examining
-me a little in arithmetic, and also asking
-me to write his name and my own, he
-finally said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You may try, although I will not
-promise to keep you a single day.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Every little village has its great man;
-and the village of Claverton, nestled at
-the foot of the green hills, was not without
-its rich man, Esquire Clavers being
-the original proprietor from whom it took
-its name.</p>
-
-<p>He was a little wiry man, with sparkling
-eyes and a hooked nose, spare thin
-hair, and whiskers thickly sprinkled
-with grey, and a voice that sounded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span>
-any thing but musical, especially to the
-poor.</p>
-
-<p>Very precise in his toilet was Esquire
-Clavers; his linen was always unexceptionable,
-his watch chain of the largest
-dimensions, and from it dangled a massive
-seal and gold key, while his gold-headed
-cane seemed almost a part of himself, for
-never was he seen without it. He lived
-in a two-story yellow house at the head of
-the principal street, and the people looked
-up to him with a deferential air given to
-no other person, not even the minister.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Willett, the grocery keeper, was
-the next on the list; and it not unfrequently
-happened, as his front shop was
-the largest one in town, that it proved
-the rendezvous for politicians and news-mongers&mdash;Esquire
-Clavers being of course
-the main speaker in the assembly, and
-the oracle in matters of opinion in all
-Claverton.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span>It was spring, but not yet sufficiently
-warm to do without fires; accordingly
-there was a trio around the stove the
-very morning I commenced my work.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I see you&#8217;ve got a new boy,&#8221; said
-Jared Peat the tailor.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;On trial just,&#8221; answered Mr. Willett.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not of much account, I&#8217;ll venture; a
-chip of the old block,&#8221; continued Jared.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Smart as a steel-trap,&#8221; said Esquire
-Clavers, &#8220;but altogether too fine notions
-in his head. If a boy would be any thing,
-he must work for it. It&#8217;s of no use
-trying to work and study too; one or the
-other will be done badly. Jeffries was
-telling me of his being there; he could
-hardly take a horse to water without
-having a book along to read while the
-horse was drinking. For my part, I
-wouldn&#8217;t give him his salt if he works in
-that manner.&#8221; Esquire Clavers had said
-it, and of course I should find little time<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span>
-for books so long as I should be in Mr.
-Willett&#8217;s employ.</p>
-
-<p>I had heard that Esquire Clavers had
-once been poor, and I could not but ask
-myself, Has he forgotten? or was it not
-so dark and hard to him as it is to me?</p>
-
-<p>Presently a customer asked for molasses,
-and I went into the back room to
-draw it, Mr. Willett hastening after me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You should not fill the measure quite
-full, boy.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;She asked for a quart, sir;&#8221; and I
-looked up, feeling sure he had not understood,
-as I held but a quart measure.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know, but we never fill it quite
-full; it might run over, you know; and
-when you stop it, see that not a drop is
-lost.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>He walked about, apparently finding
-something to do, but in reality watching
-me. I saw the direction of his eye; and
-filling my measure, with care that it did<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span>
-not run over, and that not a drop was
-lost, I emptied it into the poor woman&#8217;s
-jug.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Never stop to drain it; make quick
-work; somebody else will want you;&#8221;
-and I followed him into the front room.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I see he gives good measure,&#8221; Mr.
-Willett said to Jared Peat as he resumed
-his place at the fire.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh yes, such people are always honest.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know about that,&#8221; answered
-Esquire Clavers. &#8220;His father was an
-honest man, though open-handed and
-generous, and I have heard say was at
-one time a gentleman. It&#8217;s a pity he
-drank so.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>They did not seem to mind me at all,
-and still I felt pleased, although saddened,
-to hear my father called an honest
-man, and that at one time he had
-been in better circumstances. Thus<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span>
-thinking, and wishing that I knew more
-of his early life, I leaned against the
-counter, and weighed and tied up sundry
-packages; for this was, Mr. Willett
-said, my first work, to tie packages handsomely.</p>
-
-<p>On the day went. My hands were
-not idle, yet not unfrequently I found my
-thoughts straying into the future. The
-vision loomed up with a sudden brightness,
-a path tending onward in spite of
-difficulties and temptations.</p>
-
-<p>I did not know what trials would rise
-up from unseen places, what snares and
-pitfalls where the flowers grew brightest.
-But I remembered Mr. Kirby had said,
-as he climbed the mountain, &#8220;One step
-at a time; and so in life. Do what you
-have to do well, and God will open a
-path to something better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Little did I then see what He was to
-do for me; little did I then understand<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span>
-my duty to him; but I thought of him,
-and felt a certain sense of reliance, a feeling
-of security, which I have since vainly
-endeavored to understand.</p>
-
-<p>Near sunset, and just as I was balancing
-the question, wishing and still fearing
-to ask Mr. Willett&#8217;s permission to
-study in the evening, Jennie came in,
-her bright, happy face looking still prettier
-in a light blue sun-bonnet that Miss
-Grimshaw had given her. I had only
-time for a kiss when she asked for Mr.
-Willett. I showed her to his desk, when
-she stepped forward and laid a tiny note
-before him. I saw that his face lit up
-with a glad surprise, and his eyes sparkled
-with pleasure as he laid it down.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, tell her I&#8217;ll come.&#8221; I afterwards
-discovered it was an invitation to
-tea. Mr. Willett was a devoted admirer,
-and the little milliner held his heart
-as he did his purse, tightly. What was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span>
-said I never knew; but the next morning
-Mr. Willett said if I was faithful and
-did my work well, I could study every
-evening with Jennie, and Miss Grimshaw
-would hear our lessons.</p>
-
-<p>That night was an era in my life, and
-very happy and hopeful was I as I
-crossed the street to the little side door
-Jennie had told me to enter. Here I
-found a comfortable room, a round table
-in the centre of the floor, with our two
-slates, an arithmetic, and geography; for
-Jennie had every thing in readiness, including
-a tallow candle in a white porcelain
-holder, the bottom shaped like a
-leaf, which Jennie thought was a marvel
-of beauty. In the corner was seated
-grandma Grimshaw, a stately looking
-woman with silver hair combed low on
-the forehead, white muslin cap with long
-embroidered tabs, and spectacles.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And this is Marston,&#8221; said she, taking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span>
-my hand as I came in. &#8220;I&#8217;ve heard
-Eliza speak of you as a good boy. She
-used to know your ma;&#8221; and soon Miss
-Grimshaw came out of the front room,
-laid her hand on my head, and said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You shall study two hours if you
-like, and then I will hear your lesson.&#8221;
-I tried to stammer out my thanks, but
-something choked down my words. &#8220;That
-is nothing, Marston. I used to want to
-study, but I had no chance. I like to
-read, and I am familiar with arithmetic;
-I can help you there as well as any one;&#8221;
-and she was gone.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Eliza don&#8217;t get much time,&#8221; said her
-mother; &#8220;but she likes to help others;
-and she used to think so much of your
-mother.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Brushing away the tears that would
-come at the mention of my mother, I
-turned to my slate. The first three rules
-I could understand perfectly, but long<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span>
-division troubled me. I was sure to
-make some mistake that would require
-me to go over and over again, and not
-unfrequently did I feel inclined to throw
-it aside. But one look at my &#8220;Self
-Helps,&#8221; and I worked away as resolutely
-as ever.</p>
-
-<p>At nine Miss Grimshaw came in, heard
-Jennie&#8217;s lesson in geography, then questioned
-me in arithmetic, and explained
-till the difficulties had all vanished. Then
-we read for half an hour; at the expiration
-of which she shut our books.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I promised Mr. Willett you should
-be there five minutes before ten.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This is better than the boy in the
-book,&#8221; said Jennie, reaching up on tiptoe
-to kiss me good-night.</p>
-
-<p>It had been a busy day and evening,
-and I was tired. Still I had made some
-advance, and at this rate it would not be
-long before I should master arithmetic.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span>
-I slept in a little back room; but weary
-as I was, I could not at once quiet my
-thoughts; so I lay and watched one little
-star as it stole across my window,
-and wondered if my mother could know
-how and where I was, and that I did try
-to care for Jennie, although we could not
-sleep under the same roof.</p>
-
-<p>As spring came forward, the ordinary
-business of the day remained quite the
-same, but how many pleasant things I
-had to think of. Long division did not
-trouble me any more, neither did fractions;
-I was beginning to understand
-interest, and my handwriting had much
-improved. There was also a sensible
-difference in my outward appearance,
-and Jennie grew in loveliness each day.
-How proud I was of that little sister;
-and never did we go to church or Sabbath-school,
-but I wondered if mother
-could know it.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span>When the summer heats were on us
-there was less to do, and sometimes I
-got a walk with Jennie among the hills.
-A year had made a great difference with
-both of us, while the mountain was just
-the same; and we often thought of our
-last walk there, and of dear Mr. Kirby.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If he could only know how kind
-Miss Grimshaw is to us,&#8221; said Jennie.
-&#8220;It is God that puts it into her heart,
-isn&#8217;t it? and not for our sakes, but for
-Christ&#8217;s sake. I used to think it was for
-mother&#8217;s sake; but Christ died for us.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Dear little comforter; her heart was
-full of sweet thoughts, while I was ambitious
-for her; and this, together with
-Mr. Kirby&#8217;s words, kept me from being
-gloomy and desponding when I fancied
-Mr. Willett was impatient or exacting:
-&#8220;Do your work well, and God will open
-a path to something better.&#8221; This gave
-me courage and strength; so that while<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span>
-I worked in the present, I lived in the
-future.</p>
-
-<p>One day I was sent to Esquire Clavers&#8217;
-with a basket of groceries he had ordered.
-As I went up the walk, Frank, his oldest
-son, a boy of about my own age, was on
-the piazza, a spot embowered in roses
-and honeysuckles, reading; a little girl
-in a blue lawn dress, with long golden
-curls framing her face like a picture,
-reclined near him, her head resting on
-the neck of a large Newfoundland dog.
-From the open window the pleasant
-tones of a piano floated out on the air,
-and involuntarily I stopped to listen.
-Frank looked up, and seeing me, came
-down the avenue to meet me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What have you here? Oh, teas and
-things for mother. Do you like music?
-Come, go in and hear sister play.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I should be glad to,&#8221; I answered,
-&#8220;but I was told to return immediately.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span>&#8220;Five minutes wont be missed; come
-in.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not now, Frank,&#8221; for I thought of
-what Mr. Kirby had said; and handing
-my basket to the servant, I took up
-Frank&#8217;s book.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What is this?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Latin,&#8221; he answered; &#8220;and a grand
-old language it is;&#8221; and he began reading
-aloud.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Where do you go to school?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;To the Rockdale academy. Have
-you never heard of it? It is vacation
-now. We shall commence again in September.
-Oh, we have great times there.
-I wish you would join us; you&#8217;d like the
-boys: some of them study, and some are
-up to all sorts of fun.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I wish I could go,&#8221; I answered musingly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Well, why can&#8217;t you? it&#8217;s only four
-miles from here.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span>I did not dare stay another moment;
-and taking my basket, I turned, with a
-hasty good-by to Frank. Since the vacation
-commenced, he had visited the
-grocery almost every day, and very fond
-he seemed of all sports and amusements.</p>
-
-<p>This boy has a home, I said to myself
-sadly, and parents to watch over him;
-he does not have to look after himself;
-and his little sister is no better than
-Jennie; and again I dared to question
-why Frank Clavers had so much, and
-we were so destitute. But whatever
-feelings swayed me for the moment, the
-controlling idea was still the same: &#8220;Do
-what you do well, and God will open a
-path.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Even then God was preparing a surprise
-that would melt me into tears.
-For several days Miss Grimshaw had
-been saying that I was getting all she
-knew of arithmetic; and when September<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span>
-came, she surprised me by asking
-how I would like to go to the Rockdale
-academy.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, so much, Miss Grimshaw; but it
-is four miles from here, and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is only three miles by the river
-road, which is by far the pleasantest.
-Three miles is not such a long walk for
-a boy like you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh no, Miss Grimshaw; but you
-forget there is no school at night.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You are not going at night, but in the
-morning early;&#8221; and my white face, as
-she told me afterwards, frightened her
-into exclaiming at once,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mrs. Jeffries says that she will board
-you; that is, she will send me enough
-during the winter of such things as we
-need to pay the expense of your board;
-and you are to go to Rockdale.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I had no words, and Jennie seated herself
-on my knee, and kissed away the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span>
-tears. &#8220;I am so glad, brother; I only
-wish I could go too.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The walk is entirely too long for
-Jennie,&#8221; said Miss Grimshaw, who overheard
-the last remark; &#8220;but you can
-help her some, and in this way she will
-advance nearly as well as though at
-school all the time.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We shall get on very nicely. I cannot
-sufficiently thank you, Miss Grimshaw.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is not all my work, Marston. Mrs.
-Jeffries had quite as much to do with it;
-she is anxious that you should both go to
-school.&#8221;</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus094.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">V.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">A great</span> day it was when I started for
-the academy. With the amount received
-from Mr. Willett, Miss Grimshaw had
-provided me with a neat outfit, and also
-had enough left for a few new books.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I used to have a little brother,&#8221; said
-Miss Grimshaw as we set out; for the
-night previous, she had announced her
-intention of going with me. &#8220;Had Johnny
-lived, he would have been about your
-own age. We always intended to send
-him to college; for he loved books.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>But it was not a morning to be sad.
-A soft hazy atmosphere floated around
-us, and softened into beauty the distant
-landscape. The hills stretching away
-northward loomed up through their blue
-veil with almost the majesty of mountain<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span>
-ranges; the green of the pines on
-their crests, and the ragged lines of the
-wood which marked the courses of the
-descending ravines, were dimmed and
-robbed of their gloom. The valley was
-still fresh, and the great oaks by the
-brook had not yet shed all their tawny
-leaves. A moist and fragrant odor of
-decay pervaded the air, and the soft
-south wind occasionally stealing along
-the valley seemed to blow the sombre
-colors of the landscape into long-continued
-waves of brightness.</p>
-
-<p>The hills, curving rapidly to the eastward,
-rose abruptly from the meadows
-in a succession of terraces, the lowest of
-which was faced with a wall of dark rock,
-in horizontal strata, but almost concealed
-from view by the tall forest-trees which
-grew at the base.</p>
-
-<p>The brook, issuing from a glen which
-descended from the lofty upland region,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span>
-poured itself headlong from the brink of
-the rocky steep, a glittering silver thread.
-Seen through the hazy atmosphere, its
-narrow white column seemed to stand
-motionless between the pines, and its
-mellowed mist to roll from some region
-beyond the hills.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We shall see Rockdale presently,&#8221;
-said Miss Grimshaw. &#8220;I am sorry now
-that I did not let Jennie come. I did
-not think the walk would be so beautiful,
-and I was afraid it would make her
-sick.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you are willing, I would like to
-have her take this walk some time; it
-would please her so much; neither do I
-think it would tire her. We have both
-been accustomed to long walks. I have
-been to the top of the highest point, and
-Jennie was familiar with almost every
-rock about Mrs. Jeffries&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;She shall come,&#8221; continued Miss<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span>
-Grimshaw. &#8220;But there&#8217;s the academy.
-It used to be only a private dwelling;
-but the owner died, and Mr. Harlan, our
-minister then, thought it would be a good
-place for a school. Terryville, just beyond,
-is much larger than our village,
-and most of the boys board there.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>By this time we were near the house,
-a white two-story building, with a broad
-veranda looking southward from the last
-low shelf of the hills, with an ample
-school-room in the rear, and grounds
-fitted up with arbors, rustic seats, swings,
-and all the paraphernalia of school life.
-The avenue by which we approached was
-lined with maples, and on our advance
-we passed clumps of lilacs and snowballs.
-But the house itself, with its heavy windows
-and flagged walk before the door,
-was just the same as before, Miss Grimshaw
-said. A few bunches of asters
-nodded their welcome, and the chrysanthemums<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span>
-on the borders stood as erect
-as though school-boys never passed them.
-We had reached the porch before Mr.
-Harlan saw us.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And this is Marston Howe,&#8221; he said,
-after greeting Miss Grimshaw with marked
-kindness. &#8220;I am glad to see you,
-Marston; they tell me that you are fond
-of books, and determined to study. Is
-that so?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall do my best, sir,&#8221; was all that
-I could say, while it seemed that his eyes
-would look me through.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It will be a long walk, Mr. Harlan,&#8221;
-Miss Grimshaw observed when she rose
-to leave. &#8220;I should have been glad on
-many accounts could Marston have boarded
-here; but for the present we could
-not arrange it so.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, as for that matter, the walk will
-do him good; the harder one studies, the
-more exercise he should have. It will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span>
-deprive him of companionship, save his
-books; but perhaps that will prove no
-loss. It is a delightful walk. I make
-the trip sometimes, and always return
-well paid for the trouble. I am only
-sorry I have so few pupils from your village.
-Frank Clavers boards here, and
-goes home on Friday.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>When Miss Grimshaw had gone, Mr.
-Harlan led the way into a large room
-where several boys and girls were studying.
-Taking his seat at the desk, he
-motioned me near him, and began questioning
-me closely in arithmetic and
-geography. When he had finished, he
-gave me a lesson in Latin grammar, and
-then seated me at his right hand, and
-by the side of another pupil, almost man
-grown, whom he called Lovell.</p>
-
-<p>He then rung his desk-bell, and through
-the several doors came pupils from the
-recitation rooms; another touch of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span>
-bell, and others went out. There was
-no voice, no confusion; it was done with
-the order and precision of clock-work.</p>
-
-<p>Twelve o&#8217;clock, and then such a buzz
-and whirr in the school-room I could
-neither see nor think. Soon Frank Clavers
-came with a noisy welcome, and led
-me out to see a new swing he had just
-been improvising, introducing me first
-to one and then to another.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But you&#8217;ll know them soon enough,
-Marston. I only wish you boarded in
-the house; such capital times as we have.
-Fridays I go home. I am glad you are
-here to go with me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But you do not walk, and I do all
-the time.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No matter. I have my pony sent
-down, and they can just as well send
-another. But say, whom do you sit
-with?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Harlan called him Lovell.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span>&#8220;Lovell! why, he&#8217;s the very best
-scholar in school; poor though; going to
-be a minister;&#8221; and Frank ran on:
-&#8220;There goes the dinner-bell. What have
-you for dinner, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall take my dinner after I get
-home,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Too bad; I wish you would board
-here. Why not?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m too poor, Frank; I am glad to
-come on any terms.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There was a sudden dropping of balls
-and jumping from swings, and a general
-scudding across the grounds. I walked
-around to the south side, and seated myself
-in an arbor heavily laden with vines.</p>
-
-<p>It had seemed to me delightful to study
-Latin; but the grammar, now that I had
-it in my hand, was altogether a different
-thing. I thought of the mountain. We
-had gone to the top by the simple effort
-of one step at a time.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span>&#8220;We are all climbers,&#8221; Mr. Kirby had
-said. Studying Latin could be done in
-the same manner as we scaled the mountain,
-with one step at a time. Before I
-went home at night my lesson was recited.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Very well for the first day,&#8221; said
-Mr. Harlan. &#8220;Perseverance and energy
-are all that is necessary. You like to
-study, and I trust you like to do what
-you do well. Make thorough work;
-understand what you go over. The great
-fault with our scholars is, they are superficial.
-It will require time to accomplish
-all you desire; but with the right effort
-it can be done. Make haste, but make
-haste slowly.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Owing to my long walk, and my not
-having any recitation the first hour, Mr.
-Harlan did not oblige me to come in
-before ten; and I was also privileged to
-leave at three. This would give me some
-time to help Jennie; and for myself, I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span>
-knew I should study better in Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s
-little back parlor than in the large
-school-room at Rockdale.</p>
-
-<p>Returning home, I had just reached
-the point where the narrow white line of
-a brook became visible, when Jennie
-bounded up the pathway, her round
-cheeks all aglow, her blue sun-bonnet
-thrown back, and the sunshine playing
-with the loose meshes of her hair. She
-could hardly steady her voice, so eager
-was she to know of the day.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Tell me all about it, brother. Miss
-Grimshaw said Rockdale was such a
-lovely place. Oh, I am sure it cannot
-be more beautiful there than it is here.
-Are there any little girls that go to the
-school? Did you see any to-day; and
-are there any so small as I am?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I did not see any so small as you
-are, Jennie.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh dear, I do so wish I could go<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span>
-with you. Don&#8217;t you think I could walk
-easily?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not every day, Jennie; and besides,
-we are going to study in the evening,
-you know; and what I learn at school I
-will teach you at home.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Will you? Oh, that is so good;&#8221;
-and she clung to my hand, this little sister
-that my mother had said I must love
-and care for. Then she drew me down
-to the brook, its waters leaping over the
-stones with a gurgling music, like the
-trill of a laughing child; the sunshine
-glinting through the pines and climbing
-up the bank to our feet.</p>
-
-<p>It was a scene of peculiar beauty, and
-dear Jennie enjoyed it with a keen relish.
-I tried, but could not enter into
-the same sense of enjoyment. To tell
-the truth, I was weary, perhaps hungry,
-and my new book did not seem to me
-quite as easy as I expected to find it.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span>Then I recollected that, in climbing
-the mountain, the object was not accomplished
-by one effort, but by a succession
-of continued struggles. It was by pressing
-through the undergrowth, catching
-hold of the cliff, going around the rocks,
-creeping where it was impossible to walk,
-yet advancing steadily all the time, that
-the ascent was made. Mr. Kirby had
-told me it would be just so in my studies;
-and I looked above me into the
-bright blue sky, and thought of the
-prayer offered in that jewelled dell&mdash;the
-prayer that I might be led by God&#8217;s
-Spirit, guarded and guided by his grace,
-and that a path might open for me. It
-had opened thus far; and was not this
-in answer to Mr. Kirby&#8217;s prayer and my
-mother&#8217;s supplications? and again I resolved
-to use my time wisely.</p>
-
-<p>The oak grows stronger by the very
-winds that toss its boughs; so the heart,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span>
-from the burdens that apparently weigh
-it down, gathers new power to soar above
-the mists of gloom and discontent.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You have not noticed my book,&#8221; I
-said at length, holding out my Latin
-grammar; &#8220;and besides, you forget that
-I have not been to dinner.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is so pleasant here, brother; don&#8217;t
-it rest you?&#8221; and her arms were twined
-about my neck.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes; but my lesson for to-morrow
-will require all my time,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Willett came to see us to-day,&#8221;
-said Jennie as we went home. &#8220;He
-spoke kindly of you, and said he supposed
-you would not want to come back
-after you had been to the academy; but
-if you did, there would be a place for
-you; and he told Miss Grimshaw that if
-you needed books, he would get them
-for you. He said a good deal more.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Perhaps he would rather you would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span>
-not repeat it all. Did he know that you
-heard?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh yes. It is not wrong to tell what
-he said before me, is it?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Perhaps not; but Mr. Kirby said
-that we should not fall into the habit of
-repeating what people say, unless necessary
-to do so; that in this way much
-scandal is floated about, which, had it
-not been repeated, would have died out
-immediately.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, brother, I did not mean to say
-any thing wrong.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Neither have you, Jennie. I thought
-at first you probably overheard him.
-There is surely no harm in repeating to
-me simply what he said before you, especially
-when he spoke so kindly.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>That night there was a happy meeting
-in Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s back parlor. Mrs.
-Jeffries came down with her first instalment
-of eatables on my account; and she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span>
-met us so warmly, taking Jennie on her
-knee, and asking me all the little minuti&aelig;
-of school life.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You think you will like, then?&#8221; and
-she played with my hair in a motherly
-way.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The only fear is, that I shall have to
-stop before I have half accomplished my
-desire.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;One step at a time,&#8221; said Miss Grimshaw,
-while Jennie was so tired with her
-long walk and the unusual excitement of
-the day, that she went to sleep with her
-head on my shoulder, in the very effort
-of trying to master a new lesson.</p>
-
-<p>Friday came, and true to his promise,
-Frank Clavers ordered two horses in
-the room of one. It was a glorious afternoon,
-and as we leaped into the saddle,
-I felt a pride in being able to rein in and
-manage my horse handsomely. He was
-a fine-spirited animal, that Esquire Clavers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span>
-kept for his own use. It was to
-oblige Frank, of course, that I was permitted
-this little indulgence.</p>
-
-<p>Riding was the only thing perhaps
-that I could do well, and this I had
-learned at Mr. Jeffries&#8217;, and I knew that
-here I was superior to the other boys.
-So with a questionable pride I cantered
-round the grounds, and raised my cap as
-I passed the young ladies at the window.
-I enjoyed, as I never had done before,
-the idea of doing something well; and I
-have since learned, what I did not know
-then, that skill in horsemanship is considered
-by all no mean accomplishment.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That was handsomely done,&#8221; said
-Frank. &#8220;Pray where did you learn to
-ride so well?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You never knew perhaps that I lived
-two years with Mr. Jeffries. My business
-was to assist in the stable. It was
-there I learned to ride.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus111.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span>What a race we had down the street,
-and how Frank&#8217;s gay laugh resounded
-through the valley.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This is something to look forward to,
-Marston,&#8221; said he as we reined up at his
-own door. &#8220;I have never seen Hunter
-carry himself better. It&#8217;s all because
-you know how to ride. Next week we&#8217;ll
-have just such another ride. It&#8217;s glorious.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have enjoyed it intensely,&#8221; I answered,
-while a secret sense of shame
-crept over me at the idea of being puffed
-up because I could ride, when in my
-books I knew so very little; and for that
-evening I studied harder because of my
-foolishness.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus113.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">VI.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Autumn</span> had run up her banner of
-red and gold, and under the spreading
-folds I had walked every day to Rockdale,
-and as steadily as the week came
-round rode home with Frank Clavers on
-Friday, until Hunter came to know me
-quite as well as his master. Still, after
-the first ride, I had never felt the same
-degree of satisfaction. To ride well no
-longer seemed to me such a desirable
-acquisition. To master my Latin as
-readily was now my ambition, and to
-this I bent all my energies.</p>
-
-<p>As the winter deepened, the walk to
-Rockdale proved as bleak as before it
-had been delightful, and the north winds,
-sweeping down through the mountain
-gorges, made my cheeks and ears tingle.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span>
-Still I could not afford to lose a day.
-Frank was to stay three years, and then
-four more in college; but Frank Clavers&#8217;
-father was rich, and I was dependent
-upon my own toil.</p>
-
-<p>As I looked forward, for the first time
-one night I yielded to despondency; my
-book closed, and my head fell forward
-on the casement. Far above, the bright
-stars were shining. It was His hand
-that sustained them. He prescribed
-their courses, and kept them within their
-limits; and although I did not understand
-how, I still felt that his watch and
-care was over me; and with this feeling
-came strength.</p>
-
-<p>Looking back, as we did in going up
-the mountain, I could feel that I had
-accomplished much; and still it was so
-little of what I craved. I needed to be
-again reminded that it was by one step
-at a time that the summit was reached;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span>
-and that, had I stood at the foot of the
-mountain and attempted to leap up by a
-few great efforts, it would never have
-been done.</p>
-
-<p>My class-mates were boys accustomed
-to school life, and still I knew that some
-of them hardly looked in their books till
-they came to recite. At first I thought
-Mr. Harlan was to blame; they came to
-study, and they ought to be made to do
-so. Still, I have since found it is not an
-easy matter to compel pupils to do what
-they do not wish to do, what they will
-not do cheerfully. Doubtless he did all
-that he could to incite them to study;
-and this failing, he allowed them to drift
-on, hoping perhaps they would in time
-wake up to the responsibility of wisely
-improving their time and opportunities.</p>
-
-<p>Another advantage I had gained at
-Mr. Jeffries&#8217; was to be seen in my declamation.
-To stimulate my memory, I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span>
-had learned nearly the whole of my
-English Reader by heart, and these lessons
-I had been in the habit of repeating
-to the servants in the kitchen, and sometimes,
-if I had a moment&#8217;s leisure, to
-myself in the stable. It was in the latter
-place that Mr. Jeffries had surprised
-me, the mention of which he often made,
-sure of a laugh at my expense, and over
-which I grew extremely sensitive. As
-declamation was a regular weekly exercise
-in school, I soon found that the habit
-had been of great use to me; not only
-could I readily commit to memory, but
-there was no feeling of timidity, and I
-could speak before others without a
-thought of myself, leaving me free to
-profit by the suggestions of my teacher.</p>
-
-<p>Prominent in the memory of those
-days is my long daily walk, with its frequent
-concomitants of deep snows, leaden
-skies, and bitter winds. One day when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span>
-the cold was at its height, Miss Grimshaw
-went to the door with me, and
-urged me not to think of going to Rockdale.
-I had just begun to translate, and
-one of my sentences troubled me till rest
-seemed impossible; I must go. Neither
-could I look for a ride, as grandma suggested.
-Action was necessary; and buttoning
-my coat closely, I told her I could
-easily go, the sun would soon make an
-impression. &#8220;It is not half as severe as
-some days last week.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Accordingly I started; but before I
-left the village I was obliged to stop repeating
-my lesson aloud; my teeth chattered
-and my ears were tingling. I tried
-to run, but the stiff frozen snow would
-not allow of this extra effort. A half
-mile from town I met Dr. Graham.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is too cold to go to Rockdale to-day,
-Marston;&#8221; and he opened his buffalo
-robes and offered me a seat.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span>&#8220;Thank you, Dr. Graham,&#8221; I answered
-as well as my chattering teeth would
-allow, &#8220;it wont be any worse; I can get
-there.&#8221; Again he tried to turn me; but
-no, I must recite my lesson, and I needed
-explanations; I felt that I could not
-wait another day.</p>
-
-<p>On I went, the wind rushing and roaring
-through the leafless branches of the
-trees. I rubbed my ears with my mittens,
-while my feet were so numb I could
-hardly walk. Midway I began to fear
-that I should actually perish. Should I
-go back, or should I go on? I glanced
-at the mountain, with the proud consciousness
-that I had been to the top.
-&#8220;Never give up,&#8221; Mr. Kirby said. It
-was my duty to go to school. I had
-started; I would go.</p>
-
-<p>I gave one glance at the marble column
-of the waterfall, with its sculptured
-ridges and diamond points, the feathery<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span>
-spray caught up and congealed, standing
-out in bold relief against the clear blue
-sky, more beautiful than art could ever
-hope to imitate. It was worth a great
-effort to look upon such a winter picture
-and I sprang forward with renewed energy,
-trying to forget my numbed feet
-and frozen fingers.</p>
-
-<p>It was harder than I had imagined,
-however. All the tales I have since
-read of suffering on account of cold, seem
-only a dim outline of what I then experienced.
-As I left the hollow I met
-Philip Allen with his wood-sled. He
-had a small load, and was going home
-as fast as he could goad on his oxen.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I never saw such a day as this,&#8221; said
-Philip; &#8220;you had better get on to the
-sled.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I should freeze standing still,&#8221; I answered.
-&#8220;I must go on now;&#8221; and I
-began to feel sorry that I had started.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span>
-It was indeed a terrible day. My father
-had fallen in the snow. What if it should
-be my fate too?</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Never give up,&#8221; said I to myself,
-and I felt that I should like to have Mr.
-Kirby know that I was trying. At length
-I became aware of a new sensation stealing
-over me: it was with difficulty I
-could put one foot before the other; the
-beauty was fading out of the sky; I
-only wished to lie down in the snow. I
-forgot that I was going to school; strange
-shapes floated round me, while strains
-of sweet music soothed and quieted me.
-I was no longer cold, but, lapped in a
-delicious dream, seemed to be floating
-towards a palace of dazzling splendor.</p>
-
-<p>The next that I remember, I was in a
-nice warm room. It was not the school-room,
-although Mr. and Mrs. Harlan
-stood beside me. My coat was off, and
-the good woman was rubbing my hands<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span>
-in her own. Then I saw there were
-others present, and that not only my
-hands, but my whole body had been
-rubbed vigorously. I was suffering a
-terrible stinging pain.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Drink this,&#8221; said Mrs. Harlan, as a
-bowl of hot tea was handed me; &#8220;it will
-help you to get warm.&#8221; More to please
-her than from any other feeling, I drained
-it off, and ere long felt a genial glow
-through all my members.</p>
-
-<p>Seeing that the danger was over, Mr.
-Harlan went to the school-room; and at
-noon all the boys and some of the girls
-crowded around me. Such a crying and
-shaking of hands! And then I learned
-how near to death I had come.</p>
-
-<p>Jerry, the Irish man of all work, had
-seen me stagger along, and finally fall.
-His kind Irish heart told him at once it
-was the cold, and springing down the
-road, he carried me in his arms to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[117]</span>
-kitchen, from which Mrs. Harlan had me
-taken at once to her own room.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;To think of your coming to school
-such a day, when we that live in the
-house can hardly study at all,&#8221; said
-Henry Alden. Robert Lovell, however,
-said, &#8220;I can understand it: you could
-not have stayed at home, had you tried.
-I went one winter nearly as far; but it
-was not so cold; neither was the snow so
-deep as this winter.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I recited my lesson in Mrs. Harlan&#8217;s
-room; and it seemed to me Mr. Harlan
-was never so kind before. He gave me
-all the explanations that I needed, and
-in such a manner that I understood perfectly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I trust we shall not have another
-such a day; but if we do, you must not
-expose yourself in this way again. Promise
-me;&#8221; and he took both my hands.
-&#8220;It is too great a risk.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[118]</span>&#8220;If you say so,&#8221; I answered; &#8220;but I
-shall not like to stay at home.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You will study, and I shall not mark
-you as absent without cause.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>As I was taking my books and making
-ready to start for home, Mr. Harlan said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Jerry will take you home in his
-sleigh; he has an errand down, and it
-wont trouble him at all.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Mrs. Harlan brought out a pair of fur
-mittens and slipped over mine, and got
-me a large grey shawl that protected me
-entirely.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You need not return them,&#8221; said the
-sweet-voiced woman; &#8220;I have been
-looking all winter for somebody that
-needed them.&#8221; She shook me warmly
-by the hand, and Mr. Harlan saw me
-down to the sleigh.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No right effort is ever lost, Marston;
-you aim to do what you do well and
-faithfully, and God will open a path for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span>
-you when he sees that you can do something
-better, depend upon it, my son.
-Thank him for sparing your life, and
-devote it to his service.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The buffalo robe was nicely tucked
-around me, and the grey shawl pulled
-over my head; and feeling for my books,
-to make sure that I had them, we started.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Niver saw the like of such a day,&#8221;
-said Jerry. &#8220;If I had not seen you in the
-morning&mdash; It was about ten you fell.&#8221;
-Again I shuddered, and thought of my
-poor dead father, as near our home as I
-was to the academy; and in that blinding
-storm we failed to see him.</p>
-
-<p>The next day was Saturday; and as I
-sat in Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s back room, petted
-a little more than usual by Jennie
-and grandma, I thought of Mr. Harlan&#8217;s
-words, &#8220;No right effort is ever lost.&#8221;
-And it seemed that I could hear again
-Mr. Kirby&#8217;s voice, &#8220;Whatever you do,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span>
-do well, and God will open a path to
-something better.&#8221; Since then they have
-come to me often in characters of light,
-to brighten my darkest hours. They have
-helped me labor on. When my heart
-was sore with heaviness, they have aided
-me in adhering to the right in despite of
-ridicule and temptation.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No right effort is ever lost.&#8221; &#8220;Do
-what you do well, and God will open a
-path to you, when he sees that you can
-do something better.&#8221; Bind the sentiment
-to your heart, if you are a patient
-climber, and take courage. But I had
-not yet found the way to the Source of
-all strength, nor learned the secret of the
-only true and noble life.</p>
-
-<p>At the close of the term, in February,
-we had an examination. This was new
-to me, and caused me no little uneasiness.
-I had never been through with
-such a day, and as a matter of course I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span>
-felt not a little frightened at the idea of
-being questioned before such a crowd as
-the boys told me always came. Mr. and
-Mrs. Harlan were very kind and patient
-teachers, and I was so fresh and new in
-my studies, that I trembled in view of
-the blunders I felt sure I should make
-before strangers and critics.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;All Terryville will be here,&#8221; said
-Henry Alden; &#8220;but then you need not
-mind: you are the best one we have in
-arithmetic, and history too; and as for
-your Latin, why you are only a beginner;
-they wont expect much; and in declamation
-you know you will take the lead.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But I have never spoken before so
-many.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s nothing; you&#8217;ll get accustomed
-to it in a few times. We don&#8217;t
-mind it a feather. It a&#8217;n&#8217;t half of them
-that know.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The day came. Miss Grimshaw and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span>
-Jennie rode with Mr. Willett in a nice
-sleigh, with a double set of bells. Then
-there was Mr. Farnham and Mr. Wentworth,
-ministers from Terryville, with
-Dr. Graham and Dr. Stiles, and several
-grey-haired men with gold-bowed glasses
-and ivory-headed canes, and with books
-in their hands, evidently ready to criticize
-closely.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the way they always do,&#8221;
-said Henry; &#8220;but if you could peep
-over their shoulders, ten chances to one
-their books are wrong side up.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Calm and composed, Henry Alden
-made his comments. He was an amiable,
-kindly-disposed lad, but caring nothing
-for study. Still he managed to get
-along, and examination-days had no terrors
-for him. His easy, nonchalant air
-surprised me, and still more the light
-opinion he had formed of the learning of
-some of the visitors.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span>Around the sides of the room sat the
-ladies from Terryville; but to me there
-was no face that looked kinder than Miss
-Grimshaw&#8217;s, no beauty that began to
-equal my little sister Jennie&#8217;s.</p>
-
-<p>At eleven o&#8217;clock the class that had
-finished arithmetic were called. I felt
-the blood rushing over me at fever heat,
-my fingers tingling, and my cheeks burning.
-Mr. Farnham questioned us, giving
-examples to each. The first sum he
-gave me was in interest, the second in the
-cube root. I did not tremble from fear
-that I could not do the examples, as I
-knew perfectly well there was not a sum
-in the book I could not do; but I wanted
-to do it easily, handsomely, and in order.
-I gave a quick glance to Jennie, and the
-calm expression of the sweet face swept
-away all trepidation. I crossed the platform,
-and took up the crayon. Never
-was I more collected; I forgot there<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span>
-were others in the room; I only saw
-Jennie, and I knew by the expression
-of her quiet face that she expected me
-to do well. She would be disappointed
-if I failed. I would not fail. There was
-no reason why I should.</p>
-
-<p>The example was on the board, and I
-stood with pointer in hand ready for explanation.
-Contrary to my expectation,
-my voice did not tremble; and when I
-finished, I was prouder than I have ever
-been since.</p>
-
-<p>Then followed algebra, as far as we
-had gone.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is well done,&#8221; said Mr. Wentworth
-with a pleasant smile. &#8220;Such examples
-make boys think; and when once they
-begin to think, then they begin to learn
-in reality. Perhaps you sometimes wonder
-why such and such examples were put
-into the algebra; you can see no use in
-them, except to puzzle you. I will tell<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span>
-you. It is to make you deep, earnest
-thinkers. Boys that can think about their
-sums, solve their problems, and explain
-them readily, can also think about something
-else. That is why you study algebra,
-and that is why you are drilled so
-thoroughly in Latin and Greek. It is to
-make you think patiently, and so learn
-to overcome difficulties. Learn to think
-then, and never give up because you do
-not understand what practical use it is
-to be to you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>And as this was the last lesson on the
-programme, he took occasion to tell us
-the grand incentive to all this labor was
-because God had given us minds of untold
-worth; that these minds were to live
-for ever, and the more we acquired, so
-much the more should we be able to understand
-the works of the Creator, so
-much better should we be able to discharge
-the duties incumbent upon us, so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span>
-much better able to work for Him who
-has given us these minds, who has so
-liberally endowed us with all these wonderful
-attributes of the soul. And he
-urged us all to remember our Creator in
-the days of our youth, to give our hearts
-to him when young, that we might be led
-and guarded by him along life&#8217;s pathway.</p>
-
-<p>This made me think of Mr. Kirby.
-&#8220;Do good men all talk alike?&#8221; asked
-Jennie, as soon as the bell struck for
-recess.</p>
-
-<p>After dinner, which we took with Mr.
-and Mrs. Harlan, we were again marched
-into the school-room, and examined
-closely in Latin. As beginners we came
-first, and I was surprised that we received
-so much praise, expecting as a matter
-of course that this would only be awarded
-the advanced classes; but Mr. Wentworth
-said,</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127]</span>&#8220;The foundation is the chief thing.
-Once well grounded in the rudiments,
-and the rest is sure. Here is where the
-work is to be done.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>At night Dr. Graham shook hands
-with us kindly, and said that he thought
-our village was well represented. Frank
-Clavers had been sick for a few weeks,
-and obliged to stay at home. Still, his
-class had well sustained themselves, and
-Frank had always been at the head. Mr.
-Farnham and Mr. Wentworth were particularly
-kind, and Jennie could hardly
-contain herself as we rode home.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It was better a great deal than the
-boy in the book; he broke down several
-times, and you did not fail once,&#8221; and
-she slid her mittened hand into mine.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Fail! I guess he didn&#8217;t,&#8221; cried Mr.
-Willett. &#8220;Why, he came out the best
-there. It was no bad thing his being
-with me last summer; nothing like practice<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[128]</span>
-for a boy;&#8221; and Mr. Willett enjoyed
-with evident satisfaction the idea that
-whatever knowledge I had of mathematics
-was based on the practice I had in his
-grocery.</p>
-
-<p>It had not been specified how long I was
-to remain at Rockdale. &#8220;Till spring,&#8221;
-Miss Grimshaw said; but whether that
-meant April or May was to me uncertain.
-What was my surprise, however, when
-May came and I asked if I was not to
-stop, and she answered, &#8220;The term is so
-nearly out it would be a pity for you to
-leave. I have spoken to Mr. Harlan
-about it, and he wishes you to remain;
-you must work hard enough in vacation
-to make up for it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The term closed in June, and then
-there was a final examination of a week.
-Frank Clavers was again with us, and as
-usual at the head of his class.</p>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">VII.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">By</span> the mass of school-boys, vacation is
-hailed not only as a respite from study,
-but also as a time to indulge in that
-&#8220;dolce far niente&#8221; life<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> so refreshing after
-months of prolonged effort. Not so in my
-case. I must not take advantage of Miss
-Grimshaw&#8217;s kindness, nor encroach too
-far on the benevolence of Mrs. Jeffries.
-Through their goodness I had been enabled
-to finish the term, and now I must
-work as faithfully as I had studied.</p>
-
-<p>As there was little to do in the grocery
-and Mr. Willett already had a boy, I
-thought best to try the farmers. True, I
-knew little of haying or harvesting; but I
-was strong, and willing to do my best.</p>
-
-<p>The next day after school closed I set<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span>
-out to find employment. Mr. Cosgrove at
-the Corners was the first one to whom I
-applied.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No; you have been to school for the
-year; of course that has spoiled you for
-labor.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But mine has not been an easy life,
-Mr. Cosgrove. I walked three miles to the
-academy and back every day. I can
-work just as well, for all that?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, indeed; books spoil every one
-for work. There never was a better boy
-than Farley Steadman, till he took it into
-his head to go to college; and now I
-would not let him drive a cart through a
-pair of bars. He don&#8217;t know any thing;
-it has just spoiled him;&#8221; and the old man
-drove the nail into the fence he was
-strengthening, with more force than
-usual.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do you know of any one, Mr. Cosgrove,
-likely to want help?&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span>&#8220;Why, yes, every one wants help if
-he can get it; I do, but I don&#8217;t want
-school-boys.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I walked away not a little disconcerted.
-To get work would, I thought, be an
-easy matter. I had never for one moment
-supposed my going to school would
-be the least drawback. The next place
-was Mr. Colton&#8217;s; he had just engaged
-all the help he would need for the summer.
-&#8220;Farmer White on the hill might
-hire you,&#8221; he said; so I trudged off to
-farmer White&#8217;s. &#8220;No, I have rented my
-farm, and keep no one myself.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>What to do I hardly knew; I had
-walked all the morning, and was tired.
-Besides, I did not know of any one else
-that would be likely to want extra help
-for the summer.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s Mr. Wyman at the Cross,&#8221;
-said farmer White; &#8220;I shouldn&#8217;t wonder
-if he might want you. You can try<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span>
-him; he is a mighty fine man, and his
-wife is a good Christian woman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I started for Mr. Wyman&#8217;s. It was
-five miles from Mr. White&#8217;s, and the hot
-June sun was pouring down his strongest
-beams. I walked fast, but I could not
-help thinking; and almost before I was
-aware, I seemed to feel the visible presence
-of Mr. Kirby, to hear again the
-prayer he made in the mountain temple.
-I remembered too that he had told me
-how much distressed he was when the
-doctor first told him to go into the mountains.
-He had laid out his summer&#8217;s
-work, and was not willing to leave it.
-Days passed; he grew worse, and again
-his physician advised him to spend a few
-weeks among the hills. &#8220;I called it so
-much waste time,&#8221; he said&mdash;&#8220;time in
-which I could do nothing for myself, or
-for others. Yet it has not proved so.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>No, I knew it had not, for it was his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span>
-constant aim to serve his heavenly Father,
-and if he had for a time left his
-work in one place, still he labored for
-souls wherever he was; consequently his
-daily life among the hills blossomed into
-sweet charities which would ripen into
-sweeter fruit.</p>
-
-<p>What did I not owe him? Jennie too
-had remembered his words, and studied
-the little Bible he gave her, first because
-he had given it, and afterwards because
-its teachings responded to her spirit&#8217;s
-need. It is hardly possible for one to be
-a constant reader of that blessed book
-without a marked effect on heart and life.
-The diligent student of the Bible will
-have his tastes refined, his affections
-made more pure, his aspirations elevated,
-and his whole moral and mental tone
-immeasurably exalted. I could see this
-in Jennie, and I trusted there was something
-of the like in my own case. But<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span>
-as yet I knew nothing of the pardoning
-love of the Redeemer.</p>
-
-<p>I gained the brow of the hill from which
-I could see Mr. Wyman&#8217;s house, and look
-down on the rich field of grain waving in
-the sunlight. Every thing had a fresh,
-tidy appearance, and spoke of good management
-on the part of Mr. Wyman.
-Looking along the road, I saw a boy of
-my own size coming leisurely along; and
-as he approached I saw it was Ezra Metcalf,
-a lad that I had seen in Claverton.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;A long time since I have seen you,
-Ezra,&#8221; I said as he came up. &#8220;Are you
-going to the village?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes; I can&#8217;t stand it any longer.
-Old Wyman is so cross there&#8217;s no doing
-any thing with him. It is work, work,
-work; and when I would think it was all
-done, he&#8217;d send me into the house to
-wait on his wife.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Men hire boys to work,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span>&#8220;Yes; but all the time is a little too
-much. Rain or shine, it made no difference.
-It seemed to be all that he thought
-of, to get as much work out of me as he
-could.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I listened to his statement without any
-misgiving, and when he had finished, I
-told him of my purpose to ask Mr. Wyman
-for work.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You had better not, if you want
-any flesh left on your bones,&#8221; he answered.</p>
-
-<p>I bade him good-by, and we walked
-on, each his own way.</p>
-
-<p>I found Mr. Wyman in his field hoeing
-corn. He did not stop as I came up
-and made known my errand.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, I want a smart, go-ahead kind
-of boy; one who knows how work should
-be done, and will do it faithfully, whether
-I am by or not, if I could only find
-one of that sort.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span>&#8220;Will you try me, Mr. Wyman?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Have you ever worked on a farm?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, sir; but I am willing to work,
-and I think I could do whatever there is
-to be done.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What have you been doing for the
-last year?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have studied at the Rockdale
-academy.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What is your name?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Marston Howe.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Marston Howe! I have heard Mr.
-Farnham speak of you as a good scholar.
-If you work as you study, I will take
-you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall aim to do so, Mr. Wyman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Let me see you hoe;&#8221; and he rested
-a moment.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s right, thrust your hoe deep;
-in that way you cut off the roots, and
-they will not be apt to sprout again;
-while if you hoe lightly, you only clip<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[137]</span>
-off the tops, and after the first rain they
-will be quite as bad as they are now.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>It was new work to me. I went to
-bed at night tired as I never was before
-in my life; and but for the remembrance
-of Mr. Kirby, I doubt if I should have
-had courage to commence anew in the
-morning. But life is something more
-than sleeping and eating. It is the maturing
-into noble deeds, the consciousness
-of mental power, the exercise of
-that power in heroic self-conquest, and
-in doing good to others. I thought of
-this as I arose and looked up to the
-mountain we had once climbed. There
-it stood clearly defined against the calm,
-pure sky, its sides radiant with golden
-light that had not yet reached the valley.
-The noble manhood that Mr. Kirby exemplified
-must be sought with tireless
-footsteps and self-sacrificing heart.</p>
-
-<p>The farmer was out as I came down.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[138]</span>&#8220;So you did not oversleep yourself,&#8221;
-said he as he bade me good-morning.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I did not rise as early as usual this
-morning, Mr. Wyman; hoeing is new
-business. I shall get accustomed to it,
-and can sleep just as well after it as after
-any thing else, I suppose.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is hard work, and so is every thing
-else. Some people make play out of it,
-but that is not my way. I was brought
-up to think that any thing that was worth
-doing at all, was worth doing well.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There was no lack of work at Mr.
-Wyman&#8217;s, neither was it always the same
-thing. Sometimes I felt like murmuring
-when, after a hard day&#8217;s work in the
-field, I was obliged to take the horses to
-the blacksmith&#8217;s, or carry corn to the
-mill, mend fences, or do something else
-of like nature. Mr. Wyman did not
-hold to sitting still. There were no idle
-moments, all were filled up; and when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span>
-night came, I was so tired that I fell
-asleep without so much as a verse in my
-Bible.</p>
-
-<p>Then haying came on; and while the
-hands swung their scythes with an easy
-grace that I tried in vain to imitate, it
-fell to my part to do the raking. There
-was something so sweet and fragrant
-about the new-mown hay, that I enjoyed
-haying much better than hoeing.</p>
-
-<p>Once Jennie came to see me in the
-hay-field, and her dimpled face lit up
-with excess of joy as she tossed the clover
-and chased the butterflies, her heart
-full of sweet-springing thoughts. Resting
-a few moments on the hay, with her
-glad blue eyes looking up into the sky,
-she said a few hearty words about God&#8217;s
-love in opening up a path to us. Young
-as she was, she was beginning to feel the
-sweet influence of his Spirit in her heart,
-inciting her to love and serve him, believing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span>
-that his promises were sure, and
-that he would never leave nor forsake her.</p>
-
-<p>Sweet little comforter; she hardly
-knew from what her words often saved
-me, desponding as I not unfrequently
-was, and inclined to go back instead of
-forward, feeling tempted to half do my
-work, and never dream of any thing
-more than present comfort.</p>
-
-<p>Coming to me in my need, repeating
-the words Mr. Kirby had spoken, going
-over with her Sabbath-school hymns and
-texts, she reminded me more and more
-of our sainted mother, and stimulated me
-more than words can tell to make use of
-every means in my power to get good
-and do good. Thus my evil thoughts
-did not gain the ascendency; and by continual
-striving I grew to enjoy my labor
-as my study, doing both with a will and
-determination to succeed.</p>
-
-<p>Every Saturday I walked five miles,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span>
-for the purpose of hearing Jennie&#8217;s weekly
-lesson and walking to church with her
-on the Sabbath.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do not forget the Sabbath,&#8221; had
-been one of the last injunctions of my
-dear mother; and when tempted, as I
-often was, to stay from church or from
-Sabbath-school because I was tired, or
-my dress was old and patched, or to read
-and study since I had so little time in the
-week, the thought of transgressing against
-her wish, rather than because it was a
-positive command of God, has often led
-me to his house, trying to cultivate a
-proper spirit on his holy day. And now
-that I have learned more of his law and
-of the wonderful plan of redemption for
-a guilty world, I bless his great name
-that I was early inclined to keep his Sabbath.
-Let me ask any little boy or girl
-who is trying to be a climber, to remember
-the Sabbath; not to think idle,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span>
-foolish, wicked thoughts, neither to make
-companions of those who are accustomed
-to doing this; but reading God&#8217;s word,
-thinking of his love, listening to his servants,
-and praying for the indwelling of
-his Spirit.</p>
-
-<p>The Sabbath before the fall term of
-the academy was to commence, Mr. Harlan
-preached at Claverton. His text
-was, &#8220;The entrance of thy word giveth
-light; it giveth understanding unto the
-simple.&#8221; He spoke of light as the great
-vivifier, the life-giving principle, the
-beautifier. It paints the leaf of the lily
-and the rose, veins the violet, and tinges
-the varied landscape with beauty. Without
-sunlight the visual scope would be
-limited, and the beautiful around us
-would fail to awaken our interest.</p>
-
-<p>Before the Creator uttered that great
-fiat, &#8220;Let there be light,&#8221; darkness was
-upon the face of the great deep; all matter<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span>
-was in a circumfused mass, no ray of
-light to penetrate the gloom; and when
-there was light, it presented the earth
-without form and void. But when the
-sun was set in the firmament of heaven,
-then the earth brought forth grass, herbs,
-trees, and flowers; even the angels were
-charmed with its beauty, and the morning
-stars sang together for joy.</p>
-
-<p>So without the Lord Jesus Christ, who
-is the great light of the moral firmament,
-all the light man has can only present a
-world without form, void of all beauty
-and all good; and it is only so far as &#8220;the
-Day-spring from on high has visited us,
-to give light to them that sit in darkness
-and in the shadow of death,&#8221; that the
-moral earth begins to shoot forth the
-choicest plants and to produce the richest
-fruits, so that the sons of God shout
-for joy and heaven rings with anthems
-of praise.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span>The Scriptures set forth the birth of
-Christ under the figure of the rising sun.
-How glorious is this figure! When the
-heart drinks in the beauty of his words,
-when the light of his countenance shines
-upon the repentant soul, what a flood of
-rapture thrills the entire being! Christ
-is to us what the sun is to the material
-world, the dispenser of light, life, and
-joy.</p>
-
-<p>We have seen vegetables growing in
-corners or cellars, pale and delicate,
-creeping feebly towards a ray of light
-that penetrated some small crevice, like
-beings in distress stretching out their
-hands for help. Like those delicate and
-sickly plants, watching eagerly every
-ray of light, feeling their way through
-the darkness, hoping to find some opening
-that would lead out into a world of
-beauty, is often the experience of the
-individual Christian. Religion is not a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span>
-thing of gloom and clouds. It is a lamp,
-a light, a sun; the very thing to cheer a
-desolate heart, and to brighten still more
-a cheerful, happy spirit.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That was what made Mr. Kirby so
-good and happy, wasn&#8217;t it?&#8221; said Jennie
-as we went home.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And Mr. Brisbane,&#8221; I continued. &#8220;I
-often wondered how he could be so happy
-when he was always suffering.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>It had always been a habit since we
-had been with Miss Grimshaw to repeat
-as much of the sermon as we could to
-grandma, as we called Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s
-mother. This morning the sermon was
-easy to remember; and when we finished
-the poor woman took off her spectacles,
-and wiped the tears from her
-wrinkled face. She was one of God&#8217;s
-chosen ones; but her life had been darkened
-with much sorrow. Of eight children,
-she had buried all but one. Still<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span>
-was she uniformly cheerful and happy.
-A simple untaught woman, her understanding
-had been developed by the reading
-of His word, and his precious promises
-were familiar utterances in her humble
-home.</p>
-
-<p>Monday morning I rose early; the dew-drops
-sparkling on the grass, and the
-birds filling the trees with music. Jennie
-walked through the village and beyond
-the mill with me. Stopping to say good-by,
-we heard a noise of distress, and a
-fluttering of wings in a thicket near the
-roadside.</p>
-
-<p>Jennie was attracted at once, her loving
-heart responsive to the agony of the
-fluttering birds. On careful inspection,
-we found two little birdlings on the
-ground. They had fallen out of their
-nest, and though able to hop a little, could
-not fly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Come, brother, put them back again,&#8221;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span>
-and she held the little panting things,
-while I parted the leaves and found the
-nest, standing on tiptoe to put them in,
-and then retreating a little distance to
-see what the old ones would do.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Fallen out of their nest, just like us,
-brother; but God will take care of us.
-He has, and he will;&#8221; and she flung her
-arms round my neck and kissed me
-good-by, and I ran on as fast as I could.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Like birds fallen out of our nest.&#8221;
-I thought of it till I reached Mr. Wyman&#8217;s.
-I had lost a little time, for Jennie
-could not walk as fast as I could.
-Breakfast was nearly over; but Mr. Wyman
-was not cross, and Mrs. Wyman
-gave me a cup of coffee, and a plate filled
-with what she had set away for me,
-and for which my early walk had given
-me a keen relish.</p>
-
-<p>The haying was over; but there was
-grain to cut, and I took my sickle for the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span>
-first time. All day my heart was light
-and cheerful; I felt the influence of the
-Sabbath rest, and I seemed continually
-to hear Mr. Harlan&#8217;s text, &#8220;The entrance
-of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding
-to the simple.&#8221; I resolved that
-I would study my Bible; it should be to
-me a daily friend and companion. Mr.
-Kirby&#8217;s words too went ringing through
-my brain: &#8220;Do what you do well, and
-God will open a path where He sees that
-you can do something better.&#8221; Then
-Jennie and the birds came up again;
-and thus with a continued succession of
-pleasant thoughts, the day went happily
-away.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Wyman was kind, and more jovial
-than usual; and after the evening meal,
-when I had filled the buckets with water,
-and helped Mrs. Wyman in the dairy, I
-drew up my chair to the table and commenced
-reading the weekly paper. Presently<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[149]</span>
-Mr. Wyman left his seat on the
-porch, knocked the ashes from his pipe,
-laid it on the mantel, and said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Wife, have you told Marston what
-Mr. Farnham said?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have not had time; you had best
-tell him, papa.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I looked up in surprise. What had I
-done now? Was it because I was a few
-minutes behind time in the morning?
-There was no room for conjecture. Taking
-the arm-chair, Mr. Wyman began:</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Have you any plans for the fall and
-winter, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I was hoping that you would need
-me for the fall, Mr. Wyman; and in the
-winter I should like to go to school,&#8221; I
-answered with a choking voice.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Farnham was here Saturday
-night, after you went to Claverton. He
-spoke of you, and said that you was trying
-to study, and hoped to go through<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[150]</span>
-college. Do you really think of any
-thing like this?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If I can, Mr. Wyman, although I am
-sometimes afraid it will take a long time.
-I can only hope to go to school winters,
-at least for several years.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is just what Mr. Farnham said,
-and as we no longer have a boy to educate,
-he made me more than half believe
-that I ought to help you. He said that
-you could nearly pay your board with
-errands, and odd jobs for Mr. Harlan;
-and I told him I would pay you wages
-through this month and the next. So if
-you want to go to school, you had better
-begin Wednesday. The more one knows,
-the better they may get along. Learn
-all you can, and try and make a man.
-Boys sometimes think their employers
-have no hearts. There has not been a
-day since you came here, in which I have
-not remembered my Willie, and felt for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[151]</span>
-you. I could have made your work
-easier, but that would not be the way to
-make you a prompt, useful, industrious
-man.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>My head bowed low while he spoke.
-I wished that I could live over the past
-months. I had tried; but there had been
-many days when I had dragged on, working
-because obliged to, yet not cheerful
-and happy. So many resolves I had
-made and broken; so many times felt
-like running away, and hiding myself out
-of sight and sound, longing to be free
-from responsibility and from effort, and
-then in a moment ashamed to think I
-should so forget, should be so weak and
-vacillating. Could I only live the vacation
-over again, I would be more watchful,
-more patient in trial.</p>
-
-<p>It is thus we ever feel, when we look
-back. Yet do we always gain wisdom
-from the retrospect? The future instead<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[152]</span>
-of the past calls for our resolves, and the
-wail of memory blending with the whispers
-of conscience, should be our incentive
-to a more useful life.</p>
-
-<p>But when Mrs. Wyman came in with
-some nice new shirts that were once
-Willie&#8217;s, and a handsome blue cloth
-jacket, that &#8220;looked so like the dear
-boy,&#8221; she said, I broke down entirely.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do not deserve all this,&#8221; I said,
-choking down the tears. She put her
-hand on mine.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We give you these, Marston, to show
-that we approve your effort. Mr. Farnham
-told us how you went to school last
-year. There were no obstacles you did
-not overcome. A long walk twice a day,
-with bitter, stinging cold, and still you
-made no excuse. You have worked
-faithfully during vacation, and Mr. Wyman
-will let your wages run through the
-next month. But you cannot go to school<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[153]</span>
-without clothes; we have no one to wear
-them now;&#8221; and tears were on both of our
-faces. &#8220;Here&#8217;s a cap, and boots too, that
-were Willie&#8217;s. I shall be glad to see you
-wear them. Willie loved books. He
-would have gone to college, had he lived.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I could not answer; it was all so sudden,
-so unexpected. I could look back
-and see so many places where I had failed.
-With a full heart I hurried up to
-my room, thankful that I was to go to
-school, that a path had opened; and resolving
-anew that each moment should
-be spent to the best advantage.</p>
-
-<p>How it would gladden Jennie&#8217;s heart.
-&#8220;One step at a time,&#8221; she had whispered
-to me so often; &#8220;Mr. Kirby said that
-was enough for you to plan now. All
-that you are required to do is the work
-of the present hour, and then forward to
-the next. You will do it yet, Marston,
-I know you will.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[154]</span>Borne up on the encouragement of her
-words, I felt that I should. It would
-take years; but others had gone over the
-ground, and I could do the same; and
-with the thought of Mr. Kirby and Jennie,
-I fell asleep.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus160.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[155]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">VIII.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was said by a celebrated divine,
-&#8220;What we wish to be, that we become.&#8221;
-And perhaps it is so; for when our Creator
-allows a great longing to fill the
-soul, in the wish itself lies the surest
-pledge of its future realization. It was
-thus with me in reference to going to
-school. In addition to what Mrs. Wyman
-had given me, Miss Grimshaw had
-provided me an outfit, for it seemed she
-had an inkling that I was to return in
-September.</p>
-
-<p>I spent one night with Jennie, and
-Wednesday found me at Rockdale. Mr.
-Wyman had taken me over in his buggy:
-he had business at Terryville, he said,
-and would like to call at the academy; he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[156]</span>
-used to know Mr. Harlan. Taking a kind
-leave after a short call, he said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;When your money gives out, don&#8217;t
-be afraid to call on me. You can pay
-me when you get through, if you like.
-If not, it will only be a trifle of what I
-should have done for Willie.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>This was the man whom I had often
-called cold and unfeeling since that morning
-on which I met Ezra Metcalf going
-back to the village: no sympathy for a
-young heart in its struggles, no encouragement
-to give one trying to do right.
-How my heart smote me now, as I stood
-and watched him till he was out of sight;
-and then I tried to concentrate all my
-thoughts on my lesson.</p>
-
-<p>The first day of the term is always a
-broken one. Lessons are laid out, but
-not expected to be studied; new scholars
-coming in, and old ones to greet.
-Frank Clavers and Robert Lovell were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[157]</span>
-delighted to have me back again, and
-Robert drew me into the same old seat.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not that,&#8221; said Mr. Harlan laughing.
-&#8220;I look to you for assistance as well as
-study. Pupils that I know I allow to sit
-back; the seats near the desk are for
-new-comers;&#8221; and together we went
-down the aisle to the back seat.</p>
-
-<p>Robert Lovell did not board in the
-academy. He was the only son of a
-widowed mother, who lived in Terryville,
-and he paid his tuition by teaching a
-class of the smallest boys. Hence he was
-looked upon as both teacher and pupil;
-and his good sense and judicious bearing
-won the entire regard of those with
-whom he had to do. Of Scotch descent,
-large and overgrown, he looked much
-older than he really was. As a scholar,
-he was deep rather than brilliant, with
-a powerful memory, and fine appreciation
-of the beautiful. He was studying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[158]</span>
-for the ministry, and his heart was alive
-to the importance of the work; but why
-he gave me such marked demonstrations
-of his friendship, I never knew; while for
-him I soon felt a warmth of regard second
-only to that given Mr. Kirby. Further
-advanced in his studies, he was of
-great assistance to me in my lessons&mdash;not
-by helping with translations, solving
-problems, etc., but telling me circumstances
-connected with the time he was
-studying such and such a book, what he
-was obliged to do, his walks to school,
-and the efforts he had to make; giving
-me to see how small was my labor in
-comparison with his, my self-denial nothing
-like that he had known. Then drawing
-his chair nearer, and taking my hand,
-he would tell me the sweet story of the
-cross, painting in such colors the matchless
-purity and beauty of a life it was
-ours to imitate, that I forgot myself and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[159]</span>
-my books, and only saw the bleeding,
-dying Saviour; only heard the sweet accents
-of his love, &#8220;Come unto me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I shall never forget the first Sabbath
-at Rockdale. It did not seem that I
-could be denied spending the day with
-Jennie, and still Mr. Harlan had specified
-that I was to remain there. Try as
-I would, I rebelled not a little. Robert
-Lovell came into my room, and seeing
-my sorrowful face, asked the cause. I
-told him of my little sister, my mother&#8217;s
-charge concerning her, and that I could
-not be happy if obliged to remain from
-her over the Sabbath.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is a great self-denial, I can see;
-but if you have the right spirit, you do
-not need to go to Claverton to spend Sunday
-properly. God looks at the heart;
-he sees all your love and devotion, and
-he is not one to forget. You want an education;
-through the kindness of friends,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[160]</span>
-you are put in a position to help yourself.
-This involves your being here at
-your post all the time, and Saturday is
-of course your busiest day.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know it, and I feel quite ashamed
-of being so gloomy about it; but Jennie
-will miss me at Sabbath-school.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is just what I came in for. I
-want you to spend the Sabbath with me.
-Mr. Farnham has given me a class of
-boys about your age, and I should like
-to have you with us. We study together.
-I do not know so much more than they
-do, but I am willing to do what I can,
-and we shall improve in proportion as
-we become interested in that blessed
-book.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;So am I willing to do any thing,&#8221; I
-answered. &#8220;I am sorry I have been so
-fretful this morning. As you say, if I
-have the right spirit, I can spend the
-Sabbath here as well as in Claverton. I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[161]</span>
-can think of Jennie as she sits in her little
-room; and when we do meet, we can
-compare our lessons and note our advancement
-just as we do in our other
-studies.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Certainly; and remember that God
-knows us, and approves not so much
-what we have accomplished, as the effort
-that we make. It is not what we give
-that makes our offering acceptable, but
-the spirit in which it is given; not what
-we do, but the spirit in which it is done.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I wish it was not such an effort to be
-good. I do try.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is so to every one, Marston; you
-are no exception. The more you read
-and study the Bible, the more you will
-learn that life is a continued warfare.
-Good and great as St. Paul was, he felt
-this more keenly than you do. The natural
-heart is deceitful, depraved, and
-desperately wicked; and even when renewed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[162]</span>
-by divine grace, still constant
-watch and care are needed lest we fall
-into temptation.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Who then can be good?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;All those who lean upon the Saviour.
-But so soon as we aim to walk by
-ourselves, we are lost. You must do
-this, Marston;&#8221; and Robert Lovell slid
-his arm around me, and in the silence of
-my own room, prayed with me as Mr.
-Kirby had done, that I might become an
-earnest follower of Christ; that I might
-be willing to be taught of him; and that
-now, in the morning of life, I might dedicate
-both heart and life to his service.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This is what I want to do,&#8221; I said as
-we rose from our knees; &#8220;but when I
-try hardest, my thoughts will fly off to
-something else, or hasty, impetuous feelings
-will rush over me, and make me feel
-there is no use in trying. Oh Robert,
-you don&#8217;t know what a wicked boy I am.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[163]</span>&#8220;There is no good in ourselves, Marston.
-It is all of His mercy. Go to the
-Saviour just as you are, and ask his assistance,
-his Spirit. He knows all your
-temptations, all your weaknesses, and he
-also knows all your efforts. Love and
-trust him, and his Spirit will help you to
-overcome. You will try to do this? say
-that you will;&#8221; and he held me firmly by
-the hand.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I will, Robert; I will.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Rockdale was less than half a mile
-from Terryville. It had been Mr. Harlan&#8217;s
-custom to have his pupils go to Mr.
-Farnham&#8217;s church, leaving him free to
-preach in the neighborhood adjacent. In
-this way many were favored with the
-preached word that would otherwise have
-been deprived of it; and it is to be hoped
-much good was done by thus scattering
-the seed in out-of-the-way places.</p>
-
-<p>But while Mr. Harlan was doing all<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[164]</span>
-the good he could, and Robert Lovell
-was not unmindful of the work before
-him, active in the double position of both
-teacher and pupil, there were at Rockdale
-other spirits quite as energetic in
-another direction&mdash;boys that seemed to
-have no idea of any thing beyond physical
-enjoyment, to elude the teachers,
-escape study, and &#8220;have a good time.&#8221;
-This was the great end and aim of their
-school life.</p>
-
-<p>As Robert Lovell&#8217;s home was at the
-extreme part of the village, I did not see
-as much of him as of some of the others;
-and no doubt he thought me weak and
-vacillating, contrasting as I sometimes
-did the industrious, painstaking pupil
-with the selfish, ease-loving one, who
-seemed to get along just as well. Happy,
-cheerful, fun-loving spirits, with plenty
-of money to spend, and always ready for
-a forage on watermelons or into the cakes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[165]</span>
-and pies in Mrs. Harlan&#8217;s pantry. Their
-only concern was, not to be discovered.
-Like the Spartan, they held it was no
-harm to steal; the only disgrace was in
-being discovered; every other consideration
-was too trivial for a moment&#8217;s notice.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Such boys will not make men,&#8221; said
-Robert Lovell. &#8220;Look in your &#8216;Self
-Helps&#8217;&mdash;you will find no such examples.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>After a while I had an opportunity to
-go home, as I continued to call Miss
-Grimshaw&#8217;s, more perhaps because Jennie
-lived there than any thing else. All
-the weeks that I had been at school, Jennie
-had been studying; and that evening
-she had much to tell me of her lessons,
-many questions to ask, and explanations
-to go over. She had taken up philosophy
-and natural science; and her quick
-understanding seemed to grasp easily<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[166]</span>
-what it had taken me a long time to
-learn.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is one exercise that you have,&#8221;
-she said at tea, &#8220;that I should like very
-much, and that is composition.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Composition!&#8221; and I laughed heartily;
-for the week before I had listened
-to a knot of girls as they spoke particularly
-of their dislike of this exercise
-above all others.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you desire to write compositions,&#8221;
-I replied, trying to look grave, &#8220;I do not
-see why you may not write them here.
-I have to write them, and I try to do my
-best. I can&#8217;t say how little I might do
-if I was not obliged to do it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, but how am I to know if they
-are correctly written?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You can see that they are spelled
-rightly, written and folded neatly. Put
-your thought into the very best language
-you have. The second time it will be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[167]</span>
-easier than the first, and so on. Write
-just as you would talk, easy, naturally,
-and without effort. These are the rules
-Mr. Harlan gave me. I will find some
-one to correct them for you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Besides composition, Jennie had to tell
-me about her pupil, for young as she was
-she had turned teacher.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;He is a big boy, nearly as large as
-you are, Marston; but I felt so sorry for
-him. He said his father and mother
-were both dead, and he had no one to
-care for him, no one to mind whether
-he was bad or good; that he did try to
-work, and Mr. Wyman turned him away:
-he forgot one night to put up the bars,
-and the cows got into the corn. He was
-sorry, and would not have neglected it
-again; yet Mr. Wyman would not believe
-him, but told him he had nothing more
-for him to do. I couldn&#8217;t help telling
-him that if he would come in every evening<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[168]</span>
-I would teach him arithmetic; and
-sure enough, he has been in regularly,
-and is studying in good earnest.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Pray what is your pupil&#8217;s name?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Ezra Metcalf. Oh, brother, you know
-he is a big boy; but he has never had anybody
-to tell him how to be good. He
-goes to Sabbath-school too;&#8221; and she
-looked eagerly for my approval.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;He has improved a great deal,&#8221; said
-grandma; &#8220;he hardly looks like the same
-boy; as trim and neat as anybody now:
-he has found a place to live and work,
-and goes to church regularly. I never
-saw such a change in any one. I shouldn&#8217;t
-wonder if he made somebody right smart
-yet; if he does, you&#8217;ll have the credit of
-it, child.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do not think there is any credit in
-it, grandma. What should I have known,
-had there been no one to tell me? Marston
-and I have much to be thankful for.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[169]</span>
-I often think of Mr. Kirby, and how much
-he told me. Ezra Metcalf never had a
-friend like that.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You are right, Jennie,&#8221; said grandma
-with a little pat of her hand; &#8220;I am
-glad to see that you are willing to share
-with others the good that you have yourself
-received. This is as it should be.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Thus Jennie was finding her work,
-and I was stimulated anew as we talked
-over all that Mr. Kirby had taught us.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If we could only have such a person
-with us all the time,&#8221; said Jennie. &#8220;And
-still my Sabbath-school teacher says that
-we can all have a Friend better and wiser
-than any earthly friend can be. All that
-is necessary is to ask him; the precious
-Saviour is always ready to be a friend
-to any who heartily desire him. You
-do, don&#8217;t you, Marston?&#8221; and she laid
-her little head on my shoulder; &#8220;and I
-do. Mr. Kirby could not stay with us,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[170]</span>
-neither can we be together; we both
-want just such a Friend;&#8221; and the blue
-eyes looked up to mine pleadingly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, Jennie, I mean to ask Him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We will both ask Him. Miss Ackers
-says he never turns any away, especially
-if they are poor. I told Ezra Metcalf of
-this, and he promised to seek the Saviour.&#8221;</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus176.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[171]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">IX.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">The</span> gorgeous autumn days had gone,
-and the snow was beginning to whiten
-the mountains, when Robert Lovell left
-Rockdale to teach in a neighboring district
-during the winter months. Very
-lonely it seemed without him; for with
-the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan,
-there was no one else that felt half the
-interest in me, and as a natural consequence,
-of whom I thought half as much.
-I should miss him, but then my duties
-would not allow of many regretful moments.
-Snow, ice, and cold weather
-would only add to my work; and I tried
-hard to look it in the face, and to be cheerful
-and happy.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Homesick without Lovell!&#8221; said my
-room-mate, one of the best-natured, most<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[172]</span>
-amiable, and still most indolent scholars
-in school. &#8220;Such an old sanctimonious
-thing; he never entered into any of our
-fun, neither would he let you. I tell you
-what, Marston, you&#8217;ve been shut up long
-enough. We have some capital times
-that the old folks know nothing about.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Is that right, Farden?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;&#8216;Right!&#8217; that&#8217;s Lovell all over,&#8221; and
-he laughed till the room fairly echoed.
-&#8220;&#8216;Right&#8217; who ever heard such a question
-but from some white-livered thing
-like Lovell?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Farden, you shall not speak of Lovell
-in that manner. Cowardice has no
-part in his character; you know as well
-as I do there is not a braver scholar in
-the school;&#8221; and I bounded across the
-room, startled out of my usual quiet by
-the unjust accusation.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Really, Howe, you show anger just
-as soon as any of us, in spite of all your<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[173]</span>
-goodness. A thousand pities Lovell is
-not here to see you in such a towering
-passion. That&#8217;s just what I like, though.
-I only said it to see if you could be
-worked up.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You knew it was untrue, and yet
-said it to stir me up. Richard Farden,
-I had not thought you could do any thing
-so base as that; for the future I shall
-understand you better;&#8221; and I turned on
-my heel and went back to my book.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know he&#8217;s as brave as a lion.
-Come, Howe, it was foolish; I did not
-mean to anger you; I am sorry. Come,
-make up with me. I see Lovell has not
-spoiled you; only say that you will be
-one with us.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I will not be one with you,&#8221; and I
-opened my Virgil.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the use of studying your
-eyes out, Howe? it will do you no good.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Good or not, I shall study,&#8221; I answered,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[174]</span>
-vexed at myself for being so
-hasty; &#8220;I came here to study.&#8221; I thought
-of Jennie&#8217;s pale face, and earnest eyes;
-she was now studying, and I could not
-but acknowledge to myself that she would
-feel sorry did she know how easily I had
-been disturbed. How was it that my
-good resolves were so easily shaken?
-Why was I so moved by the word and
-look of another? Could I only have looked
-with an unwavering trust to Him who
-was both able and willing to be to me
-the friend I so much needed.</p>
-
-<p>And still I thought I loved and trusted
-him. But Oh, it was only a half
-trust. I did not lean implicitly on him;
-I still felt that I could do something to
-merit his favor; that something was expected
-and required of me, and I must
-do it.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus182.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<p>And here let me urge all in the long
-list of climbers, to examine well and see<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[175]</span>
-if self does not intrude: if they are in
-truth willing to be guided and led by
-Christ; willing to walk in the path appointed,
-not idly, not passively, not
-sleepily, but with energy, doing all that
-can be done, always doing their best.
-Never giving way, going back, desponding,
-or denying Christ. Or, if they have
-denied him, like Peter repenting bitterly,
-and resolving as he did to be more
-energetic, more fearless, more faithful in
-the future.</p>
-
-<p>The room was so still I thought Farden
-had gone out; but soon there was a blue
-line of smoke curling and twisting upward,
-and the subtle perfume of the &#8220;fragrant
-weed&#8221; was plainly perceptible. A
-little sigh, and Farden poised his cigar
-in true professional style, tipped back his
-chair, planted both feet on the mantel,
-and spoke again.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I came here to study. There was no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[176]</span>
-end to the plans I laid. I was to study
-every day and every night, and in a short
-time I expected to learn all that was to
-be taught here; then to college, and had
-little doubt but I should speedily distance
-the professors, and perhaps rival
-Humboldt himself. Instead of that I
-don&#8217;t look into a book once a week, except
-when I recite; and I don&#8217;t see but
-I get along just as well. If I don&#8217;t know
-it, I only have to pick out a difficult word
-or phrase, and say that it is not clear to
-me, that I do not quite understand it;
-and usually it takes so long to explain it
-that the time is up. We boys take turns
-in this game.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And you own to such meanness,&#8221; I
-said, as much excited as at first.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve no business to allow themselves
-to be deceived.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You neither deceive yourself, nor
-any one else. Your tutor understands<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[177]</span>
-it, and so does Mr. Harlan; and you know
-it is not right.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;&#8216;Right,&#8217; again; of course I do. But I
-do not see the use. I shall never talk in
-Latin, Greek, or Hebrew; then why delve
-so many years over them?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Farnham said it was to make us
-think.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Very little good comes of it that I
-can see,&#8221; said Farden putting his cigar
-to his mouth; &#8220;that problem in equations
-that you worked on so long, a precious
-little good it will do you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Harlan told us the other day
-that every obstacle overcome gives us
-just so much additional strength; that it
-is by these stepping-stones that we attain
-the desired result.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Stepping-stones of obstacles! that is
-well enough for Mr. Harlan; but I&#8217;ll tell
-you what, Howe, money is the stepping-stone
-in this country. Give me that,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[178]</span>
-and I don&#8217;t care a picayune for any thing
-else.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The one that knows most usually
-succeeds best; knowledge wins money.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Pshaw! nonsense! that&#8217;s not so.
-Why, the richest man in this county can
-hardly write his name.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That may be; he may prove an exception;
-but that in no wise does away
-with the rule.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Well, my cigar is out. All I can
-say is, that we are going to have a capital
-time to-night; you had better come
-along. You wont tell, any way; Lovell
-never did: we could always trust him;&#8221;
-and the door closed.</p>
-
-<p>Why was it that I could not study?
-Why was it that I should strive and
-struggle between my inclination to live
-easily, as Farden did, and my desire to
-do right? &#8220;No right effort is ever lost,&#8221;
-sounded out strong, clear, distinct, almost<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[179]</span>
-as though some one spoke it aloud;
-and so forcibly did it take possession of
-me, and so much strength sprung up out
-of each little word, there was no more
-murmuring, and my morning&#8217;s lesson
-did not suffer from the ungovernable feeling
-of the evening previous.</p>
-
-<p>A few days after the above conversation
-Farden came in after his skates,
-and Harry Gilmore with him. Tapping
-me on the shoulder, Harry said, &#8220;Put
-up that book; you are looking like a
-scarecrow. Come.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Where?&#8221; I asked.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;First to the ice, and then,&#8221; looking
-up archly, &#8220;where we have no stupid
-books, but plenty of fun and frolic.
-Why not go? What if you do fail in
-the next lesson? Some of the boys fail
-every day.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You will never be thought less of,&#8221;
-said Richard Farden. &#8220;I do not look<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[180]</span>
-at my translation till I go in to recite.
-It comes to me just as I want to say it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It does not come to me without
-study,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is because your brains are so
-knotted up poring over it all the while,&#8221;
-persisted Harry. &#8220;Clear them out occasionally
-with a good jolly spree, and
-you&#8217;ll be all right. Come along.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What will Mr. Harlan say?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Harlan will never know. He
-thinks we are all in bed by ten o&#8217;clock.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And so we are,&#8221; said Richard;
-&#8220;they don&#8217;t seem to think we can get
-up again.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do what you do well&#8221;&mdash;I seemed
-to hear Mr. Kirby&#8217;s voice urging me to
-do right, while Jennie&#8217;s sweetly pleading
-eyes looked reproachingly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, I will not go,&#8221; I said determinedly.
-&#8220;I came here to study, and I will
-do it. You know your parents could not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[181]</span>
-approve of your course; you know Mr.
-Harlan would not; you know your own
-conscience does not. I will not go with
-you, and I advise you to stay at home
-yourself.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Lovell all over; isn&#8217;t it, Harry?&#8221;
-and my room-mate examined his skates
-carefully.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do wish you would come, Howe;&#8221;
-and he spoke half reproachfully.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I came here for a purpose, and I
-shall follow it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The door closed with a slam. I crossed
-the room and leaned my head on the
-mantel; school life was so different from
-what I had expected. I had supposed
-that everybody appreciated study, that
-everybody longed for an education, and
-that only opportunity was wanted to
-make good scholars. I had learned differently.
-Nominal students were not
-actual learners; neither were those who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[182]</span>
-applied themselves the most diligently,
-in all cases the most appreciated. Then
-I remembered again Mr. Kirby&#8217;s words:
-&#8220;Doing right is the only safe course,
-and although slow and wearisome at
-first, is sure to succeed. Other paths
-may look as if they would lead into
-shaded nooks and flowery dells; but ruin
-lurks in secret, and despair has a lodge
-there. The only safety is in keeping
-clear of them, having nothing to do with
-them; while the onward road, narrow
-and rough though it be, will in the end
-lead to the desired result.&#8221;</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus190.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[183]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">X.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">In</span> so large a school as that in Rockdale,
-of course there were various cliques,
-and each clique with its leader. Frank
-Clavers was at the head of the Senior
-class, and round him gathered good scholars
-and studious boys; while Richard
-Farden and Harry Gilmore, by virtue of
-wealth, good looks, and an easy, good-natured
-manner, took the lead in all
-sports and amusements; and Robert Lovell
-was looked up to and followed by all
-who had a thought of the future. Few
-enough there were of these; and to this
-clique I had attached myself. Hence
-the goodness that my room-mate was
-constantly reproaching me with, when I
-refused to join in their stolen revels.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am sure I should be on the ice half<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[184]</span>
-the time, if I could skate as you do,&#8221;
-said Harry Gilmore once as I joined the
-skaters during recess.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;So should I perhaps, had I nothing
-else to do,&#8221; I answered, skimming over
-the smooth surface with all the freedom
-of a bird on the wing. &#8220;It is a good
-deal of self-denial for me to stay at home,
-Harry. I own there are times when an
-hour on the ice would please me much
-better than sawing wood or making paths
-through the snow.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Why don&#8217;t you do it then? we have
-to beg you ever so long. I had no idea
-you could skate so beautifully.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I cannot afford the time,&#8221; I answered
-frankly. &#8220;I came here to study; and
-you know I nearly pay my board with
-what I can do during the hours that you
-have for recreation.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And your father don&#8217;t give you a
-cent?&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[185]</span>&#8220;My father and mother are both dead,
-Harry. I have the dearest little sister
-in the world; but as for money, I earn
-all I have with my own hands.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This is why you work and study
-then,&#8221; said he, linking his arm in mine
-and flashing across the pond. &#8220;It makes
-me ashamed of myself every time I hear
-you refuse to go with Richard; but I
-didn&#8217;t know that&mdash;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That I was so poor?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That your parents were dead, and
-you trying to educate yourself.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How is this?&#8221; shouted Richard Farden
-as soon as he turned the bend and
-came to shore&mdash;&#8220;how is it that you have
-got Howe on his skates? What arguments
-have you used, what inducements
-held out?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Golden ones, I&#8217;ll be bound,&#8221; shouted
-Charles Eaton, while the boys laughed
-uproariously.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[186]</span>&#8220;I have no influence over Marston
-Howe,&#8221; said Harry, calling me by my
-first name. &#8220;He has an influence over
-me, however, and I am resolved each
-day more and more to follow it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How now? what&#8217;s the matter?&#8221;
-cried several voices as we unstrapped
-our skates.</p>
-
-<p>I saw by the look of the sun that my
-time was up, and without another word I
-hurried up the hill and across the field
-to the academy.</p>
-
-<p>Before the study bell rang, Harry Gilmore
-came to my room. &#8220;Have you a
-moment to spare, Marston?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, a moment for you,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And you will not call it so much lost
-time?&#8221; drawing his chair to the table,
-and placing his feet on the fender. &#8220;To
-tell the truth, I am ashamed of the life
-I am leading this winter; the deception
-we practise is outrageous.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[187]</span>&#8220;You do not deceive any one, Harry.
-Mr. Harlan may not know all of your
-nightly wanderings; but he knows who
-studies and who does not, and so do all
-the teachers.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Then why don&#8217;t they scold us as we
-deserve, send us home, or expel us?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Perhaps you would not do any better
-at home. They do all they can, both
-by precept and example; and they hope
-that time and your own good sense will
-at length compel you to do better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And I am determined that I will. I
-have been led by Richard long enough.
-I am resolved to study for the rest of
-the term; and if I do, will you be my
-friend?&#8221; and he looked at me earnestly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You forget how poor I am. I pay
-my board by waiting on the household.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;So much the more honor for you. My
-father was once a poor man. He&#8217;s rich
-now; worth half a million, I suppose.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[188]</span>
-But that only makes me think meaner of
-myself. Only think of the money I spend
-every week, flinging it away, and you
-have none. You say you have a sister;
-so have I; and such good letters she
-writes me, telling me to use my time
-profitably, and not to be led away by
-ease-loving, indolent companions. I am
-going to try now, and you must help
-me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>His look and tone touched me, and
-my words leaped out, &#8220;As far as I can
-I will help you to do right, Harry.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall be a better boy if you will
-let me come here sometimes and see you
-study. Say that you will, Marston.
-There goes the bell. Say that I may
-come.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;As often as you like.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If my lessons are good to-morrow,
-you may take the credit of it;&#8221; and the
-door closed.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[189]</span>Presently Richard came in, flung down
-his cap and gloves, and hastily tore the
-envelope from a letter.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I declare it&#8217;s too bad; not a cent of
-money. Father has no idea of the little
-things that draw upon the purse.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It cannot be that you have used the
-last he sent,&#8221; I exclaimed, seeing his look
-of distress.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, but I have though, and had to
-borrow besides. You see every thing is
-so high; our suppers have cost enormously;
-and now the lectures are coming
-on, and I have not a dime.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have several tickets; that need not
-trouble you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The lectures would be dull enough
-if it was not for something afterwards:
-and the sleigh-rides; I&#8217;ve promised ever
-so many I&#8217;d treat them to a ride. It&#8217;s
-just the time now; and the old fellow
-don&#8217;t seem to appreciate it at all.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[190]</span>&#8220;He appreciates study more, perhaps.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know it, Howe, as well as you do.
-I don&#8217;t study. I feel ashamed of it, and
-still I cannot do better. I mean to in
-the spring. I&#8217;ll turn over a new leaf, as
-Gilmore says.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Why not begin now?&#8221; I ventured to
-ask.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Because I can&#8217;t; I&#8217;ve got out of the
-way of study, and to go back is not so
-readily done. I would not have father
-know how I spend my time; and my sister
-is always writing me to make good
-use of my opportunities. Poor mother,
-I am all the boy she has got, and I know
-how anxious she is about me. I don&#8217;t
-mean to be wild, but I&#8217;m afraid that I am.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The last words, mournfully spoken,
-touched my heart. Besides, the idea of
-his trifling with a mother&#8217;s love moved
-me to speak.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[191]</span>&#8220;Why not try now to do what you
-feel to be right? You might easily be
-the first in your class.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I meant to be when I came here;
-but when I saw how some of the others
-managed, by degrees I fell into the same
-ways.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is not too late to commence. Mr.
-Harlan told us that when we become conscious
-of an error, we should turn from
-it immediately. It is easy for us to do
-wrong; and to turn as soon as we become
-conscious of it, is the only true wisdom.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t believe I can here; the boys
-all know me, and they will expect me to
-do just as I have done.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>A little tap at the door. Charles
-Eaton entered, and conversation took a
-more general tone.</p>
-
-<p>A few evenings after this, in passing
-out of the supper-room, Mrs. Harlan<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[192]</span>
-handed me several papers, magazines,
-etc. Looking them over, I found a notice
-of the death of Charles Brisbane, my
-first teacher. My eyes grew dim as I
-gazed upon the record, which spoke of
-early promise, rare graces of mind, and
-the deep religious element underlying a
-character devoted to the elevation of the
-human race. I cannot describe the effect
-produced by the perusal of that short
-obituary. Mr. Brisbane&#8217;s words had
-roused me to action, and taught me my
-duty to myself and to my Maker; but
-his death gave to his well-remembered
-utterances all the force and power of a
-voice from heaven. Thenceforth I cherished
-his image still more, as one of my
-choicest treasures; and the desire of my
-heart was deepened to acquire knowledge
-and discipline, and to be, like him, a good
-and useful man.</p>
-
-<p>And still, with all my resolves, I was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[193]</span>
-conscious I failed in the most important,
-point. Did I love the Saviour as he did?
-Did I as closely follow Him?</p>
-
-<p>Winter passed, and spring blossomed
-into beauty. Robert Lovell was again
-with us. There was more study; examination
-was coming, and all were anxious
-to make a good appearance. My
-room-mate was more studious, and Harry
-Gilmore was trying to redeem time.
-Out of school my time was taken up with
-gardening; and much pleasanter it was
-than making paths in the ice and snow.
-True, I had never done any thing of this
-before; but although a little awkward
-at first, it soon came easy. Besides, it
-brought me in continual contact with Mr.
-and Mrs. Harlan; and their remarks
-were not only pleasant, but profitable.
-In the room of feeling despondent, as I
-had now and then done during the winter,
-I was cheerful and happy; and without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[194]</span>
-enjoying my books the less, I did enjoy
-my labors more.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is strange how quickly the weeds
-grow,&#8221; I said to Mrs. Harlan as I was
-thinning out the early vegetables.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I never look at the weeds without
-thinking of my own heart,&#8221; she answered.
-&#8220;Goodness, patience, humility, and faith
-are here to be cultivated with constant
-care; while selfishness and passion spring
-up almost imperceptibly, and their seeds
-are, like the thistle-down, borne on the
-lightest breeze.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is one comfort with the weeds,&#8221;
-I answered; &#8220;we can cut them up by the
-roots; but the evil in our hearts, the foolish
-and wicked desires that so often strive
-for the mastery, are not so easily managed.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not by ourselves, Marston; but there
-is One that can help us in this. Like the
-careful gardener, that lops off and prunes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[195]</span>
-the vine till it seems, as it did to you
-the other day, that it would die cut
-down so closely, so God deals with us
-according to the condition in which we
-are placed, lopping off a branch here and
-there, taking away a support, replanting
-according to our needs and necessities,
-and all to improve the growth and life,
-that the fruit may be more abundant.
-You remember in January, when the
-shade-trees were trimmed, you thought
-they were ruined, and exclaimed against
-it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, I thought they were cut too
-closely, the last year&#8217;s growth almost
-entirely cut away, leaving little but the
-bare trunk.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And you see now how they are putting
-forth new and vigorous branches.
-They had branches and leaves last year,
-but no beauty; and there was too much
-top for the roots; hence the necessity of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[196]</span>
-cutting them closely: watch them, and
-you will see how much more beautiful
-and fruitful they will be for such severe
-pruning.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If we could always keep this in
-mind,&#8221; I answered; &#8220;but it is so easy
-to grow despondent when we cannot understand
-the why and wherefore of our
-trials.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The plants do not ask why and
-wherefore, but put forth all their energy
-in the direction to which they are guided,&#8221;
-was the reply.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is their nature; but with us it is
-not so easy and natural,&#8221; I said.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How so? it is our privilege to be
-guided and supported. The Saviour is
-often represented under the figure of a
-gardener, his garden the world, and
-the plants in it the human beings for
-whom he died. If we are his servants,
-the afflictions and privations we are called<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[197]</span>
-upon to endure are only prunings
-from his hand. Neither should we ask
-why; but turning our gaze in the direction
-specified, seek to fulfil his purpose.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And if we try, does he see and notice
-our effort?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, Marston, the fall of a sparrow
-is noted by him; and there is nothing
-connected with our well-being but interests
-him. He is moved with a feeling of
-compassion when he looks upon our suffering;
-and so great is his love, that if he
-could spare us the least pang he would
-do so.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>By this time I had finished the asparagus-bed,
-while the rows of lettuce stood
-neatly defined, and the delicate tendrils
-of the pea-vines began twisting themselves
-about for the support I had placed
-within their reach. Mr. Harlan suggested
-that one walk needed to be widened,
-and another to be gravelled. It<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[198]</span>
-was Saturday, and I took the wheelbarrow
-and crossed the pasture to the
-brook.</p>
-
-<p>While shovelling gravel, with my coat
-off and sleeves rolled up, I heard shouts
-and voices. A light wagon, drawn by
-two spirited horses, and filled by half a
-dozen boys, was coming down the road
-from Terryville. Richard Farden was
-driving, and when opposite me, he stopped.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We are going down to see Frank
-Clavers, and then on a fishing excursion
-up the river. There is room enough for
-one more; put down your sleeves and
-jump in; we&#8217;ve plenty of hooks and
-lines.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;A grand treat it will be,&#8221; cried several
-from the back seat; &#8220;you had better
-come.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We shall have a splendid supper,&#8221;
-added Richard, &#8220;and then home by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[199]</span>
-moonlight. Such a chance you don&#8217;t
-get every day. Come on.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I longed to avail myself of the privilege.
-I had not had a ride, save on
-horseback, for a long time. And then
-it was to see Frank; and perhaps I could
-stop for a moment at Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s,
-and see Jennie. Still I had no time.
-Mrs. Harlan was expecting me back,
-and there stood the wheelbarrow half-full
-of gravel. &#8220;No,&#8221; I answered, &#8220;I
-cannot go. I have not the time; drive
-on;&#8221; and I took my shovel, not daring
-to look up till the handsome turnout was
-out of sight.</p>
-
-<p>The next half hour was one of mingled
-feelings. Why was my lot so hard, and
-that of others so easy? &#8220;He deals with
-us according to our needs,&#8221; Mrs. Harlan
-had said; and I tried hard to work cheerfully,
-though saying to myself now and
-then, &#8220;It is Saturday, and no more than<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[200]</span>
-fair had I gone home. How much good
-it would have done me;&#8221; and plunging
-my shovel into the yielding bank, I started
-my wheelbarrow.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do not work so hard, Marston; you
-look heated;&#8221; and Mrs. Harlan looked
-up approvingly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What a difference it makes,&#8221; said
-she as I scattered the gravel in heaps,
-and then spread it evenly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It will require two or three loads
-more,&#8221; I answered; and on I went, feeling
-that any thing was better than to
-stand still.</p>
-
-<p>Again had I reached the gravelled
-shore, and was shovelling away smartly,
-when Harry Gilmore leaped down the
-bank with his merry laugh and cheerful
-voice.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If I was to envy anybody at Rockdale,
-it would be you,&#8221; he said, after a
-few words about the fishing party.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[201]</span>&#8220;Me!&#8221; and I pointed to my bare arms
-and my face dripping with perspiration.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, I believe you have more real
-comfort than any one of us who have
-rich fathers. You prize every hour in
-school, because it costs you self-denial;
-while we have never learned to value
-privileges that cost us nothing. Now let
-me help you,&#8221; he said, taking off his coat,
-&#8220;for I am to have a drive in the evening,
-and I want you should get through
-in time to join me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;A drive! where?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Anywhere you please; to Claverton,
-if you will.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, that will be so good. Are you
-really to go?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Certainly I am to go, and you are to
-go with me. Now give me that shovel.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing more to do with it
-just now.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What a pity there are not two wheelbarrows.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[202]</span>
-I will go back with you and
-get another.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You forget your clothes,&#8221; I said,
-looking at his neat suit of broadcloth.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Gravel is clean; it will all brush off;&#8221;
-and we started, each grasping a handle
-of the wheelbarrow and keeping step over
-the green sward.</p>
-
-<p>With an amused look, Mrs. Harlan
-eyed us as we came up.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Two boys work faster than one,&#8221;
-she said, as Harry scattered the gravel
-and I smoothed it.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Two more loads will be enough,
-wont they, Mrs. Harlan?&#8221; asked Harry;
-and being answered in the affirmative,
-away he went to the wood-shed, and returned
-with a heavier wheelbarrow for
-himself.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not that, Harry; you are not accustomed
-to it. If you insist on going, you
-must take this.&#8221; With a few playful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[203]</span>
-words we exchanged wheelbarrows, while
-Mrs. Harlan looked after us as we trundled
-down the path at a brisk pace.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How stupid. I forgot that we had
-but one shovel,&#8221; said Harry with a light
-laugh.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I will fill both,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, I came to help you. I will sit
-still while you fill yours; then you shall
-rest till mine is ready, and we can start
-even.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There seemed to be no other way, and
-I assented.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There, old fellow,&#8221; said he as the
-gravel lay piled in my barrow, &#8220;now
-it&#8217;s my turn.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, Harry, it will tire you out; let
-me,&#8221; I persisted.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;My back is no better than yours;
-go and sit down.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Overcome by his kindness, I went and
-sat on the bank, hardly conscious of my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[204]</span>
-own identity. I had felt so bitterly in
-the morning, thinking my lot so hard;
-and now to find that Harry had stayed
-at home to take me out for the evening,
-and then, fearing I should not finish in
-time, helping me himself&mdash;the boy that
-never had waited on himself doing this
-heavy work, and all for me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There, I am done,&#8221; leaving the shovel
-standing upright in the middle of his load.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You will find it heavy; you had better
-tip out some,&#8221; I suggested.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;My arms are strong; have no fear,&#8221;
-he answered, and struck into the path
-ahead of me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Pretty warm,&#8221; said Harry, after a
-few moments. &#8220;I reckon I&#8217;ll tip off my
-vest instead of the gravel;&#8221; and I saw
-that his collar was limp and the linen on
-his shoulders wet through and through.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This will be sufficient,&#8221; said Mrs.
-Harlan as we finished smoothing the walk.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[205]</span>
-&#8220;You have worked so well, Marston,
-the rest of the day may be your own.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mrs. Harlan,&#8221; and Harry stood with
-his cap in his hand, &#8220;I am to go to Claverton
-this evening, for the ride merely,
-and I would like to take Marston with
-me, if you have no objection.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;To Claverton this evening! You
-will see Miss Grimshaw and Jennie,&#8221;
-turning to me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If I go, I shall hope to see them.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I will see;&#8221; and she crossed the veranda
-into her husband&#8217;s study.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, Mr. Harlan is willing you should
-go,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I hope the ride will be
-pleasant. Let me see you before you
-go, Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;All ready,&#8221; shouted Harry as he
-drove up in a pretty open buggy drawn
-by a high-spirited black horse, that pawed
-the ground just a little, to show his impatience.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[206]</span>&#8220;In a minute, Harry.&#8221; I had not yet
-seen Mrs. Harlan, and I flew down stairs
-and across the hall to the parlor.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not there, Marston,&#8221; and Mrs. Harlan
-called me to her own room. &#8220;Here
-are a few things that I intended for you
-before examination. It will be a good
-time to wear them this evening, however,
-and you may try them on at once;
-I am impatient to see if they fit.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>My hand trembled as I took them, and
-my voice still more.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do not be afraid to wear them, you
-have fairly earned them. Mr. Harlan
-told me that he owed them to you.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>They were a nice spring suit of light
-grey cloth. I could not stop to half
-thank her, but hastened into my own
-room, and slipping into them, gave one
-look into the little mirror, and then down
-stairs, under Mrs. Harlan&#8217;s kindly review,
-and then out to Harry.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[207]</span>&#8220;Why, Marston, what&#8217;s the matter?
-You are actually crying.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It was all so unexpected,&#8221; I murmured,
-dropping into my seat.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;They are not a bit too good for you;
-I was with her when she ordered them.
-The tailor measured me instead of you;
-that&#8217;s the reason they fit so nicely. I
-told Mrs. Harlan you could wear my
-clothes. But come, cheer up; don&#8217;t let
-a nice suit of clothes spoil your eyes.
-We shall have lots to see.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Impatient as I was to see Jennie, the
-ride seemed short; and when we drove
-up to Miss Grimshaw&#8217;s little white gate,
-I thought I had never seen a picture half
-so beautiful. It was a soft spring day,
-the parlor windows open, and the white
-muslin curtains fluttering in the breeze.
-The breath of the lilacs perfumed the
-air, and the tulips were budding into
-beauty. Miss Grimshaw had moved her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[208]</span>
-shop to a larger building, and we walked
-up the yard and were looking through
-the half-open door, when grandma spied
-us, and came forward, leaning on her
-staff.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Why, Marston, is that you? I am
-so glad to see you. How you have
-grown, child.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And this is Harry Gilmore,&#8221; I answered,
-till then forgetting to introduce
-my companion.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Sit down; Jennie will be in presently.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Where is she, grandma?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;In the strawberry bed at the back
-of the house. I will call her.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No, grandma, let us go for her: and
-may we pick some strawberries?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;As many as you wish.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>By this time Jennie had seen the
-buggy, and surmising who had come,
-started to meet us. One glad cry of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[209]</span>
-surprise, and her arms were round my
-neck.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, brother, I am so glad to see you.
-I began to fear you would never come
-again;&#8221; then turning to Harry, as I named
-him, she held out her little dimpled hand.
-&#8220;I am glad you came to-day, the strawberries
-are so fine. This is the first day
-we have had them in abundance. Will
-you take some of mine?&#8221; holding up a
-bowl she had picked quite full, the red
-stain still on her fingers.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Grandma said we might help ourselves.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>An hour passed deliciously, and then
-Jennie ran in, smoothed out her sunny
-curls, and put on a fresh pretty gingham,
-looking handsomer than I had ever seen
-her before. Miss Grimshaw came in for
-tea, and the nice white rolls were enjoyed
-by us with a peculiar zest, while
-the strawberries and cream were, as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[210]</span>
-Harry said, beyond all praise. After
-tea we strolled out to the river, gathered
-violets, and talked of our studies.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It looks natural, and still every thing
-wears a brighter hue,&#8221; I said to Jennie
-as we stood on the door-step. &#8220;I have
-never seen the spring half so beautiful.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Perhaps it is in ourselves,&#8221; Jennie
-said. &#8220;You have not forgotten what
-Mr. Kirby said: &#8216;If we think good and
-happy thoughts, we shall look through
-such a medium that every thing about
-us will wear the same hue.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I like to hear you repeat what Mr.
-Kirby said,&#8221; I continued. &#8220;Sometimes
-I am afraid that I am forgetting him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We both owe Mr. Kirby more than
-anybody else in the world. We must
-never forget him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus219.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-<p>Harry had been walking round the
-flower beds with grandma. They stopped
-near us, and she said, &#8220;You have grown<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[211]</span>
-tall, Marston, and I hear people say that
-you are getting to be a fine scholar. I
-do not know much of books, but I have
-picked up a verse that I want you to
-think of: &#8216;The fear of the Lord is the
-beginning of wisdom.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And you too,&#8221; she continued, addressing
-Harry. &#8220;You will both make
-better men for heeding it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;So my mother says,&#8221; was Harry&#8217;s
-reply.</p>
-
-<p>We did not see Frank Clavers, neither
-hear any thing of the excursionists.
-At parting Jennie gave us a basket of
-strawberries for Mrs. Harlan, and stood
-with cheeks flushed and eyes misty with
-tears, the gold brown curls waving over
-her white shoulders.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;The prettiest picture that I have
-ever seen,&#8221; said Harry as we drove
-away. &#8220;You may well be proud of
-your sister, Marston.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[212]</span>&#8220;And so I am,&#8221; I replied. &#8220;The best
-of all, she is as good as she is beautiful.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>For some reason we talked quite soberly
-during our ride back to Rockdale,
-going over the incidents of the past, and
-the changes that our short lives had witnessed.
-Then we talked of the future,
-which we robed in bright hues like the
-blossoms of that lovely spring time.
-True, Harry was the principal talker.
-My heart was full. Still I knew that I
-must scale steep heights, tread rugged
-paths, press on when footsore and weary,
-perchance to meet little earthly success.
-Ah, how mysterious a thing human life
-would be, could we not discern in it the
-threshold of a higher, purer existence.</p>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[213]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">XI.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">By</span> rigid economy, by laboring in vacation,
-and performing various little offices
-in term time, I managed to continue
-at Rockdale two years. Latin was no
-longer a trouble to me, and Greek was
-becoming easy; but my purse was nearly
-empty. I was in need of several new
-books. And I began to turn in my mind
-what I could do towards defraying new
-expenses.</p>
-
-<p>At this juncture the president of the
-board of trustees visited the school,
-where he remained the entire day, examining
-the classes, and inspecting the
-monthly reports. I had no suspicion of
-his purpose, and consequently gave my
-whole attention to my recitations. Although<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[214]</span>
-not as quick as many, I had been
-thorough, understood the principles of
-almost every thing that I had been over,
-and thus obtained correct answers. Greek
-and Latin were read easily, and the
-president was evidently satisfied with our
-progress.</p>
-
-<p>That evening Mr. Harlan sent for me
-to his study. The time and the occasion
-were new to me, and I went with some
-trepidation. Mr. Harlan was not there,
-but in his place the visitor, Mr. Stovill.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Harlan tells me that you intend
-to go through college, if your hands and
-your brains can take you there,&#8221; was his
-somewhat abrupt greeting.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am hoping to go. Others have
-done the same without more means.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What will you do to obtain the
-money? it will require a good deal for
-that.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall work for it.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[215]</span>&#8220;Would you haul wood, build a stone
-Wall, or break stones on the street?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Any thing, sir, that offered me an
-equivalent.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Then you do not think that work
-will degrade you?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;On the contrary, I think that labor
-will ennoble me. But as I wish to study,
-I should like to do that which would bring
-me the most for the least number of
-hours.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>He was silent, while I sat in suspense
-as to his purpose. What did he mean
-by all these questions?</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I believe you will do,&#8221; he said at
-length. &#8220;Young men are apt to think
-that work will degrade them. They forget
-that oaks spring from acorns, and
-little efforts lead to great results. The
-boy that will work to improve himself,
-will pretty surely merge into the man
-that will work for the good of others.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[216]</span>In a few words he made known his
-plan. Robert Lovell was going to college;
-some one else must supply his
-place as under-tutor.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Harlan had suggested the names
-of two, Silas June and myself. Silas was
-very quick, and priding himself on this,
-he did not study. To be brilliant was
-his desire, and yet he might have been
-a thorough scholar had he studied. His
-quickness ruined him.</p>
-
-<p>This situation, in consideration of my
-standing in class, was offered me, with
-sufficient remuneration to defray all my
-expenses.</p>
-
-<p>I could hardly keep back the tears.
-This ray of light stealing through the
-darkness, was a reproof for all my faint-heartedness
-and despondency. &#8220;No
-right effort is ever lost.&#8221; There was a
-sun behind the clouds, though I had
-doubted it.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[217]</span>&#8220;I might have had that chance,&#8221; said
-June. &#8220;It was all my own foolishness.
-If I had only known the day Mr. Stovill
-was coming, I would have had my lessons;
-there would have been no trouble.
-My reports were against me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I could say nothing to comfort him,
-and the hour passed without words.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If I could only begin again, I would
-not lean so much on my quickness. It
-is the same old story&mdash;the hare and the
-tortoise. You will get there quicker than
-I shall.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is not too late for you,&#8221; said I;
-&#8220;try it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I cannot do three years&#8217; work in one.
-Besides, it is easier to fall into bad habits
-than to get rid of them. After all, I may
-get along just as well; but mother expected
-me to fill Lovell&#8217;s place. She
-wrote me in her last letter, that if I could
-not help myself a little, she should have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[218]</span>
-to take my sister from school; she could
-not afford the expense of both. Poor
-mother.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Poor mother,&#8221; I echoed, and thought
-of what I should do, had I only a mother
-to write me letters full of loving
-words, and a sister that must be taken
-from school unless I could help myself
-in a measure. I was roused by his
-voice.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;We can never be young but once. I
-want my share of pleasure.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do you find it?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not yet; but I am hoping every day
-for something better.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Which you will never find, I am
-afraid. Judging from your own words,
-you are making your mother unhappy,
-and yourself miserable.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is so; but what can I do?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Break off your idle habits; say good-by
-to your fun-loving companions, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[219]</span>
-begin to work right earnestly. This is
-the way others have done.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I ought to do it; but it is too late.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And you will oblige your mother to
-take that little sister from school?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, I hope not; she is not so poor
-as she thinks. True, I have been spending
-a good deal this winter. Gilmore
-has a rich father, and I could not bear
-to be shabby in the suppers.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>This was my last year at Rockdale;
-and if the service was pleasanter, it was
-not less arduous. I had very little time
-for myself, a half hour&#8217;s stroll at twilight
-being my only recreation. Still I believed
-that I was improving, both intellectually
-and morally; and this sufficed me. Jennie
-was also climbing the hill of science
-rapidly. Frank Clavers&#8217; sister had returned
-the year previous from boarding-school;
-and being pleased with Jennie,
-and learning that she could sing, she had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[220]</span>
-offered to give her lessons in music. Seeing
-her fondness for books, Miss Clavers
-soon kindly offered to help her here also.
-This called for additional gratitude on my
-part; I had felt so troubled about this
-little sister, whom my mother left in my
-charge. Doing for myself, I hardly felt
-it to be right not to aid her personally
-more than my duties would allow. Now
-she had the benefit of example, and also
-the instruction of a young lady who was
-said to be a finished scholar.</p>
-
-<p>Thus easily I slipped into Robert
-Lovell&#8217;s place as tutor, and also into his
-class in Sabbath-school. Teaching others
-is one of the best means of self-culture;
-and I was in this way sent to my Bible,
-if not more frequently, at least with a
-more intense desire to understand its
-teachings. Thinking, studying, meditating,
-I drew nearer the cross each day;
-each day began to realize more perfectly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[221]</span>
-the beauty of His words who spake as
-never man spake, the glory of his countenance
-beaming with untold love; the
-terrible agony he suffered on the cross;
-his willingness to forgive sin; and above
-all, the encouragement in coming to
-him freely, as to a friend loved and confided
-in. Oh, why had I not seen this
-before? I had hopes that I did love
-him&mdash;that I did trust him&mdash;that I did follow
-him; but Oh, it was so far off. Had
-I been near, I should never have doubted
-as I had done; I should never have
-gone through all these months with my
-heart heavy, the waters going over my
-soul, striving to do only because I knew
-it to be right, and only half trusting the
-divine promise, &#8220;I will never leave thee,
-nor forsake thee.&#8221; Oh, blind and foolish
-heart, thus to grope in darkness when
-He was waiting with outstretched arms
-to receive thee.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[222]</span>How bright and beautiful my pathway
-now opened before me. Not that barriers
-were all removed, obstacles all cleared
-away; but I no longer felt troubled
-with a weak, half trust. I knew His
-promises were sure; that he would not
-leave me; that he would be in reality
-not a personal friend merely, but one
-closer than a brother. A long time had
-I been learning the lesson of his love, a
-long time discovering the depth of his
-tenderness; now, satisfied to rest on him,
-I found it joy unutterable.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus232.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[223]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">XII.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">My</span> first vacation after leaving Rockdale
-was spent with Mr. Wyman. Four
-years since I had left him, poor and ignorant.
-Now, I certainly was not any
-richer. Still I had advanced in knowledge
-of books and in mental discipline;
-and although my longing after an education
-was not in the least abated, I had
-learned there is nothing really desirable
-in comparison with the fear of God and
-true holiness. I did not care now to
-choose in what part of his vineyard I
-should work. I only wished to labor for
-him; and to do this effectually, I must
-not falter in my purpose of an education.</p>
-
-<p>With this intent I went into the hay-field
-with as much ardor as before into<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[224]</span>
-the school-room. Money, Mr. Stovill
-said, was desirable to go through college
-with, and I knew the worth of it.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I see that you have not forgotten
-how to work,&#8221; said Mr. Wyman, coming
-into the meadow one sunny afternoon.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not forgetting, but still more accustomed
-to it, Mr. Wyman. I have been
-hard at it ever since I was here.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is a difference between head
-work and hand work,&#8221; said the farmer
-with a quiet smile.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have been doing both,&#8221; I replied;
-&#8220;turning book leaves has not bleached
-my hands.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;While I have to confess to the doing
-of only one. The young folks of this day
-have much better advantages than were
-common when I was a boy. We had no
-such schools then as Rockdale.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I think you do yourself injustice,
-Mr. Wyman, when you say that you<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[225]</span>
-have only been working with your hands.
-Had it not been for you, I could not
-have gone to Rockdale when I did, if
-ever. In word and deed, your labor has
-budded, blossomed, and brought forth
-fruit. We sometimes study quite as
-effectually out of books as in them.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;True; but if I could live my life over
-again, I should think more of a book education.
-Those that know the most have
-the means of doing the most good.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is one comforting truth,&#8221; said
-I, turning the hay vigorously: &#8220;God
-directs all our steps. He appoints our
-place; he gives us our work. I used to
-think there was in labor a great choice,
-and although I was willing to do any
-thing because I felt it to be right, still
-there was also a consciousness that, could
-I choose, such would not be my employment.
-I remember the morning I came
-here for the first time; I rebelled not a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[226]</span>
-little against it. Still it was a means, a
-stepping-stone to the desired good.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And is it not the same now?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No; I am willing to be directed. I
-like to be led by Him, and feel safe in
-following. Then I feared continually lest
-I should make a mistake, and through
-weakness or ignorance fail to use the
-means to the greatest advantage. Now
-I try to exercise human wisdom and a
-prudent forethought, and still rest contented,
-whatever the result. The Lord
-knows all, and he knows whether this or
-that shall prosper. To do right, and to
-do my best, is all that he requires of me;
-events are with him, and success is given
-wheresoever he pleases.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Saturday evening at length came. We
-had worked hard through the week, but
-the hay was not all in. Nine o&#8217;clock,
-and there still remained several loads.
-A consultation was called.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[227]</span>&#8220;It looks like rain,&#8221; said Mr. Wyman.
-&#8220;But you are all tired, and the
-oxen have done enough for one day;
-perhaps we had better let it rest. It
-will not rain to-night; and if it does to-morrow,
-it wont take long to put in three
-loads.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But to-morrow will be Sunday, Mr.
-Wyman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know; but it would not be right to
-let the hay spoil.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I do not understand that; the command
-is positive: &#8216;Six days shalt thou
-labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh
-day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
-God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
-thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
-man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor
-thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within
-thy gates.&#8217; Nothing can be more explicit.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is also equally incumbent upon us<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[228]</span>
-not to waste our substance,&#8221; said Mr
-Wyman. &#8220;If you read the New Testament
-rightly, you will find that it is lawful
-to do works of mercy and necessity.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;True; but would the getting in hay
-be counted such a work, when God expressly
-bids us keep his Sabbath even in
-harvest time?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, if the hay was to be spoiled by
-the neglect, it ought to be got in.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There was no more said. It was late,
-and the men dispersed. I went directly
-to my room, not a little disconcerted
-about what I might be called upon to do.
-Mr. Wyman was an old man, and had
-been very kind to me; it was not for me
-to speak to him as an equal. He felt it
-to be right; I felt it to be a direct act of
-disobedience. We must each act according
-to our conscience; and with this
-thought I went to sleep.</p>
-
-<p>The next morning the sun peeped<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[229]</span>
-through a dull, hazy atmosphere, looked,
-and was gone, showing occasional glimpses
-of his face till nearly church time, when
-the clouds began to gather and roll themselves
-into inky blackness, and rain
-seemed inevitable.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Put the oxen to the cart,&#8221; said Mr.
-Wyman; &#8220;that hay will be ruined.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But, pa, it is Sunday,&#8221; said Mrs.
-Wyman.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Well, what if it is? You are ready
-to go to church, and the wagon is at the
-door; go on, I shall stop for the hay. It
-is just as much a duty to save our property
-as to do any thing else. We are
-told to be diligent in business;&#8221; and the
-farmer exchanged his Sunday coat for
-his work-day one, and went out.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Marston,&#8221; he said as he passed
-through the back porch, &#8220;you load faster
-than any of the others. If we hurry,
-we can get it in and then go to church.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[230]</span>&#8220;I cannot do that kind of work on the
-Sabbath, Mr. Wyman. I regard it as an
-open violation of His law.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you cannot work for me to-day,
-you certainly cannot to-morrow.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I did not stop to question; there was
-but one course for me. My head bowed
-over my hands. To lose Mr. Wyman&#8217;s
-friendship was more than I could bear.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What is that to thee? follow thou
-me,&#8221; floated through my brain and comforted
-me. Presently a light hand was
-on my shoulder, and a kind voice said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Marston, will you drive us to church?
-I do not think it will rain at all.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;If you desire it, Mrs. Wyman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>We started, Mrs. Wyman with Emma
-and Alice. As we passed the meadow,
-Mr. Wyman was busily pitching on the
-hay, Anderson and Gregory each having
-a cart. The oxen stood with their great
-patient eyes rolling about, as if not quite<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[231]</span>
-sure of the right of breaking in upon
-their day of rest. Nothing was said,
-however.</p>
-
-<p>We reached the church door just in
-time to escape a few quiet drops; but
-these were soon gone; the clouds unrolled
-and dispersed their dark folds, and
-before noon all was bright again.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Oh, father, you should have heard
-the sermon this morning,&#8221; said Alice
-Wyman, a sweet, blooming girl, tripping
-into the parlor as though nothing had
-happened. The farmer sat in his straight-backed
-chair, the hay was all in, and he
-was reading the Bible.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;What was the text, child?&#8221; he at
-length said.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;&#8216;Trust in the Lord, and do good;
-so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily
-thou shalt be fed.&#8217; Mr. Gordon spoke
-so beautifully of the implicit trust we are
-privileged to have, it seemed to me I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[232]</span>
-never felt so forcibly before how far short
-we come of realizing all that might be
-ours, the contentment that would fill our
-hearts, would we put aside self and lean
-more perfectly upon Him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;But there is something for us to do,&#8221;
-said her father. &#8220;We are not to sit
-still; we are to act, and that diligently.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; answered Mrs. Wyman, &#8220;Mr.
-Gordon said there was something for us
-to do. The first act was obedience; the
-second was love and trust.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>By this time dinner was on the table.
-The farmer was evidently in no talkative
-mood, and few words were spoken.</p>
-
-<p>In the afternoon I walked with Alice
-to the Sabbath-school, and returned comforted.
-Perhaps Mr. Wyman would turn
-me off; it was more than probable he
-would. I had displeased him. Still,
-having done what I thought to be right,
-I would trust it all to God.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[233]</span>The next morning as we finished breakfast,
-and before we arose from the table,
-Mr. Wyman said,</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I owe you for two weeks&#8217; work, Marston:
-I am sorry for what happened yesterday;
-still I must have the direction of
-what shall be done on my own farm. I
-shall fill your place with some one who
-will do what I ask of him.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Had it been any other than a plain,
-positive command, I should have gone
-with you, Mr. Wyman; but so positive
-is the decree with regard to the Sabbath,
-there could be no question with me concerning
-my duty.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Mrs. Wyman and Alice followed me
-down the walk, and begged me not to
-cherish unkind feelings towards Mr.
-Wyman.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;No fear of that,&#8221; I answered. &#8220;He
-has always been my friend, and I shall
-not think unkindly of him for this. He<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[234]</span>
-is too good a man not to be sorry when
-he thinks of it with his accustomed coolness.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I had nothing to do but to walk back
-to Claverton, and tell Jennie what had
-befallen me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am sorry, Marston; but I should
-have been still sorrier had you acted
-otherwise;&#8221; and she pressed her red lips
-to mine. &#8220;An entire obedience is necessary.
-Do not be troubled; some good
-will come of it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>We walked down to the little gate,
-where stood a messenger from Mr. Willett.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Mr. Willett would like to see Marston,&#8221;
-as Jennie took the message.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;He has not been well for several
-weeks, and has inquired for you continually,&#8221;
-she said, as she held the gate for
-me to pass.</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Willett was pillowed up in his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[235]</span>
-easy-chair, and seemed delighted to see
-me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am glad that you are free,&#8221; he said
-at length. &#8220;I have been sick, and the
-doctor forbids all kinds of exertion. Every
-thing is going to ruin in the store.
-If you will just go in, I shall consider it
-a great favor, and will give you more
-than you can get doing any thing else.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>How soon the black cloud had showed
-a silver lining. I had felt so unwilling to
-leave Mr. Wyman, so sad and desponding,
-that I could not think of any thing
-else as I walked back to the village.
-With all my waywardness, God was not
-unmindful. Could I ever despond again?
-I felt at the time that it would be impossible.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I told you something good would
-come of it,&#8221; said Jennie as I crossed the
-street and once more entered the parlor.
-&#8220;&#8216;A right effort is never lost.&#8217; This<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[236]</span>
-should teach us both to trust more perfectly.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Mr. Willett recovered rapidly; and
-by the time vacation was over, I was
-appointed a regular teacher in the Rockdale
-academy.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;This will delay your college course,
-but it will be better for you in the end,&#8221;
-said Mr. Harlan. &#8220;You are still young
-enough to wait next year, and your salary
-will enable you to begin. Besides,
-if you choose to study while teaching, I
-will aid you all I can; and I have little
-doubt you can enter the Sophomore class
-instead of the Freshman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>This was a step I had not thought of,
-and I quickly resolved not a moment
-should be lost; to teach and to study
-should be my work for another year.</p>
-
-<p>Among the first of the new pupils that
-particularly interested me when I entered
-upon my duties was Ezra Metcalf.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[237]</span>
-Stimulated by his little teacher, he had
-put forth very commendable effort; and
-through the interest of Mr. Gordon and
-one or two benevolent ladies of Terryville,
-Mr. Harlan had been induced to
-take him, the boy paying his board, as I
-had done, by labor.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus247.jpg" alt="" /></div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[238]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">XIII.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">It</span> proved as Mr. Harlan had said.
-The next year I entered the Sophomore
-class, once more finding myself face to
-face with Frank Clavers and Harry Gilmore.
-Their greeting was most cordial,
-and Harry&#8217;s friendship was as warm as
-ever. Although my year&#8217;s salary had
-clothed me decently and left me something
-for books, it still required the closest
-economy to get along; making me appear,
-to those who had plenty, as close and parsimonious.
-This was in itself a trial, and
-the hardest with which I had to contend.
-Yet my frank avowal of a scanty purse
-saved me from many temptations. In
-the various expedients of the students
-for killing time I was not expected to
-share; and still I always had a spare<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[239]</span>
-dollar for a new book, or sufficient to
-expend upon a course of scientific lectures;
-while there were some lavish in
-expenditures for rides, suppers, ices, and
-sherbet, who were at times obliged to
-deny themselves the means of improvement.</p>
-
-<p>It was not trying to acknowledge poverty
-when the admission brought no dishonor.
-Still, when with some of my
-class-mates who were rich men&#8217;s sons,
-and well supplied with pin-money, I
-found to my cost that I had not learned
-the lesson of self-conquest so perfectly as
-I had flattered myself. I was once looking
-at a second-hand book in the presence
-of Morris and Wright, two of the
-richest students in college.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That is what I call small business,
-to look up old threadbare books,&#8221; said
-Morris, in a tone that I could not avoid
-hearing, at the same time ordering a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[240]</span>
-new copy of the same work; to which
-Wright replied, while a contemptuous
-smile wreathed his proud lips. I could
-have wept with vexation; and the next
-moment was ashamed of myself for giving
-way to such a weak, ignoble feeling.</p>
-
-<p>Through all these days Jennie&#8217;s letters
-comforted me, and Mr. and Mrs. Harlan
-did not forget me.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Regard the right,&#8221; said the latter in
-one of her letters, &#8220;and seek for companions
-such as honor it. Think too
-much of yourself to cherish a selfish
-thought or feeling; and let every act
-prove that a light purse does not of necessity
-imply low tastes or a meagre intellect.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Little did the good woman imagine all
-the trials springing out of my weakness.
-Still the strife was short, and invariably
-I found my way back to the sheltering
-arms of that Friend who looks not alone<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">[241]</span>
-to the outward, and who judges not as
-man judges.</p>
-
-<p>Overhearing one of the professors saying
-that he could not find a suitable gardener
-for his grounds, and having learned
-a good deal of gardening from Mr. Harlan,
-I offered myself, and was accepted.
-I needed exercise. This was just as
-good as boating, ball-playing, or the
-gymnasium.</p>
-
-<p>One Saturday, as I returned from the
-river with a wheelbarrow of pebbles for
-the flooring of a new arbor I had just
-planned, I met several of my class-mates
-at the gate. Conquering my first impulse
-of false shame, I advanced as though it
-was the most pleasant exercise imaginable.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Gardening for the pleasure of it?&#8221;
-said Stevens, in a tone of irony he knew
-so well to use.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not for pleasure, Stevens, but from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">[242]</span>
-necessity;&#8221; and I walked on. The next
-meeting was easier. I had filled the
-wheelbarrow again, and was crossing the
-carriage-way, when Wright drove leisurely
-along in an open buggy. As he
-passed me he touched his hat, while a
-mocking smile wreathed his lips:</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There goes the best scholar in his
-class.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;And the best I intend to be,&#8221; I said
-to myself, but without any unpleasant
-feeling.</p>
-
-<p>Finishing my task, I went to the office
-for letters; passing the hotel just as the
-numerous hacks had left a greater number
-of guests than usual. I had nearly
-passed, when suddenly my name was called,
-and in a voice that seemed strangely
-familiar. It was Silas June. He had
-given up study, and had been two years
-in the city, and talked largely of city
-pleasures and pursuits. His uncle had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">[243]</span>
-recently become very wealthy through
-land speculation, and had generously
-offered Mrs. June a home, and also taken
-Silas into his employ as a clerk.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I suppose you are planning ways
-and means yet,&#8221; he said at length. &#8220;I
-remember you used to be good at this.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Practice makes perfect,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I have never had any thing else to do,
-and I am now quite as expert as ever.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I told you I should get along just as
-well without so much study, although I
-did not then dream of the good in store
-for me. Uncle is rich, and without a
-family of his own. He must do something
-with his money, and I shall come
-in for a large share.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I hope you will repay him by making
-a good and noble man.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I shall please him, if that is what
-you mean, although it goes greatly against
-my inclination to sit bound down day<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">[244]</span>
-after day to the day-book and ledger.
-Still night comes, and I enjoy while he
-sleeps.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You enjoy; how so?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Go to parties, operas, theatres, or
-into some saloon; anywhere, if I find
-good company.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You used to try to deceive yourself
-with regard to study,&#8221; I said, with a degree
-of earnestness that made him laugh
-heartily. &#8220;Do not deceive yourself now,
-and run into company that will lead you
-to ruin, just because your uncle is rich
-enough to give you the opportunity.
-Deception cannot prosper.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t everybody deceive&mdash;everybody
-but you and Lovell?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;That many practise it, I allow, and
-that some for a time succeed, is very
-possible; but the end is not yet.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;There is no use in denying self-interest
-is the motive,&#8221; he answered; &#8220;and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">[245]</span>
-if some noble deeds and benevolent actions
-are performed, the mainspring is
-the same. I humor my uncle, for I need
-his money; you study enough to kill a
-common man, making this a stepping-stone
-to something else. What&#8217;s the
-difference?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>There was a difference, notwithstanding
-his fluent speech. Back as far as I
-could look there was still one purpose&mdash;
-a strong and noble manhood, a life of
-usefulness and honor; and in my estimation,
-a good education would greatly contribute
-to bring this about. This was
-why I studied, why I was resolved to
-study&mdash;not merely distinction, worldly
-honor, or aggrandizement, but to possess
-a truly excellent character, worthy
-the regard of others and the respect of
-myself.</p>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">[246]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">XIV.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="smcap">At</span> length a year in college had passed;
-one more layer was unwrapped from
-round the kernel of college lore, and as
-Juniors we were trying with renewed
-powers honorably to rival each other.</p>
-
-<p>Not alone to us change had come, but
-to others. Miss Clavers had opened a
-seminary in the little village bearing her
-father&#8217;s name, and Jennie was an assistant.
-How full of love and encouragement
-were her letters. How strange it
-all seemed: no longer a little girl that
-nestled in my arms, and looked up to
-me as one able to do so much, but a tall,
-stately young woman, going in and out
-before her pupils with the conscious
-grace of one who feels that she is able to
-do all that she has undertaken.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">[247]</span>It was a bright autumn day when Stevens
-invited a party of some half a dozen
-students to walk with him to a town not
-far distant. For the last six months I
-had been on friendly terms with him, so
-I did not think it strange when he invited
-me; neither did I refuse to go. It
-was a perfect day: the rich, fervid hues
-of autumn were spread over miles of forest-trees
-and shrubbery; a thin veil of
-mist hung over every winding stream,
-while the brilliant sunshine illuminated
-the many varying shades of wood, water,
-and cloud, blending all in perfect harmony.</p>
-
-<p>That hazy, dreamy atmosphere, how
-well I remember it. The memory of
-that walk makes my heart beat with
-much of its youthful buoyancy. Under
-the exhilarating influence of the day, and
-our unexpected freedom, we ran, laughed,
-shouted&mdash;appearing, as we really were, a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">[248]</span>
-company of grown-up school-boys. I remember
-Harry Gilmore&#8217;s mirthful tone
-as we pelted him with chestnuts, and
-how Wright forgot his dignity when we
-covered his hat and shoulders with red
-and yellow leaves.</p>
-
-<p>After visiting a gallery of paintings,
-which was the ostensible object of the
-excursion, and which we all expressed
-ourselves as sorry to leave, Stevens
-invited us to step into a restaurant for
-refreshment. Wright and Gilmore left
-us to make a call, but the remainder of
-the party entered the saloon.</p>
-
-<p>When seated in an elegant room, we
-were soon supplied with tempting viands.
-Not satisfied with a lavish profusion of
-fruits, cakes, and ices, Stevens rang for
-the waiter, to whom he gave orders in
-an undertone, the nature of which was
-evident from the speedy appearance of
-glasses and bottles.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">[249]</span>&#8220;Now to the health of the company:
-may the shadow of each never be less,&#8221;
-said Stevens, filling his glass. There
-was a burst of applause, and I looked
-around the table, hoping to find at least
-one representative of total abstinence;
-but with the exception of my own, every
-glass was drained.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;How is this?&#8221; said Stevens, eyeing
-me keenly; &#8220;afraid or unwilling to pledge
-me in a glass of wine?&#8221; All eyes were
-turned upon me, and I felt the blood recede
-from my face.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am afraid, Stevens. I saw a student
-carried to his room the other night.
-If I take a glass now, who knows but I
-may one day be found in a like situation?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>We walked back more quietly than
-we went. The sun had set, and a vaporous
-veil of golden haze had floated off
-into the purple twilight, and the watching<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">[250]</span>
-stars came out one by one, with a
-dim, subdued light, only seen on such
-autumnal nights. Stevens, who was my
-companion in spite of my not joining
-him in the wine, was in a contemplative
-mood.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t approve,&#8221; he said, &#8220;of wine,
-tobacco, or any thing of the kind, and
-very often I make up my mind never to
-touch them again; especially did I the
-other night when I saw Darcy in such a
-state.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;It is the only safe course,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I know it,&#8221; he said earnestly, &#8220;and
-I like you all the better for not touching
-it. I only ordered it for fear there were
-some who would think it mean; &#8216;nothing
-to drink,&#8217; as they say.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>And so I believe it would be in every
-instance where a young man openly
-avows his determination not to drink,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">[251]</span>
-smoke, or chew, waste his time, or trifle
-with duty. After his resolves have once
-been tested, he will only be thought more
-of by the wildest associate he has, and
-his influence from that moment will be
-wider and more powerful.</p>
-
-<p>In college, as elsewhere, it is easy to
-select our associates. If we wish, we
-can have the most studious and high-minded;
-or the pleasure-seeker, who
-came to college because it was fashionable
-to do so, and will get a diploma, if
-he gets one at all, because the wealth of
-his father purchases it for him, the same
-as any other article of luxury.</p>
-
-<p>Still, try as I would, I could not make
-friends with Wright. At first he had
-looked down upon me: more recently he
-seemed to regard me only as a rival;
-and to say the truth, we were quite even,
-our regular marks in recitation seldom
-varying. The time now came when the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">[252]</span>
-subject for a prize essay was given out,
-and knowing my chief competitor would
-be Wright, I determined to surpass him.</p>
-
-<p>Not having a strong constitution, study
-wore upon him sadly.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Do not work so hard, I entreat you,&#8221;
-said our President one day as he saw
-how wan and pale Wright was growing.
-&#8220;There is no use in this,&#8221; taking the
-feverish hand in his. &#8220;Indeed I have
-been blind not to see it before; you must
-rest, at all hazards.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Not now,&#8221; said Wright. &#8220;I came
-here to take the first honor in my class,
-and I will do it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You will not live to reach it, at this
-rate; and then what profit can come
-from all your ambitious labors?&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>A week or two afterwards Wright
-was prostrate.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;They say that you will win the
-prize,&#8221; said Stevens, coming into my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">[253]</span>
-room on his way from the sick-bed.
-&#8220;If poor Wright had not been sick, you
-might not have been so certain, however.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Wright probably wrote his essay
-before he was sick,&#8221; I answered.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes, he wrote it, and I have read
-it, and I assure you it is a fine production;
-but he cannot read it, and of course
-the prize will be yours.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I went to my room in no enviable
-state of mind. I wanted the prize. I
-had worked for it. But if Wright had
-written his essay, he must not lose the
-honor because he was sick. Nothing
-more was said of it, and all seemed to
-take it for granted that I should be the
-successful competitor.</p>
-
-<p>At last I could bear it no longer. I
-called upon Stevens, as a friend of Wright,
-to procure the essay; and then, with the
-conviction that I was destroying my own<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">[254]</span>
-hopes, I carried it to the chairman of the
-committee, and begged him to suspend
-his decision until this had been sufficiently
-examined.</p>
-
-<p>The result was as I expected. Wright
-was announced the winner of the prize
-at the same time we were told that he
-was dangerously ill. How insignificant
-at that hour the honors of the world! How
-sorry I was that, in order to rival me, he
-had been obliged to study so hard; how
-glad to think that perhaps he might know
-that he had won, and the knowledge give
-him pleasure.</p>
-
-<p>Not long afterwards a messenger came
-to me from the sick-room. Wright wanted
-to see me. I found him lying upon
-his bed, pale and wasted, the mere shadow
-of his former self.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I wanted to thank you for your sacrifice
-on my behalf; they told me all
-about it;&#8221; and his eyes closed languidly.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">[255]</span>
-I pressed his thin hand cordially in my
-own.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Nor is that all,&#8221; he said, opening his
-eyes, glistening with deep feeling. &#8220;I
-want you to forgive my former rudeness.
-I have always been ashamed of it; not
-a moment but I have longed to tell you
-of my regard; but you were my rival in
-study, and I could not bear it.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Was this Wright, the rich student,
-the one who had never given me a word
-save those dictated by common civility,
-now asking my pardon, and saying that
-he had always regarded me, and had
-longed to tell me so? There was no
-room for deception; there he lay, weak
-and pale. I could not restrain my emotion,
-and before I was aware, I was on
-my knees, my arms about him, and my
-head resting on his pillow.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Sickness has taught me to see life
-under a new phase,&#8221; he resumed. &#8220;These<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">[256]</span>
-petty rivalries are unworthy the attention
-of immortal beings. I have lived
-as though this life were all, following a
-shadow until it had well-nigh landed me
-in the grave. Oh what would have become
-of me had I died then?&#8221; and a
-shudder passed over his features. &#8220;You
-will be glad to know that I have found
-Him whom you have loved for a long
-time. I trust my sins are pardoned, that
-I have given my heart to the Saviour.
-You must be my friend now; I cannot
-rest till I have it from your own lips.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Now, and ever,&#8221; I answered, as well
-as my emotion would allow. A sweet
-peace showed itself on his countenance.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I knew you would forgive me.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The attendant came in and said that
-he must rest, and I went out full of wonder
-at the power that could humble a
-proud spirit like Wright&#8217;s, and change
-him to a meek penitent.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">[257]</span>My astonishment was increased when
-returning health enabled him to go on
-with his studies. There was no longer
-rivalry; a new purpose burned in his
-heart, beamed in his eye, and influenced
-every look and word; not one that had
-known him before but was constrained
-to say that he had been with Jesus.</p>
-
-<p>My last year in college was a constant
-delight to me. I was not so much
-pressed by pecuniary matters. Above
-all, I had succeeded in winning the good-will
-and esteem of those around me.
-After Wright&#8217;s illness, his heart clung to
-me with as much intensity as before he
-had carefully avoided me, while Harry
-Gilmore gave me all a brother&#8217;s love,
-and Frank Clavers was the same true
-friend as ever.</p>
-
-<p>At Commencement, when the highest
-honor was awarded me, I felt a thrill of
-satisfaction that was an ample equivalent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">[258]</span>
-for long years of labor. Afterwards,
-when I stood before the assembled throng,
-conscious that many eyes were upon me,
-and bright, happy faces looking their approval,
-I only saw one, a sweet, pure
-face, with the golden hair parted over a
-broad white forehead, while an expression
-of peace and of trust rested on the
-whole countenance. It was a happy day
-to Jennie. So far my work was done,
-and, they said, well done. I looked upon
-it as only reaching another stage in my
-ascent; the first and second heights were
-won, and a profession was now to be
-chosen.</p>
-
-<p>In the evening there was a levee at
-the President&#8217;s house, and for Jennie&#8217;s
-sake as well as my own I was glad. The
-good man received me very kindly, and
-so far unbent himself as to speak of the
-courage and industry of my last three
-years, then of my success&mdash;introducing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">[259]</span>
-me to several men who were there, and
-whom it was an honor and a privilege to
-meet. &#8220;Energy is essential,&#8221; he said,
-&#8220;but patience and perseverance are the
-crowning virtues. You have practised
-these faithfully. God grant that you
-may continue to do the same to the end.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>It was a happy gathering; and when
-I went to my room, it was first to fall
-upon my knees, pouring out my heart
-in gratitude to that God who had been
-so mindful, leading me by the hand up
-through the narrow defile of poverty and
-want, into a broader way, where I could
-catch glimpses of the promised land, renewing
-my vows, and consecrating myself
-anew to his service.</p>
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">[260]</span>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak">XV.</h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<p>&#8220;<span class="smcap">Now</span> you are ready for a profession,&#8221;
-said Miss Grimshaw, as once more
-we were seated in her little parlor.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Marston is troubled about being a
-lawyer,&#8221; Jennie said, as she leaned over
-my shoulder, running her taper fingers
-through my hair. &#8220;He used to think
-he could be happy in nothing else.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; said grandma, &#8220;what fine
-speeches he used to make before the
-looking-glass, and how often he said he
-would never undertake a case that was
-not just, and then he would be sure to
-win.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>True, grandma&#8217;s words carried me far
-back into my boyhood. I could see
-now that I had been ambitious. Poor
-and friendless, I had read of others who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">[261]</span>
-had attained worldly preferment and
-riches, and I resolved to do the same.
-To be a successful lawyer seemed to me
-to be the height of intellectual attainment.
-This I would be, and for this did
-I first study. I was ambitious for myself,
-and I was equally ambitious for Jennie.</p>
-
-<p>Once my great desire was to rise in
-the world; but now my aim was higher.
-As a lawyer, I did not intend that my
-knowledge and influence should become
-a screen for guilt. I would never be an
-oppressor of the poor and miserable. I
-had not the remotest wish to make vice
-appear virtue, nor to clothe transgressors
-in the garb of honorable men; neither
-did I expect to bury my conscience.
-I looked for a noble manhood.</p>
-
-<p>Now it seemed to me my life could
-not be spent aright if I did not make the
-service of God my chief and direct aim,
-and that no other service would suit me<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">[262]</span>
-so well as, in utter self-renunciation, to
-give myself entirely to the work of saving
-poor ruined sinners, spending my
-time, talents, health, all, in telling in the
-nooks and corners of the land, wherever
-I could find a listener, of the depth and
-fulness of His love for man. Compared
-with this, the fields of worldly ambition
-seemed a vast waste, without flowers or
-fruit.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am glad that you feel like this,
-Marston;&#8221; and grandma tottered across
-the room and laid her withered hand
-upon my head. &#8220;I have prayed earnestly
-for this. Young, earnest, persevering,
-you have the power of doing
-much good. I am thankful, Oh how
-thankful, that you see it in this light.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>The tears streamed over the cheeks
-of this aged saint. Jennie was weeping
-too, and I could not speak. I felt my
-own unworthiness and insufficiency, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">[263]</span>
-only prayed that God would give me
-that ready tact and skill to say and do
-those things that would be pleasing in
-his sight, and enable me to win souls for
-his kingdom.</p>
-
-<p>Still, I had only passed through my
-collegiate course; there were years of
-preparation before I could become fitted
-for the high and noble office of a preacher
-of his word. In the darkest lot there
-is some sunshine. With health, strength,
-some culture of mind, and the presence
-of my Saviour, the passing clouds only
-made the sunshine brighter.</p>
-
-<p>Before the vacation closed I met Mr.
-Wyman. With his old frankness, he
-invited us all to spend the day with him,
-and more than this, sent his carriage to
-take us there. Considering that I had
-done nothing wrong, I was delighted with
-again meeting him, as well as Mrs. Wyman
-and Alice, in their old home.</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">[264]</span>My greeting was cordial, while his had
-all the tenderness of a father.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I am glad to see, Marston, that you
-can forgive me for sending you away as
-I did. I knew that I was wrong, that I
-ought not to do it, that I was breaking
-a positive command; but I had always
-seen it done. My father I believed to
-be a good man; and though he did not
-work on the Sabbath, still, if his harvest
-or his hay-field was in danger of being
-ruined by a shower, he gathered it in,
-let the day be what it might. Then I
-was angry that you should reprimand me
-before all the hands.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I only repeated the commandment.
-I did not intend it as a reproof of mine.
-It was God&#8217;s command, and must be
-obeyed.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;I knew it; but I was vexed. You
-have forgiven me, Marston, and I hope
-God has forgiven me. I have not had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">[265]</span>
-any Sabbath work done on the place
-since then, that could possibly be avoided;
-and I trust that I live nearer my
-Saviour and am a more consistent Christian
-than I was before.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>Neither of us said any more on that
-subject; and before we left, we bowed
-with clasped hands to seek our Father&#8217;s
-blessing upon the reconciliation and on
-our future life.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Henceforth you shall truly stand to
-me in the light of Willie,&#8221; said Mr. Wyman;
-&#8220;and still, had Willie lived, he
-would have been a minister in the room
-of a lawyer.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;By the grace of God, I am to be a
-minister, Mr. Wyman.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;Are you, Marston? God be thanked
-for this. How many times during the
-last four years have I washed it. But
-we thought you were fully determined
-to become a lawyer.&#8221;</p>
-
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">[266]</span>&#8220;So I was; but God has made me feel
-that it is the highest honor for mortals
-to serve him, and the highest service to
-spend and be spent in telling poor sinful
-men of the Saviour. If I can get
-through with my theological studies, I
-trust this will be my work.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;You can and you shall, Marston.
-Willie was to have been a minister. You
-shall be to me as my Willie would have
-been.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>When we re&euml;ntered the farm-house
-there was great rejoicing, Mrs. Wyman
-taking me by the hand and telling me
-how thankful she felt that I had changed
-my purpose.</p>
-
-<p>&#8220;A broad field of usefulness lies before
-you, Marston; you must, you will fill it
-nobly.&#8221;</p>
-
-<p>I entered upon my theological course
-at once. Mr. Wyman was faithful to
-his promise, making of me a second Willie.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">[267]</span>
-And now, as the pastor of a prosperous
-church, I love to look back over
-the track of my early years, and read
-His goodness in ordering all my steps.
-Surely his goodness is unsearchable, and
-his love past finding out.</p>
-
-<p>Led by His grace, I love to recount all
-his goodness in the way he has led me.
-I never pass a lad in the street, dirty,
-ragged, and homeless, but I think of my
-own early lot; never look upon the pale
-face and blue eyes of a little girl, that I
-do not think of Jennie, kept by his goodness
-and shielded by his love. And I
-would say to all the climbers&mdash;to all
-those boys and girls who are striving to
-help themselves, to work, and study&mdash;first
-make the Saviour your friend, give
-him your hearts, then go on courageously
-in the path he will be sure to open before
-you. Never stop to parley with
-wrong, or to shun a duty, however small<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">[268]</span>
-and insignificant. A lofty purpose, pursued
-with undeviating integrity, never
-fails of a rich and gracious reward.</p>
-
-<p>Would you know of my class-mates?
-Robert Lovell is a foreign missionary,
-known and loved of God and man.
-Frank Clavers and Harry Gilmore are
-lawyers of acknowledged ability and
-rare moral worth. Wright, my former
-rival, is not only a brother clergyman
-and friend, but as the husband of my
-darling Jennie, he claims still more of
-my regard.</p>
-
-<p>Surely the prayers of our sainted mother,
-and the supplications of our early
-friend, were heard by Him who ruleth
-all. Our path has been hedged about
-by his kindness, and his banner over us
-has been love.</p>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p class="ph2">BOOKS ABOUT CHRIST.</p>
-</div>
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-
-<p class="ph1">THE LIFE OF CHRIST.</p>
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-engravings from Dor&eacute;. A beautiful and low-priced edition
-for general circulation. 861 pp. octavo. $3 50; gilt, $4 50;
-half morocco, $5 50. full morocco, $7.</p>
-
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-
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-people of God. By Rev. <span class="smcap">A. C. Thompson</span>, D. D., on tinted
-paper. Large 12mo. 360 pp.; $1 50; extra, $2.</p>
-
-
-<p class="ph1">THE ROCK OF OUR SALVATION.</p>
-
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-truth. 12mo. $1 50.</p>
-
-
-<p class="ph1">ATTRACTION OF THE CROSS.</p>
-
-<p>Rev. <span class="smcap">Gardiner Spring</span>, D. D. Illustrating the leading
-truths, obligations, and hopes of Christianity. Large
-12mo. $1 10. extra, $1 50.</p>
-
-
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-MEN.</p>
-
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-minds. 12mo. $1.</p>
-
-
-<p class="ph1">JESUS ON THE HOLY MOUNT.</p>
-
-<p>Rev. <span class="smcap">Joseph Sanderson</span>, D. D. No lover of the Bible
-and of Christ can fail of benefit in reading it. 12mo.
-80 cents.</p>
-
-
-<p class="ph1">THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD EXPLAINED
-AND ENFORCED.</p>
-
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-Sussex. Full of interest for home reading. 12mo. 90
-cents.</p>
-
-
-<p class="ph1">CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOOR</p>
-
-<p>Of sinner&#8217;s hearts; or a solemn entreaty to receive the
-Saviour and his gospel in this the day of mercy. <span class="smcap">Flavel.</span>
-12mo. 90 cents.</p>
-
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-<p class="ph1">THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE,</p>
-
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-ages of eternity, and in all the offices and aspects in which
-he is revealed in the Old and New Testaments, till his
-session on the right hand of God and coming to judgment.
-Rev. <span class="smcap">John Flavel</span>. 12mo. 90 cents.</p>
-
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-
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-
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-<p class="ph1">THE MIND OF JESUS.</p>
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-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p class="ph1">FOOTNOTE:</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="footnote">
-
-<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[A]</a> The &#8220;sweet do-nothing&#8221; life.</p>
-
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<div class="transnote">
-<p class="ph1">TRANSCRIBER&#8217;S NOTES:</p>
-
-
-
-<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.</p>
-
-<p>Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.</p>
-
-<p>Archaic or alternate spelling has been retained from the original, including contractions without apostrophes.</p>
-
-<p>The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain.</p>
-</div></div>
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