Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN ROLLO AT SCHOOL. THE ROLLO SERIES 18 COMPOSED OF FOURTEEN VOLUMES, VIZ. Hollo Learning to Talk. Rollo learning to Read Rolloat Work. Rollo at Play. Rollo at School. Rollo's Vacation. Rollo'* Experiment*. Hollo's Museum. Rollo's Travels. Ro! lii's Correapondenoe. Rollo's Philosophy Water. Rollo's Philosophy Air. Roilo's Philosophy Fire. Hollo's Philosophy-Sky. A NEW EDITION, REVISED BY THE AUTHOR BOSTON: PHILLIPS. SAMPSON, AND COMPANY. Entered, ccordin g to Act of Congrew, in the Tear 1855, by PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, * CO., In tht Clerk'i Offict of the District Court of the DUtrict of MM*cha PREFATORY NOTICE. As the little readers of " ROLLO AT WORK" and " ROLLO AT PLAY," have done the author the honor to manifest some interest in the continua- tion of his juvenile hero's history, they are now presented with " ROLLO AT SCHOOL" and " ROL- i.o's VACATION." Under the guise of a narrative of Rolln's adventures in these new situations these little books are intended to exhibit some of the temptations, the trials, the difficulties, and the duties, which all children experience in cjrcum- stances similar. That the reader may be profited as well as amused by the perusal, is the sincere wish of THE AUTHOR. 1063954 CONTENTS. Page. THE BEGINNING, 7 Do v EY, 30 DOVEYISM, 53 l.VHKNUOUSNESS, 65 SUBMISSION. 83 PERTINACITY, 100 ORDKR. 113 TITL K TO PROPERTY, 141 THE REASON WHY, 156 THE HOLIDAY 172 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. THE BEGINNING. ONE pleasant Monday morning, Rollo came to the door which opened upon the plat- form behind his father's house, and looked out into the little green yard, and across to the garden. Then he looked over towards the barn. He seemed to be looking for some- body. Then he turned round, and took down a small ivory whistle which hung in the entry, by the side of the door. It was hung upon a small nail by a green silk ribbon. He stood out upon the platform and blew the whistle loud and long. In a moment he heard a voice, which seem- ed to be out behind the barn, answer, u Aye, aye." He looked in that direction, and presently a large boy came around the corner of the barn and walked along towards him. His KOLLO AT SCHOOL. jacket was off, as if he had been at work, and he had a little hatchet in his hand. li Come, Jonas," said Rollo, " mother wants you to go with me to school." Jonas looked and saw that Rollo was dress- ed very neatly, and that he had a book and slate in his hand. He said he would come as soon as he had put on his jacket. So Jonas put the hatchet away in its place, and put on his jacket, and then went around to the front door, where he found Rollo wait- ing for him ; and they walked along together. " Did you ever go to school, Jonas?" said Rollo. ' Yes," replied Jonas, " I went once." ' Don't you wish you could go now?" " Yes.." said Jonas, " I think I should like it better than you will." ''Better than I?" said Rollo, looking up surprised: " why. I like it very much indeed." ' ; You have n't tried it yet,". said Jonas. i, but I know I shall like it." " Youcan tell betterby and by." said Jonas. ' Boys don't generally like going to school very well." "But I do," said Rollo. "They all like it the first day; but after- wards they find a great many things which they do not like very well/' ROLI O AT SCHOOL. 9 " What things?" asked Rollo. " Why, sometimes you will get playing after breakfast, and when school time comes you will not want to go. Then your studies will be hard sometimes and you will get, tired of them; and then some of the boys will be cross to you, perhaps." Rollo felt somewhat disappointed at hear- ing such an account of the business of going to school, from Jonas. He had expected that it was to be all pleasure, and he could not help thinking that Jonas must be mistaken about it. However, he said nothing, but walked along slowly and silently. Presently they came down to the little bridge that leads across the brook on the way to the school-house, where they had found a bird's nest some time before, and Jlollo pro- posed that they should go and look at their bird's nest. " No," said Jonas, " we must not go now. It is never right to stop by the way, going to school, without leave." "Why?" said Rollo. " It will make us late," said Jonas. " Oh, but we will not stop but a minute," said Rollo. lingering behind a little, and look- ing towards the tree. 10 KOLLO AT SCHOOL. Jonas laughed, but kept walking on. look- ing around to Rollo, to see if he was follow- ing. But Rollo stood by the side of the bridge, looking at Jonas as he went along. "Just one minute, Jonas," said he. Jonas shook his head and walked on. Presently he turned round and walked back- wards, facing Rollo. Rollo. finding that Jonas would not stop, began to follow him slowly, but he looked very much vexed. He thought that Jonas was very ill natured not to stop for him just one minute. By the tirno Jonas had got to the top of the hill, Rollo overtook him. and then he walked along in silence for a few minutes. At last he said pettishly. im 'I will stop when I am coming home, at any rate." k 'I advise you not to." said Jonas. ' : Why not :' ' ; said Rollo. ' Because your father told you that you must not stop, going or coming." " Well, t am not going to stop; I shall only go and look at the bird's nest, and then walk on; it won't take any time at all." " That is the way I have known a great many boys to get punished, 1 ' said Jonas. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 11 '' How?" said Rollo. lt Why, they stop a little going to school to play, and think they are only going to stop a minute ; but then they forget, and play about a great deal longer than they meant to, and so get very late." "And then do they get punished?" said Rollo. " My father would not punish me, if [ only stopped a minute." " Perhaps he would n't, but then if you stop at all, you will be likely to stop more than a minute." By this time they came in sight of the house where the school was kept. It was a farm-house, standing among some trees, by the side of the road. There was a very pleasant yard on one side, with a wagon in it, and some woodpiles and chips, and some barns and sheds on the other side ef it. vi ls that the school -house ?'' said Rello. <; The school is kept in that house. That is where Miss Mary lives, and she keeps the school in the orchard room." ' The orchard room?" said Rollo. li Yes, the room leading out into the or- chard, on the other side." The boys walked along the road in front of the house, and when they had got just be- 12 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. yond il, Jonas opened a small gate, whuh led under some trees by a little path, around the other side of the house. A large orchard ex- tended from the house in this direction, with handsome trees in it, and fine green grass under them. They saw a door here, leading into a room which projected out into the or- chard. There was a little portico before the door, and a large sin^uli rl;M stone on the ground before the \> ;:e grass came up all around near to < pi where the path came. TV. were sitting on the floor of the portion, \v;th their ft. f.t upon the flat stone. They had books in their hands and their lips were moving. They looked up and Jonas and Roilo. but went on studying. As the boys passed by the window, which was open, they saw the scholars and the r. in the room; and the teach* : orn the scholars always called Miss Mary, saw and came to the door, jus; as Jo.ias and RoMo 'stepped up into the portico. She look- ed pleased to see the boys. Jonas took off his hat as he came up to her and said. " Here is Rollo." "Ah, Rollo," said Miss Mary, " how do you do I 1 am glad to see you." She took ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 15 Rollo by the hand and led him in, and Jonas turned around, put on his hat, and walked away. Miss Mary led Rollo into the school- room. He found that the children were just taking' their seats. Miss Mary led him to a seat at a little desk by the window. The desk was long enough for two, and there was a boy sitting at one half of it already. This boy was not so large as Rollo. He looked up very much pleased when he saw Rollo coming to sit by him. Miss Mary told Rollo that his name was Henry, and that they must both be good boys and not whisper and play. Then she turned away to her own seat at a table, at one side of the room. By this time the children all over the room had become still, and Miss Mary opened a little Biile which she had on the table, and it seemed as if she was going to read. All the children sat looking towards her attentive and still. She only read two or three verses, but then she shopped to explain them very fully, so that the reading and her remarks occupied considerable time. One of the verses she read \vas this : il If I regard iniquity in my heart \ the Lord will not hear me" 16 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. She explained this to the children thus: " God will not listen to us when we pray to him, if he is displeased with us ; and he is displeased with us just as much when we have iniquity in our hearts, as when we ex- hibit it in our actions. A bad boy was once walking along the street in a city, and he saw a basket of apples at the door of a store. He though he would put out his hand slyly, when he went by, and takfc one. That was having iniquity in his heart. He had not done any thing wrong, he was only intending to do something wrong." " Well, did he take one when he came to them?" asked Henry. "No," said Miss Mary; "when he got close to the basket, and was just putting out his hand, he happened to look into the store, and he saw the man standing there. So he hastily withdrew his hand and walked on, trying to look careless and unconcerned. " Now was there any thing wrong in this boy's actions?" said Miss Mary. " Yes, ma'am," said the children. " No," said Miss Mary. " not in his action. He did not steal the apple. He walked di- rectly by just as he ought to do. " Was there any thing wrong in his looks T " No, ma'am." ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 17 " Was there any thing wrong in his heart?" 11 Yes, ma'am," said all the children, for now they began to understand fully what Miss Mary meant. " That is right," said Miss Mary. " Now children in school very often cherish iniquity in their hearts. Something prevents their actually doing the wrong thing, but then they want to do it, they try to do it, they watch for an opportunity to do it, and so they are guilty in heart. " Now," continued Miss Mary, " we are all going to pray to God to take care of us to-day, but if any of you have any idea or intention of doing any thing wrong to-day, or any thing which you think is perhaps wrong, God sees it. It is iniquity in your heart, and he will not hear your prayer. We had better give up all such iniquity, and determine to do what is right. Then God will hear us, and take care of us, and keep us safe and happy." Now all the scholars listened very atten- tively to these remarks, but it happened that there were two who took more particular no- tice of them than the others. These two were Rollo and his cousin Lucy, who went to this school, and who sat before another win- a* 2* 18 KOLLO AT SCHOOL. (low across the room. Hollo began to think that perhaps the intention which he was se- cretly entertaining, of stopping after school to see the bird's nest, might be cherishing iniquity in his heart. First he thought it was, then he thought it was not, because he was only going to stop a very little while. Then he recollected that his father had told him he must come directly home, and there- fore it must be wrong for him to stop at all. He tried to determine to go directly home, and thus give up the iniquity which was in his heart, but he could not quite determine. He wanted just to take one peep at the nest, and resolved to go home immediately after. He tried to satisfy himself with this, but he could not feel quite easy. While these thoughts were passing through his mind, and just as Miss Mary had finished her remarks, he happened to be looking to- wards Lucy, and he saw that she opened the lid of her desk a little way, and put her hand in. Presently she withdrew her hand very cautiously, and Hollo, watching her. observed that she had in it a little sprig from an apple tree, with a large, beautiful, spotted butterfly upon it. and threw it out of the window. All this happened just at the moment when the KOLLO AT SCHOOL. 19 scholars were reclining their heads forward upon %ieir desks, to listen to Miss Mary's morning prayer. Rollo did not understand what this all meant. The truth was that Lucy had found this great butterfly when coming to school, and had carefully put it in her desk, intending to take it out and look at it when the school was begun.' She knew that this was wrong, but had not thought much about it, until she heard Miss Mary's remarks, when she saw plainly that this plan of playing with the butterfly in school was iniquity in her heart, and was consequently a sin against God. Unlike Rollo, she determined to give it up immediately, and as she wanted very much that God should listen to her prayer, and take care of her, she thought she would take out the butterfly immediately and throw it out of the window, before the prayer should be begun. 1 said she threw the butterfly out of the window, but this is not exactly correct, for there was a gentle breeze blowing in at the window at that time, which prevented fhr sprig and the butterfly from going out. They iHl together upon the window sill, and the bu'terJy, frightened to see himself tossed about 18 HOLLO AT SCHOOL. (low across the room. Hollo began to think that perhaps the intention which he was se- cretly entertaining, of stopping after school to see the bird's nest, might be cherishing iniquity in his heart. First he thought it was. then he thought it was not, because he was only going to stop a very little while. Then he recollected that his father had told him he must come directly home, and there- fore it must be wrong for him to stop at all. He tried to determine to go directly home, and thus give up the iniquity which was in his heart, but he could not quite determine. He wanted just to take one peep at the nest, and resolved to go home immediately after. He tried to satisfy himself with this, but he could not feel quite easy. While these thoughts were passing through his mind, and just as Miss Mary had finished her remarks, he happened to be looking to- wards Lucy, and he saw that she opened the lid of her desk a little way, and put her hand in. Presently she withdrew her hand very cautiously, and Rollo. watching her. observed that she had in it a little sprig from an apple tree, with a large, beautiful, spotted butterfly upon it. and threw it out of the window. All this happened just at the moment when the KOLLO AT SCHOOL. 19 scholars were reclining their heads forward upon %eir desks, to listen to Miss Mary's morning prayer. Rollo did not understand what this all meant. The truth was that Lucy had found this great butterfly when coining to school, and had carefully put it in her desk, intending to take it out and look at it when the school was begun.' She knew that this was wrong, but had not thought much about it, until she heard Miss Mary's remarks, when she saw plainly that this plan of playing with the butterfly in school was iniquity in her heart, and was consequently a sin against God. Unlike Rollo, she determined to give it up immediately, and as she wanted very much that God should listen to her prayer, and take care of her, she thought she would take out the butterfly immediately and throw it out of the window, before the prayer should be begun. 1 said she threw the butterfly out of the window, but this is not exactly correct, for tli ere was a gentle breeze blowing in at the window at that time, which prevented thr sprig and the butterfly from going out. They f"li together upon the window sill, and the Lu#tcrJy, frightened to see himself tossed about 20 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. in this way, spread his broad wings and pre- pared to fly. All this happened in a moment. Lucy looked distressed and anxious. Rollo looked pleased to see such a beautiful butterfly. He touched Henry to make him look at it, and the other children, attracted by Hollo's movements, looked round, and saw the great butterfly as he was wafted in by the breeze, and floated fluttering through the air. IH a minute or two there was such a dis- turbance that Miss Mary was obliged to stop, and she looked up to see what was the cause. The butterfly lighted upon her table. The children laughed at first, but then suddenly looked sober again, expecting that Miss Mary would be very much displeased. But she did not look displeased. She looked just as usual. She thought (he children had done wrong, but she did not think they were very much to blame for having their attention diverted, when there was such a great spotted butter- fly flying about the room. "Poor thing!" said she; "we will not hurt him. I suppose he flew in at the win- dow : he did not know there was a school in here." So she held a piece of paper before him and the butterfly stepped upon it. Then she gave ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 21 him to one of the older children to be carried out. Lucy felt Very uneasy at having made so much trouble, and then she did not think it was right for her to let Miss Mary suppose the butterfly flew in of his own accord, when, in fact, she brought him in. So she carne pretty.soon, when she had a good opportunity, and explained it all to her. Miss Mary heard her story, and then told her to take her seat and go on with her lessons, and not trouble herself any more about it. In the mean time Rollo went on studying the lessons which Miss Mary had assigned him, and took care to be still and industrious. This was partly because he wished to be a good boy. and partly because he was some- what afraid among so many strangers. By and by there was a recess, and then the chil- dren played around among the trees, in the orchard, and enjoyed themselves very much. Henry led Rollo around behind the house, where they could see through the cracks of a high fence in to a large yard, where there were hen? and chickens, and ducks, and little gos- lings. Rollo and Henry looked through, and Rollo wanted to go around in and see them, but Henry told him they were not allowed to go to that side of the house without leave. 24 HOLLO AT SCHOOL. Here Rollo, in his turn, began to hang his head a little, and Lucy looked up considera- bly relieved. " But the butterfly did not go out of the window. The girl threw the sprig that he was upon, but it fell down upon the window sill." " What is the window sill?" said a little bright-eyed girl, who sat in front of Miss Mary, and was looking up to her very atten- tively. "It is that wooden piece that goes across the bottom of the window," said Miss Mary, pointing to it. " The butterfly," she continued, " lodged there and then flew back into the room, just at the commencement of prayers. Now 1 want you to consider whether this girl was to blame, or not, for this disturbance." The scholars gave various answers ; some said yes, and some said no. " There was a man once," continued Miss Mary, " wh%had two boys ; he told them not to play ball in the yard, for fear they should break the windows, but that they might play in the field. When his father went- away, one of the boys played in the yard, but did not happen to break any glass. The other HOLLO AT SCHOOL. 25 played in the field, as his father had allowed him ; but once, when he gave the ball a hard knock, it came over to the house, and broke a pane in one of the parlor sashes. When their father came home and heard how it was, he said that one of his boys had been very much to blame ; which do you think it was, the one who broke the glass, or the one who disobeyed his father?" "The one who disobeyed," said the chil- dren, "Yes," said Miss Mary, "and if he had broken a window, by playing in the yard, he would not have been any more guilty than he was without breaking it. So that when you do any thing wrong, you are to blame, whether any bad consequences come from it or not. If a bad boy throws a stone at another, he is just as much to blame if it does not hit him as he is if it does. If you go to a dan- gerous place where you are forbidden to go, you are just as much to blame if yon get back safely as you would be if you got hurt. If you stop to play coming to school, you are just as much to blame if you find school has not begun when you get here, as you would be if you were very tardy ; Don't you all think so?" * 3 26 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. "No, ma'am," said the little bright-eyed girl. " Why not?" said Miss Mary " Because if we are not tardy then there is no harm done." " Yes, there is great harm done. You do what you know is wrong ; you thus hurt your peace of mind, make yourselves un- happy, and make it easier for you to do wrong the next time ; you disobey your parents or your teacher, and offend Almighty God." The little girl was convinced and did not say another word. "Now," said Miss Mary, "to go back to the butterfly, the girl who brought him in determined to let him go again, to prevent his making any play or disturbance in school. But instead of this she unfortunately caused a great disturbance. Now was she to blame for this disturbance?" " No, ma'am." said all the children. " That is right, and I did not blame her at all. And now since I do not blame her for it at all, why do you suppose I have made all this talk about a butterfly?" The children looked at Miss Mary without answering. " It is to teach you several important truths. HOLLO AT SCHOOL. 27 Can any of you tell what truths I have beeg attempting to teach you by this conversation?'' The children hesitated. At length one said timidly, " We must not stop to play, coming to school." " We are not to blame if we break the windows accidentally," said another. "We must not bring playthings into school," said a third. " That is pretty well," said Miss Mary; " 1 see you understand what I have been say- ing, but perhaps I can express it better than you do." " When you do wrong, your guilt depends upon your hearts, your intentions, and your acts, and not upon the bad consequences that follow. When bad consequences follow, they do not make you guilty when you mean and do right ; and if they do not follow, that does not make you innocent when you mean and do wrong. 11 That is the main thing T have been en- deavoring to teach. The other things that the children mentioned are true also, and 1 hope you will remember them. Whenever you stop to play by the way, without leave, and whenever you bring any playthings se- cretly to school, you are doing wrong, and 28 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. that whether you get into any difficulty by it or not." When Miss Mary had said this, she struck a littlo bell gently, which was before her upon her table, and all the scholars rose and began to talk and put on their things. So Rollo knew that school was done. The girls and boys went out of the door, and walked along the path, two and three together, talking and laughing, and skipping along merrily. Rollo and Henry followed the rest ; they separated at the gate, and each went towards his own home. As Rollo walked along alone, the question at once came up in his mind whether he should just go and look at the bird's nest a moment or not. He saw now very clearly that it would be wrong; that even if he did not stop but a minute, so as to be only so little after the proper time that his mother should not notice it, still it would be wrong ; and even if he should run afterwards, so as to get home without being late at all, it would be wrong. And so he determined not to do any such thing. He determined to walk direct- ly by. Nest or no nest, eggs or no eggs, he determined to go directly by. And he didso. He walked directly home and went in, feel- ing innocent and happy. KOLLO AT SCHOOL. 29 This decision saved Rollo a great deal of trouble, for always after this he found it quite easy to go directly to school and back, and never got into trouble by loitering on the way. A great many boys and girls get gradually into the habit of stopping to play, in going to and from school, until at last their parents or teacher, after warning them and reproving them a great many times, are at length obliged to punish them ; and by this time the habit has become so confirmed that they suf- fer a great deal of trouble and sorrow before they are cured. Rollo had great reason to be thankful to Miss Mary for the instructions she gave him on his first day at her school. 3* 30 EOLLO AT SCHOOL. DOVEY. IN the afternoon Rollo went to school again, but before he went he asked his father if he might stop a few minutes on the way, coming home, and look at the bird's nest. His father said yes. Rollo went alone in the afternoon, for now he knew the way. He got there in good sea- son, and took his seat, with Henry by his side. He wrote in his writing book, and studied several lessons, though Miss Mary did not tell him exactly what classes he would be in. She told him that she should like to have him stop after school a few minutes, and she would talk to him about his studies. Accordingly, when school was dismissed, and the other children were going home, Rollo came and stood up by the side of Miss Mary's table. She was putting away her books and papers. Rollo stood quietly by her side, wait- ing until she should be ready to speak to him. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 31 k 'Well, Hollo," she said, at length, "how do you like the school?" " Very well indeed," said Rollo. " I have not put you into your classes yet," said she, " because I thought it would be well for you to have one day to learn how things go on in the school, so as to feel a little at home. What does your father wish to have you study?" "I don't know exactly," said Rollo; "I believe he does not want to have me to take a great many studies. " Do you know what studies he does wish to have you attend to?" said Miss Mary. "Not exactly," said Rollo. Miss Mary's table was on the opposite side of the room from the door, and as she sat at the table her face was turned towards the door ; and just as Rollo was trying to think what he had heard his father say about his studies, he observed that Miss Mary suddenly rose, look- ing towards the door. Rollo turned round and saw that there was a woman there lead- ing in a little girl by the hand. The woman was dressed plainly, and had a handkerchief drawn over her head instead of a bonnet. The girl was a very wild-looking little thing. She wore a coarse green gown, darned and 32 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. mended in various places. A small straw bonnet, a good deal out of shape, hung back from her head, and her hair was down over her eyes. The little girl pushed the hair back from her eyes with one hand, as she walked along into the room following her mother, who was drawing her in by the other. She seemed afraid to conie in, or at least very unwilling, from some cause or other. Miss Mary rose and was just going to speak to the woman, when, just as she got about half way across the room, the little girl seemed determined not to come any farther; she pulled her hand violently away from her mother and ran off out of the door. "Dovey!" said the woman, turning round suddenly and following her, " Dovey, here, come back ! Comeback, Dovey, this instant ! " While thus calling the girl back, the wo- man had followed her to the portico before the door. Dovey ran until she had got to a safe distance in the orchard, and then stopped and turned round and looked at her mother- " Dnvey !" said her mother again, standing in the portico, " 1 tell you to come directly to me." Dovey stood still looking at her mother, but made no answer. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 33 "Mind, this minute," said her mother, stamping with her foot. Dovey very coolly sat down on the grass and began to pick buttercups and dandelions. By this time Miss Mary had followed the woman out to the door, Rollo coming behind her. Miss Mary thought the girl could not have been very properly managed, or she would not thus disobey her mother. She however did not say so. She smiled and said, " Your little gfrl seems afraid, Mrs. Brome." Mrs. Brome turned first to Miss Mary and then to the girl, and looked excited and angry. "Afraid!" said she; "she is ugly. She is so wild and contrary, that I can't do any- thing with her. I was going to bring her to your school." Then she turned to Dovey again, and addressed her in a more soothing and pleasant tone. "Come, Dovey dear, that is a good girl; come now and see Miss Maiy ; come and I'll give you a piece of cake." "You have not got any cake," said Do- vey. "Yes I have," said she, "at home, and I'll give you some as soon as we get home." But Dovey knew, unfortunately, that there 34 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. was not a great deal of dependence to be placed upon such promises, and she did not move. "I think you had better walk in, Mrs. Brome," said Miss Mary, "and sit down: perhaps she will come in by and by." " No she won't," said the woman. Then turning round again towards Dovey, she stepped out from the door, and began to move towards her. with a very resolute air; but Dovey was upon her feet in an instant, and began to skip backwards with a lightness and agility which showed at once that all pursuit would be fruitless. Miss Mary then repeated her request that Mrs. Drome- won Id come in, and she said she would contrive some way to get Dovey in by and by. They accordingly walked into the school- room, and sat down, and Mrs. Brome began to tell about Dovey. She said that she was heedless, wild, and disobedient, and that she wanted Miss Mary to take her into her school, and see if she could not make a good girl of her." All this time Rollo sat at the window looking out. Presently he saw Dovey beck- oning to him to come out there. Rollo looked up to Miss Mary. "Yes," said Miss Mary, "you may go out ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 35 if you would like to. You can show Dovey where she can look through the fence and see the chickens." Rollo went to the door, and just as he WAS going out, Miss Mary told him that if Dovey wanted to look over the fence, she might come and help him carry a chair out, from the school-room. When Rollo had -gone, Mrs. Brome arid Miss Mary talked more about Dovey. " When do you want her to begin?" said Miss Mary. . " To-morrow morning ; but then I don't see how I shall make her come to school." " Won't she come if you tell her to?' 5 " No, she don't mind me at all. She plagues me almost to death," said the woman, with a deep sigh. " Se^ms to me," said Miss Mary, " that her name does not correspond with her cha- racter very well. 1 never heard the name Dovey before." " No," said the woman. " I made that name for her, when she was a baby ; she was such a sweet, beautiful baby. But it is all altered now." A few minutes after this Rollo came gently in at the door, and told Miss Mary that they should like to take tlie chair. 3f> ROLLO AT SCHOOL. u Where is Dovey?" said Miss Mary " She is just out here, by the door," said Rollo. Mrs. Brome was going to jump up and go right out to bring her in, but Miss Mary told her she had better sit still, and let her alone at present. Then Miss Mary took a chair and carried it out to the portico, and said, u Here, Dovey, you can take hold here, at the legs, and Rollo at the other side, and so you can carry it very easily." Dovey looked a little shy, but she carne up at lengtii cautiously and took hold of the chair ; and she and Rollo carried it along. Miss Mary walked along with them a step or two, and asked them if they would be kind enough to count the turkeys in the yard, and tell her how many there were, so that she could tell whether they were all safe. " How many ought there to be?" said Do- vey. " Four," said Miss Mary. Then Miss Mary returned to the school- room, to continue her conversation with Mrs. Brome, while the two children hurried along to count the turkoys. After some time the children saw Miss Mary coming out towards them, and as Do- ROLLO AT SCHOOL. vey was now not afraid of her, she did not run away. As soon as Miss Mary came near, she said, " Come, children, now you may carry in the chair, and put it in the school-room. Uovey, your mother has gone home, but she says you are coming to my school to-morrow, and I am glad of it. If you will come early to- morrow morning, 1 will let you go with me and feed the turkeys." " Yes, ma'am," said Dovey, "they are all here, all four of them." " And, Rollo," said Miss Mary, as she fol- lowed them along towards the school-room, "it is time for you to go home: you can ask your father what studies he wishes you to take and tell me to-morrow." So Hollo and Dovey put away the chair, arid then each went home. Rollo thought that, as he had been already detained some time, he had better not stop to see the bird's nest, but put it off till the next day. Dovey did not refuse to come the next morning, as her mother had feared; she wanted to help feed the turketys. In fact that was Miss Mary's secret plan in telling her about the turkeys. Miss Mary kept her promise about letting her feed them, and then 4 38 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. led her into the school-room. Some of the scholars had come already, and were seated at their desks, in various parts of the room, preparing their lessons. Miss Mary went up to her table, and took her seat. Dovey threw her bonnet down upon the floor and followed. "Oh, Dovey," said Miss Mary, "you must not throw your bonnet down there. There is a nail for you ; you may hang it upon that." Dovey went back and took up her bonnet and put it upon the nail, and then came back to Miss Mary's table. " Tell me the whole of your name," said Miss Mary, laying down at the same time a penknife, with which she had been sharpen- ing a pen. " Dovey Brome," replied the new scholar, taking up the knife, at the same time begin- ning to cut the table with it. "You must not touch the knife, Dovey," said Miss Mary, and she gently took it out of her hand, and laid it down again. " How old are you, Dovey?" she asked again, after having written down her name. " I shall be eleven next June." "It is June now," said Miss Mary; "do you mean June of this year or of next year." " The next year." EOLLO AT SCHOOL. 39 u Then you are ten now?" " Yes," said Dovey, " a few days ago." Miss Mary smiled a little, but Dovey did not know what for. She leaned her elbows upon the table, and put her cheeks in her hands, and then, a moment after, she took a pen out of the inkstand before her, and began to mark upon the back of her hand. "Why, Dovey," said Miss Mary, as soon as she looked up and saw her, " what are you doing? See how you have inked your hand." "Stop, stop," she said again sud- denly when she saw that Dovey was going to wipe her hand upon her gown ; but it was too late. The thing was done in an instant, and the ink stain was spread equally over her hand and her dress. Miss Mary looked at her a moment in silence, and thought that she probably had a very hard task before her, to cure that girl of all her faults. She, however, said nothing to her, but presently asked one of the older scholars to go out and show Dovey the way to the pump, and let her wash her hand as well as she could, and then to come in with her. Miss Mary thought it would be hardly safe for her to sit with any of the other scholars, 40 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. and so she gave her a seat by herself, and Dovey was just going to it, when Rollo came in. Miss Mary asked her where her books were. She said she had brought them in a great green satchel, but did not know where she had put it. Rollo said he believed he saw- it out in the orchard, and he went out to show Dovey where. She then remembered that she threw it down there, when she came in the morning. She took it up and walked along with Rollo, tossing her bag of books along before her upon the grass, and then pick- ing it up as she came to it. Rollo asked her if she was not afraid she should hurt her books, but she said she did not care. At length she came into the room, and was bringing her bag along, when Rollo, who came behind her, said, "Dovey, what's that?" pointing down to the floor. It was a drop of ink coming from her bag, " I expect you have broken your inkstand," said Rollo. Dovey looked careless and unconcerned, but said nothing. Miss Mary, who had come to the place, asked Rollo if he would carry the bag to the door, and take all the books out carefully, and see. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 41 Miss Mary had observed that Rollo was a very neat, careful boy, and so she entrusted him with this business. She told him not to touch the pieces of the inkstand, if it was broken, but to come and tell her. She let Dovey go out with him, but told her that she must not touch the bag, but must let Rollo do it all alone, unless he should want her to help him. So Rollo carried the bag out very carefully. Several other boys who were there wanted to go and do it, but Miss Mary had most confi- dence in Rollo, as a careful and tidy boy, and Rollo was very glad that he had taken pains to be neat and careful, so as to acquire such a character. He took the bag out upon the grass, and asked Dovey to hold it open for him. He then looked in, and carefully took out one book after another, and at last, when he got near the bottom of the bag, he asked Dovey what that was done up in a paper. " I expect it is my gingerbread," said Do- vey. Rollo then put in his hand and carefully drew out a small parcel wrapped up in a newspaper. He unrolled it slowly, and took out a piece of gingerbread, half soaked iu 6* 4* 42 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. ink. '-' You must not touch it, Dovey," said he, and he laid it down upon the grass. " No, the inkstand is not broken, only the stopper has come out," saidRollo again, look- ing down into the bag, as Dovey held it open. "How shall we get it?" " Put your hand in and take it right out," said Dovey. " Here, I will." "No, no," said Rollo, "it is all inky." " Turn the bag bottom upwards, and let it fall out," said one of the children, who was standing by, looking on. Rollo accordingly laid the bag down upon the grass, and took hold of the two corners, at the bottom, where it was not inked, and lifted it up. A strong round glass inkstand, wet inside and out with ink, fell out; and immediately after, a stopper, with a piece of brown paper wrapped around it, all completely blackened and wet. ' : There," saidRollo, tossing the bag dowa upon the grass, and looking carefully at all his fingers. " There, I have got them all out, and have not inked my ringers in the least." Just then, the children heard a bell ring in the school-room, which they knew wa c to call them all in. 'Oh dear," said Rollo, "what shall Idol ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 43 here are all the books and things lying on the grass, arid now the bell is ringing." The children were all walking away, and one of them looked round and said he had better leave them and come in directly. So Hollo walked along, Dovey following him. He went into the school-room, and walked up to Miss Mary's table, and told her that he had taken the things all out of the bag, and they 'were all scattered about upon the grass. " Let me look at your fingers," said Miss Mary. Rollo held his hand up. ' Very well," said Miss Mary. " After the school is opened you may go and, get the books that are not inked and bring them in, and put them upon Dovey's desk." Miss Mary read the Bible and offered prayer, and then she went out and brought in a desk which was not so handsome as the others in the room. It was old and unpainted. She placed a chair behind it, and led Dovey to it, telling her that that would be her seat for the present. "I shall give you a prettier seat by and by," she added, "if yon are a good girl." But Dovey did not seem much inclined to be a good girl. She was restless, noisy, and id)e. She tumbled all her books into 44 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. her desk in confusion, and when she wanted any one, she pushed them about until she found it. She had a trick of sitting with her chair tipped forward on its two front legs, and once she leaned forward so far, that they slip- ped back, and she came down upon the floor, with a great deal of noise. At this the scholars all laughed, and she looked very much ashamed; and for a few minutes after this she was quiet, but she soon forgot it, and was tipping her chair forward as before. Now it happened that her seat was not very far from Henry's, the boy who sat next to Rollo; and she tried to make him play. Henry was rather disposed to be a good boy, but he could not help laughing at the droll faces she made up at him. At last Dovey snapped a paper ball at him, and he picked it up and snapped it back at her. Miss Mary was all this time at the other side of the room, and Henry looked up every moment to see whether she was looking at them, and he thought she was not. But he was mistaken. Miss Mary saw the whole. It very often happens, when boys and girls lire at play at school, that the teacher knows all about it, while they do not suppose she is looking at them at all. Henry once looked HOLLO AT SUHOOL. 45 rcand to Rollo, to get him to sec what Dovey was doing, but Rollo shook his head and went on with a sum which he was doing upon his slate. Miss Mary saw all this, and was very glad to observe that Rollo was a good, faithful boy, and she was sorry to see Henry doing so wrong. But she said nothing then. Henry felt guilty and unhappy, and pretty soon began to study again. At length the time for recess arrived, and when they got out into the orchard, some of the children proposed to go down to the spring and get a drink. " You go in, Henry, and ask Miss Mary if we may," said one. Now this spring was down in a cool, shady glen, where the water came boiling up among some rocks in a very beautiful manner; and sometimes, when the day was warm, the children used to go down there with a tin dipper, to sit on the stones around the spring, and drink the cool water. In such cases they were required to walk down slowly and quietly, and one of the boys was gene- rally appointed dipper-master. It was the duty of the dipper-master to go into the kitchen of the house and borrow the dipper. Then he was to walk along with the others. '..O ROLLO AT SCHOOL. and when they got to the spring, he was to dip up the water, and hand it round to the others ; or he was to let them take the dip- per themselves, if he chose, by turns ; but it must be as he should direct. This was to avoid all disputes and disorder. Then it was his business, too, to see to it that the dipper was brought up and carried back safely into the kitchen. So Henry and Rollo and several of the orner children went in and asked Miss Mary if she was willing that they should go down to the spring. Miss. Mary consented, and appointed Henry the dipper-master. Then away they went, and while Henry went to borrow the dipper, the rest waited at the door. In a few minutes they were all walking along, Henry with his dipper at the head, out through a back gate which led behind the gar- den. Herd they came to a little wood, with a narrow path leading into it. Rollo was next to Henry, then "one or two other girls, and at last came Dovey. She did not set out with them at first ; she said she did not want to go ; she could get water enough at the pump ; but when she saw them all walking off so pleasantly together, she ran after them, swinging her bonnet round and round her ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 49 finger by one of the strings. At length the string broke and the bonnet flew out upon the grass but Dovey left it and ran on. So it happened that when they got to the spring she was last. Henry dipped up some water an/1 gave it to Hollo. Hollo handed it along to one of the girls, and she drank some. While she was drinking, Dovey came up and took hold of the dipper, and said, " Let me taste of it.' "No," said Henry, coming up; "I am dipper-master." "I don't care for that," said Dovey; "I want to drink." "No," said Henry, taking hold of the other side of the dipper. " Let go ! " said Dovey, stamping with her foot. "Let her have it, Henry; / would," said Rollo. The reason why Rollo advised Henry to let her have it was, that his father and mother had always taught him never to attempt to do any thing by violence, and never to resist violence from another. Henry accordingly let go of the dipper, though he did it very reluc- tantly, saying. c 5 60 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. " Why, Miss Mary said I might be dipper- master. You have no right to take it away," said he to Dovey, who went on drinking, and eyeing Henry over the edge of the dipper. "Yes I have," said Dovey, stopping to take breath. " I have a right to drink when- ever I have got a mind to." She then drank a little again. " You said just now, before we came down, that you did not want any water/' said one of the girls gently. "Well, there, take your water," said Dovey; and she threw what was left in the dipper over the children, and turned round and ran, carrying the dipper away with her. The children cried, "Oh what a shame," and brushed the water off of each other's clothes, and wiped their faces. Then they began to walk slowly towards the house, and when they came out of the woods they saw Dovey swinging upon the back gate with the dipper in her hand. "There! she is swinging upon the gate," said one of the girls. " Perhaps, however," said Lucy, " she does not know it is against the rule." 'Dovey," said Henry, aloud, as soon as they got within hearing, " give me the dipper ; I must carry it back into the kitchen." ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 51 Dovey did not answer ; she went on swing- ing back and forth upon the gate. ' Come, Dovey, give it to me." repeated Henry, holding out his hand and advancing towards her. But Dovey was, unfortunately, not one of those girls who easily give up when they are doing wrong. She jumped off of the gate, passed through, and then shut and fastened it, with the hasp, and held it, as if she was not going to let them come through. Just then the bell rang for the end of the re- cess ; and the children began to be very uneasy. One very little girl began to cry. Lucy told her not to cry, for she said that Miss Mary would not blame them for being late, when she knew all about it. " But how shall we get back at all ? " said the little girl. " Oh, Miss Mary will come down pretty soon, to see where we are," said Lucy. As soon as Dovey heard this, she knew that it would not be safe for her to stay there any longer, so she let go of the gate, threw the dipper away over into the garden as far as she could throw it, and ran off towards the school-room. The children then unfastened the gate, and all passed through and walked along. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. They stopped a minute while Rollo picked up Dovey's bonnet, which was lying by the side of the path, upon the grass, and then they all went into the school-room. EOLLO AT SCHOOL. 53 DOVEYISM. THAT is, they all went into the school-room except Dovey herself. She knew that she had done very wrong, and was afraid to go back. So she ran off home. Miss Mary perceived that there had been some difficulty, but she made no inquiry about it at first, and the children did not wish to make complaints of Dovey, and so they all went to their seats and said nothing. Henry was somewhat at a loss to know what he must do about the dipper. It was his duty to bring it safely back, and as it had been thrown over the garden fence, where he could not get it, he thought he ought to go and tell Miss Mary. He accordingly went to her table, and said, in a low voice, that he had not brought back the dipper. " Where fs it?" said Miss Mary. " It is over in the garden." " How came it over there?" "Dovey threw it over." "Where is Dovey?" 1 ' I believe she has gone home."" 5* 64 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. " Very well," said Miss Mary, after a mo- ment's pause; "you may go out and get it. You may ask any one you please to go out with you and help you find it." Henry asked Hollo to go with him. They went out through the front gate, into the road before the house, and thence into the yard on the other side. They saw a great many things which attracted their attention, but they did not stop to look at them. A large boy was coming across the yard with a wheelbarrow. He called out to them in a rough voice to go back ; but when they told him that Miss Mary sent them, he said, " Oh, very well." In the garden there were a great many very pleasant walks, and trees, and flowers. At first they did not know where to look for the dip- per : but presently went and peeped through the fence to see where Dovey stood when she threw it, and then they knew in what direc- tion they must look. At last they found it in the midst of some currant bushes. " How I should like to stay here a little while." said Henry, as they walked along the alley towards the house. "Yes," said Rollo, "if we only had leave." " Perhaps Miss Mary will let us come in here some time," said Henry. ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 55 When they reached the house, Henry went in and returned the dipper to its place, and then he and Rollo went back to school. Miss Mary rang the bell for the children to put away their books earlier than usual that afternoon, and then, when the room was still, she said to the children that she believed that there was some difficulty in the recess, and she asked that if any of them were willing to tell her freely all about it, they would hold up their hands. All the children who went down to the spring then held up their hands. "I am glad to see that you are willing," said Miss Mary, looking around upon them all ; " and now I don't know who to call upon, for there are very few children who know how to tell such a story properly. It is very hard." "Is it?" said a little boy on a front seat. "Yes," said Miss Mary, "very hard, as we shall see. Francis, you may try ; but remember, I want an honest and an impartial account." Francis was on the whole a pretty good boy, but he was very much displeased with Dovey, and Miss Mary saw very plainly, by his manner of telling the story, that he was 56 ROLLO AT SCHOOL. not by any means impartial. He stated the facts pretty correctly, but he seemed very eager to throw all the blame upon Dovey, and it happened in this case that she deserved it. Still it would have been better for him to have related the occurrence m a more calm and quiet manner. When he concluded, Miss Mary asked Rollo to tell the story, and he did so. His account agreed very fully with Francis's. Then Miss Mary asked the children if they all thought that these two accounts were correct and fair accounts, and they all held up their hands, meaning that they did. After a short pause, Miss Mary addressed the scholars thus : " I am sorry that Dovey is not here, for I make it a rule never to decide against children until I hear what they have to say them- selves. We will wait, therefore, until to-mor- row, and then I will ask Dovey for her ac- count of the affair." The children all thought that this was un- necessary forbearance ; though they made no objection to waiting. After school, however, they came around Miss Mary's table, and began to talk about it again. "Miss Mary," said Henry, "I wish you ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 57 would send Dovey away from school. She spoils all our play." "She is so cross and selfish," said Fran- cis. "And then she plays in school," said Hollo. "Yes," said Henry, "she tried to make me play to-day." " And she has been marking all over her desk," said a little girl, who happened to sit near her. "Where?" said Miss Mary. The children went to Dovey's desk, and Miss Mary followed. The little girl lifted up the lid, and Miss Mary saw a number of rude marks and drawings on the lid inside. The books were all tumbled in in confusion, and crumbs of gingerbread were scattered about the bottom of the desk. In one corner was a paper box, which she had made ; there were flies buzzing in it, which she had caught and imprisoned there. Miss Mary looked at all these things, but said nothing, and presently walked back to her table again. "Well, children, we will not talk any more about Dovey to-night ; I will considel what to do to-morrow, after I have seen her b ROLLO AT SCHOOL. But 1 am in hopes that her coming to school will be the means of doing a great deal of good." " Good ! " said several of the children with much surprise ; " what good ?" "In showing you how bad such character and conduct is, when it is fully developed ; and thus leading you to avoid it." " Why, Miss Mary," said a little girl, " we are not like Dovey." " Not so bad as Dovey, any of you, but still there was a good deal of Doveyism in the school before she came." The children looked at one another with a smile ; many of them did not know exactly what Miss Mary meant. " Now, for example, one trait in such a character as Dovey's is disorder. Now if I were to go all about the room, and look into every desk, and examine the condition of them, I think I should find considerable Do- veyism." Miss Mary smiled pleasantly as she said this, and the children proposed that she should go around and see. She said she would look at the desks of those who were present, and they accordingly all walked along together. They came first to Henry's desk, ROLLO AT SCHOOL. 59 and upon opening it they found that it ap- peared in pretty good order, but there were a good many crumbs upon the bottom of it, and Miss Mary reached her hand into one. of the back corners and lifted up a slate, and found under it a pile of small books, old pa- pers, pens,