, ^ ^ ^ ^ ^-^ .X ^OJIIVD-JO^ ^OJIIVO-JO^ .OFCALIFOfiV ^OF-CAIIFO/?^ - ^.^ ^~ %uwvsm^ ^a^AiNa; .AWE-UNIVERJ/A ^clOS-ANCEl *- S^-j+tiafr !inv> A\\E-UNIVER^ g^n^^l if ^' s -^' ^ p S01* x s *. f * c ^ I 3 I *- "fr/WHAIM I ^ l ? I/ y ^TT^i i ,;;:,., n'S,:,:, " Immediately shutting the door upon her, Willie stood alone with liis infuriated father." p 84. WIN AND WEAR NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, Ho. 680 BROADWAY. 1867. Entered according to Act ot Congress, in the year 1860, by ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District ol New York. EDWARD O. JENKINS, printer * Stettotgpr, CONTENTS. L-THE BIVAL8, 6 IL WILLIE'S HOME, 90 IIL THE EXAMINATION, 48 IV. PLANS FOR WILLIE, 66 V. THE MILL, 88 VI. JERRY, 108 VIL-LATIN GRAMMAR 124 VIIL-THE OLD TRUNK, 146 IX. THE BEAN-FIELD, 160 X. THE DISAPPOINTMENT, ITT XL THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR 194 XII. TRIALS 21T XIIL SICKNESS AND DEATH, 248 XIV. THE CONCLUSION, 887 WIN AND WEAR I. IN the crowded school-room of the of Belden's Falls, a class of boys was called out to recite. The clock from the steeple of the church just by had long since struck the hour of eleven, and the care- less, indolent way in which the scholars at their desks were turning over their dog- eared leaves, showed that their attention and interest were much more riveted upon that same steeple than upon their books. Even the class under the eye of a strict teacher, were more intent upon the expected chimes, than upon their recitation, when the attention of all " 1* (6) 6 WIN AND WEAR. was suddenly arrested by a trial of skill be- tween two of the boys. It was reciting the Rules of Syntax, from beginning to end, without misplacing or missing a single word. * The combatants were James Ashton, and Willie Sumner. James was a large, well- dressed boy of twelve. Willie was ten, quite small, and his patched clothes told both of neatness and poverty. James had dark eyes and crisp black hair, curling all over his head. He had very red cheeks, and a pleasant, frank, intelligent look, which made every one call him a handsome boy. Willie had eyes blue as the summer sky, and almost as deep ; light brown hair which scarcely waved over his forehead ; and a thin, pale face, reminding one forcibly of some of those sweet angels which float halfway between heaven and earth, in many of the pictures of the Madonna. James was the largest, and Willie the smallest boy in the class ; this made the contest more noticeable. THE RIVALS. 7 There was to be a public examination in three weeks : this grammar lesson was the first of the reviews, and both the teacher and pupils were desirous that a good beginning should ensure a good ending. Every boy but James and Willie had failed already, but neither of these had so far missed one word. As they proceeded with their prompt and correct an- swers, the scene became very exciting you could have heard a pin drop. The children's eyes followed the boys' voices, as if they con- tained a spell, and gradually flushed faces, and eager, half-parted lips, told of the intense sym- pathy which exists in the child world. " Twenty- first Rule, James ! " said the teacher, Mr. Lane, in a voice scarcely less excited than James's own. This rule had always been a difficult one to James. He had spent more time in commit- ting it than on all the others, but when he closed his book and tried to repeat it, the words would get misplaced. He did not understand, 8 WIN AND WEAR. and had no clue by which to connect it. So " the relations, connections, and depend- encies intended/' arranged themselves accord- ing to any " but the best usages of language." As soon as his fears were realized, and he found the rule had been given him, he became confused, his eyes wandered quickly from Mr. Lane to Willie, and then back again, and the color rushed into his face. Mr. Lane saw the trouble at once, and with the wish of helping him, said over again, slowly, " The Twenty-first General Rule." " The different parts of a sentence," began James, " should be made to harmonize with each other, and should be so constructed" several hands were raised at once ; James stopped he knew that he had missed. " You have recited so finely," said Mr. Lane, " that you have deserved another trial ; Veep cool, and begin again." James hesitated. " Yes! yes ! " said a num- ber of voices at once, " begin again it's fair." THE RIVALS. 9 "No, it is not fair," said James, stoutly ; " I missed as much as the other boys have, and I had rather not go on." " You must go ahead 1 " shouted the boys. " Silence, boys ! " said Mr. Lane. " James has missed. I think he is perfectly right and noble in his choice. Willie, can you repeat it?" "Yes, sir," said Willie, hanging his head. " Repeat it, then." " I should rather begin here to-morrow, if you please, Mr. Lane," answered Willie. " No, no, noiv" said the boys ; the sense of justice fast succeeding their former generosity. " I should prefer you would recite it to-day," said Mr. Lane, gently. Willie immediately obeyed, and repeated it without a mistake. " Now, boys," said Mr. Lane, addressing the class, "you may take your choice. Willie shall, if he is willing I will not compel him to it go on and finish these rules alone, or 10 WIN AND WEAR. wait until to-morrow, and try again with James." " To-day ! to-day ! " answered the class. " Willie, what do you say ? " continued Mr. Lane. " By going on to-day, you run the risk of a failure ; but it will be more fair to James. By stopping now, you will have a chance to review. You may do as you please." " I will go on if you wish,'' said Willie. " No, I do not ivisli. You shall do as you please. This is only fair to you." " I will go on." The school-room was again still. The chil- dren listened with almost breathless interest, as the soft, low tones of Willie's voice suc- ceeded, without pause or hesitation, to the number of the rule called for by Mr. Lane ; and when the last word of the last rule was said, the boys clapped and stamped, as if at pome funny exhibition. To his great credit be it told, that no one exhibited truer pleasure than James. Mr. Lane glanced from him to THE RIVALS. . 11 Willie with an expression of greater satisfac- tion than had been called forth even by the perfect recitation. " They are noble boys," he thought ; " God help me to make men of them 1" Twelve long loud strokes had that belfry bell sent forth, but not a child in school had noticed them. They were therefore not a little surprised when, with a word of apology for having detained them beyond school-hours they were dismissed. What a noisy set they were ! as, having all quietly passed the threshold, they broke forth into the expression of their pent-up feelings. " Hurra for Willie Sumner ! Three cheers for Billy ! Wells' Grammar for ever ! and the everlasting rules of syntax! Here's to the nominative, possessive, and objective, and Willie ! Willie ! Three cheers for the young grammarian! Willie Wells for ever!" "A new name ! a name ! " shouted the girls, in shriller tones than the boys ; " Willie Wells ; not Willie Sumner any longer ! " 12 WIN AND WEAR. Poor little Willie 1 It was a ckar, cold win- ter morning. The snow lay white and deep, all orcr the ground. The long, pendent icicles from the roof of the school-house, over their heads, told that it had been long since the sun had exerted the power of his warm beams ; and the child had left the hot school-room, shivering with excitement. Now the piercing air seemed as if it struck through his thin garment with actual blows ; and, amid the general glee and excitement, he stood pale, trembling, and silent. " Let us take the largest sled, and all tackle on for horses, and drag Willie home," pro- posed a stout, stupid boy, who could only com prehend that a lesson had been recited which, for some reason, had given pleasure. " Agreed ! agreed ! James Ashton's sled is the best one. Come I hand on, Jem." " All ready," answered James, as he drew his sled directly in front of Willie. " Step on, Willie ; we can't chair you, as they do the boya in Eton ; but we will sled you." THE RIVALS. 13 Willie stepped back. " I had rather walk, thank you, James," he said. " I will help draw you ; jump on yourself." " No, no ! Willie Wells or no one," said the authoritative voice of Young America. " Then no one," said James, who saw how pale and cold Willie was. " Let us change our fun, and try a coast. Willie can beat at gram- mar ; see who will beat at sliding. Here, sir ! " he continued, addressing Willie, " if you won't ride, catch hold and draw. Whoever reaches Brown's hill first, is the best fellow." Boys, like men, follow a leader without ques- tion or comment ; so away the whole crowd started, some few only stopping to seat their favorite little girls upon their sleds. Other boys could beat our young students at play, if not at work ; so it happened that James and Willie were not the " best fellows," but came last to the hill. Perhaps they stopped to talk upon the road ; perhaps James, with his intuitive delicacy, saw that the quick-breath- 2 14 WIN AND WEAR. ing and trembling boy that held the rope with him had exhausted what little physical strength he had. At any rate, he seemed to have be- come the protector of his rival, and to care for him almost as if he had been the pretty sister of whom he was so fond, and whose clear, sil- very laugh he could hear now, over and above that of all the other noisy group. " There, Willie," he said, as they reached the liill, " you take my sled, and give Lina a ride ; I am going down with little Tom Perkins ; he has got a fast team there, and the hill is too steep for him alone : he will break his neck as sure as he tries it. Lina ! Lina ! " he called to his sister, " come ! Willie Sumner is going to draw you ; make haste." Lina set her small tin-pail, which had con- tained her dinner, but was emptied at recess, down upon the snow, and, quite conscious of being the envy of the girls, as she was to ride with the hero of the day, lost no time in seat- ing herself upon the sled behind Willie. THE RIVALS. 15 "Put your arms around me, and hold on tight," whispered Willie ; " for we shall go like split." Lina obeyed silently. If the truth must be told, she had a slight feeling of awe as she approached the boy who had been victorious over James. James was so smart and so good, everybody her father and mother and everybody else said so ; what sort of a being must he be who was better than James ? She looked earnestly into Willie's face. The boy saw that she was troubled, and whispered again, " Lina, I would have missed when James did, but I couldn't, you see, without doing what was not true. I am sorry, very sorry ; indeed, you can't tell how badly I feel about it." " James don't though," said Lina, looking at her brother ; " he seems just as if he was glad you had beaten him." " That is what troubles me most ; he is so generous and good, that he ought to be first in every thing." 16 WIN AND WEAR. " I love him best/ 7 said Lina, simply. " So do I," answered Willie, the tears com- ing into his eyes. " He is what I call a first- rate fellow. I believe," he continued, lowering his voice still more, " he is like George Wash- ington when he was a boy. Don't you ? " " Yes, or like Jesus when he went up to the temple," added Lina, in the same tone. " Oh ! no, Lina, not like Jesus, for he was a sinless child, you know." " So is James ; he never does what mother tells him not to." "But Jesus was was different, I am very sure ; though I do love James dearly." " Well, then," said Lina, " say George Wi sh- ington, though he cut his father's fruit-tree once with his little hatchet ; and that I am sure James would not do." Their further conversation was interrupted by the starting of the sled. Away it flew as if it were in close and intimate communion with its precious freight, and bounded over the THE RIVALS. 17 glassy surface instinct with the life and joy of the young hearts who gave to it so warm a portion of their fresh, beating love. Beautiful " Snowbird ! " it seemed to be bearing these children on its outspread wings, skimming along as gracefully as if it was in another and lighter element, and was in reality the very bird for whom it was named. James passed them on their way down. He could only smile and nod, for he was holding fast on to little Tommy, and guiding his some- what erratic " Comet," while with a skilful toucli of his foot he sent the slight craft on, on, until it passed every competitor, and came first to the piece of ice which formed the goal. " Comet " always " beat " when James was upon it " Can't you get there next time as soon as James," whispered Lina, as if half ashamed of the request " No," said Willie, in the same tone" Comet is faster than Snowbird, and James is stronger 18 WIN AND WEAR. and can steer better than I ; but I will take Tom here and you shall go on Comet next time." " I had rather stay here," said Lina, blushing : " I like Snowbird best. It is the prettiest name, don't you think so ? ' A noble action, though it may not be pointed out, or recognized in words, will always exert a strong and active influence. No one had said, " James Ashton is a generous, noble boy. See, he has risen above all envy or jealousy, he re- joices in .the success of his rival ;" but the boys all /eft it. They knew that they had that day been taught a lesson, more impressively than by any other way. There was not one among them, who would not have blushed to have done anything mean or unkind : the whole tone of feeling and action was elevated, by the goodness and kindness of their handsome play- fellow ; and as time after time they watched his little sled shoot first upon the opposite bank, they cheered and clapped him with as THE RIVALS. 19 much enthusiasm as they had, a half hour be- fore, the successful grammarian. Boys are quick to see and acknowledge merit, whether of the head or heart. There is no class of beiugs in the world, who more fully concur in the justice and truth of the old adagfy Win and Wear. n. IT is not at all improbable that many mothers in Belden's Falls looked up and down the street several times for the truant children, whose dinner was waiting for them, before they made their appearance, and it would be quite amusing if we could know the different ways in which they were received ; but as we cannot, we must be content to follow Willie, as, having left Lina and the sled at James Ashton's door, he turned off the main street to the lane leading to his father's house. The house was quite out of the village, a small, one story brown house, without a single thing to give it a homelike, or com- fortable look. It had no yard, no barn or woodshed, no neat wood-pile. An old oak tree threw out its bare brawny arms over it, (20) WILLIE'S HOME. 21 us if it would fain do its best to shelter and protect it ; and the cheerful snow piled itself up warmly and snugly above the loose foun- dation stones, crept even to the low bedroom window, and laid its white cheek against the cracked panes. A feeble blue flame curled up from the leaning chimney ; it was very pale and flickering, and, as Willie's eye first fell upon it, with his mind and nerves in a state of unnatural excitement, he could not but think how much it seemed like his own life, anxious to ascend, yet faint, and falling back. " But see," he said aloud, " it does not fall to the ground ; it only sinks a little, spreads out, and rises again : so can I, I will not be discouraged ; down , down, but up , up, again." Willie stop- ped: a sound came from the house, low, in- distinct at first, like that of an animal who was growling preparatory to a spring, but in- creasing rapidly into a yell, at once human, and yet so inhuman, that no one unaccustomed to it could have imagined from what it could 22 WIN vND WEAR. have come. Willie knew it well it was the shriek uttered by his little deaf and dumb sister, when angry, or suffering. He quickened his steps : there came another and another scream. Hastily pushing open the door, the boy's eyes fell upon a scene which, to the latest hour of his life, he will never forget. He seemed to take it all in, and comprehend it, at his first glance. In the middle of the room his father stood, holding by her arm the deaf and dumb child, now shaking her violently, and now striking her with a large knotty stick which he had caught up from the pile of wood by the stove. Lotty, the child, writhed and shrieked between each blow, and the blood began to crimson her neck and hands as Willie entered. His mother was hurrying with the baby and his two years old brother out of the side door, to summon that assistance which she knew full well she was unable to give. A broken jug with its spilled contents told the whole story. Lotty WILLIE'S HOME. 23 had unfortunately broken the article ; her father had already taken too much of its con- tents, and now was following the penalty. " Let her alone, father ! " said Willie, at- tempting to step between them. The child recognized him with a cry of joy, and held out her little bleeding hands towards him. " Let Lotty alone, father 1 " repeated Willie, more boldly, catching the stick as it waa falling, and endeavoring to wrest it away. " Out of the way," said his father, aiming at him the blow intended for Lotty. " Stop, father ! stop, or beat me, if you must any one." " Beat you ! that I will till I have pummelled you to powder." Still keeping tight hold of Lotty, the intoxicated father reeled after Willie, who, by a series of dexterous dodges not only escaped the blows, but drew his father nearer the door. Opening it, he pointed out of it to Lotty, and making a sudden and vigorous leap upon the arm by which she was held, he sue- 24 WIN AND WEAR. ceeded in loosening it, and the child sprang away. Immediately shutting the door upon her, Willie stood alone with his infuriated father, and for one instant the thought of sudden death flashed across him. " God help me, and keep me for my mother's sake," prayed the boy silently ; and as the thought passed through his mind, a heavy blow almost deprived him of sense. For a moment he was unconscious of what was passing around him. When lie recovered, his father was sitting down in a chair, the stick had dropped from his hand, and he was gazing sullenly at him. The force of that last blow had partially sobered him, or God had spoken to him in one of those flashes of reason, which some- times come athwart the bewildered mind. He saw blood he knew it was from his son's head ; and he knew further, that in some way he had been the cause of it. Poor man ! he had " put an enemy into his mouth to steal away his Drains ;" he had no power of knowing exactly WILLIE'S HOME. 25 what had taken place any more than the stick of wood which had fallen from hia hand ; he looked as vacantly at his own child, as if he had never known him ; he was not sufficiently conscious to be then sorry for what he had done. Willie moved softly to the fire ; the blood was trickling slowly down his face, but he did not feel it. There was a ringing sound in his ears, and the objects in the room moved up and down, as if they were all going out of the door. He cowered down close to the stove ; he was cold, very cold, and yet great drops of per- spiration were mingling with the blood. He covered his face with both his hands. How long he sat there he could never tell ; he was first aroused by a gentle hand lifting him up. " Willie," his mother said, " are you much hurt ? speak to me, my boy." "No, mother," said he, instantly rousing himself ; " I am not hurt at all, only I was cold and tired, and sat down to rest." With some fresh water his mother washed 3 26 WIN AND WEAR. away the dried blood, and, parting his fair hair from off his forehead, kissed him. "Poor Willie ! " she said, tenderly, " mother is very sorry for her boy." " Where is Lotty ? " said Willie, starting up. "Softly," said his mother, pointing to his father, who with his head upon the table was sleeping soundly " I thought you had hidden her away." " No, I put her out of the door ; where can she be ? I will go and see ! " As he tried to stand, he reeled the blow had been very severe ; he had not quite recover- ed. His mother led him to the door ; she knew the fresh air would restore him, and so it did, though it cut him through and through almost like a knife. Confused as he was, he began to call " Lotty ! " forgetting that she could not hear ; but, suddenly recollecting, he looked around for her in every direction. There was no object near, by which she could conceal herself. Up and dc wn, as far as he could see, WILLIE'S HOME. 27 lay tiie cold snow, with hardly a tree or shrub to break its glittering surface. " Lotty ! Lotty ! ; ' he called again, alarmed at the stillness which seeuied to have fallen over every thing, and ansrious to break it, if it was so uselessly. " Lotty ! where are you ? Come home ; there is no danger now." Not a sound in reply. Hesitating for an instant which way to turn, he decided at last that Lotty was accustomed to go to the village, when allowed to go out at all, and thither he turned to follow her. As he went on, he re- membered how wholly unprotected she was not the slightest covering, and the blood on her neck and hands. " She will die she will die," he screamed, as he rapidly repeated all these circumstances to himself ; and, as if new life was given to him by the thought, he almost flew along the road to the nearest house. As he approached It, a new terror seized the boy. So far, during his father's downward course, 28 WIN AND WEAR. with the self-respect inherent to delicate minds, his mother and himself had taken every pains to conceal both his conduct and their own suf- ferings from their neighbors. Never before had he so far forgotten himself as to inflict personal violence upon them ; and now, by to- day's outrage, the whole secret must be reveal- ed. Years of patient endurance were all in vain ; and this confession, forced out by his own and Lotty's looks, oh! the proud, sensitive child felt that he would rather die than make. He could have borne any trial save this ; but poor, helpless Lotty ! he could not let her suffer. No one can ever know the amount of courage which it required for Willie to knock at this neighbor's door. A schoolmate opened it ; he noticed nothing unusual in Willie's looks so the boy was almost relieved to hear him say that Lotty had not been there, or passed by that way, for he had been out on the street until that very minute, having come in to warm himself. WILLIE'S HOME. 29 Willie retraced his steps ; he must consult with his mother. Every part of his progress home was marked with such thoughts and res- olutions as had never been his before. He had not a vestige of the ambition which so few hours before had made him liken himself to the curling smoke. He felt many years older, as if upon him, a boy of ten, had suddenly de- volved the care of his mother, his deaf and dumb sister, his baby sister, and even Warren, though he was the sturdiest of them all. " I will consult with mother." These few words told of the commencement of a new epoch in the child's life. They seemed to put childhood behind him, and to make him at once, however prematurely, a man, so Willie thought ; and reverently, as if starting back from this shadow of coming manhood, he closed his eyes, and repeated again that short prayer, so familiar to the troubled heart " God help me." Mrs. Sumner was more alarmed than Willie, rhen she saw him returning without Lotty. 3* 30 WIN AND WEAR. From her birth the child had been to her such a constant source of care and anxiety, that the dread of an accident had become almost in- stinctive, and the absence of Lotty, even for a few moments from her sight, was always ac- companied by sad forebodings. When she left the house to secure the safety of her other children, she had trusted to the gentleness which, after the first burst of passion, had never failed to come to the father for this stricken one, to secure Lotty from any real injury ; and this she knew, in his infuriated state, she could not rely upon for her other children, should any thing occur to divert his attention from her to them. The child had never been far from home, and a constitutional timidity aided her mother in keeping her, even in the most tempting summer-time, within sight of the house ; therefore Mrs. Sumner felt sure her ignorance of the roads would prevent her going to any distance, and, putting her baby into bed, with a trembling dread as to what might hap- WILLIE'S HOME. 31 pen to the other children during her absence, she prepared hastily to go with Willie. They looked behind every object that rose above the surface of the ground ; even a little bank of snow,' which could scarcely have concealed the child, was carefully searched. And as the distance from home increased, and all was silent and desolate, Willie drew nearer to his mother, and his courage died away with every fresh failure. They had both hoped that Lotty had secreted herself in the pine woods which was a mile before them, on the same road. How much she must have suffered from the cold, in order to reach this place, they dared not think. On, on they went, Lotty's mother, with the image of a perishing child beckoning her for- ward, and the two little ones, left to the mercy of an intoxicated father, calling her back. That was a weary mile to the woods. Again and again they searched, in the half-beaten snow road, for the print of the child's foot ; but the hard surface retained no mark, and if they 32 WIN AND WEAR. were wrong in the direction they had taken, they had not at least the misery of continually knowing it. How drearily those old pines groaned and shivered as they approached them ! It seemed to the mother like a* wail for her lost child ; and, as they left the path, and, taking opposite directions, began to look be- hind every tree and shrub, the cracking of the stiffened limbs and the fall of a dried cone heavily upon the snow made them often stop, and call to each other with a thrill of joy, sure that the lost was found! A short cir- cuit brought them out about a quarter of a mile deeper into the woods together ; and, with a calmness which Willie never forgot, his mother told him she " could not any longer re- main away from home, and that he had better go to the village for help." " Then I must tell them of father," said Wil- lie, dropping his head ; " every one will ask how Lotty came away from home." " Do your duty, my boy," said bis mother, WILLIE'S HOME. 35j gently, "and trust God with the rest. Tell the truth, if you are asked ; it is no longer in our power to shield your father*" Quickly retracing her steps, Mrs, Sumner almost feared to enter the house. It was still as death as she opened the door, but one look reassured her. Still leaning on his arms at the table, her husband slept soundly, and the children had also both fallen asleep. God had heard her prayer, and had watched over the helpless, Willie, left alone, became almost frantic, he felt so sure that Lo.tty would die before he could go to the village and return* And then, to whom should he go ? His mother had not said : he. must decide for himself. It is no won' der that the first person he thought of was James Ash ton ; but James was -only a boy j what could he do? He would help him m some way, he felt sure ; so, without any fur- ther hesitation, he started on a run for Mr. Ashton's. 34 WIN AND WEAR. Before he reached the village he came in sight of a boy dragging his sled. "Willie's first impulse was to turn away to avoid the meet- ing, but that he could not do without losing time. No one \vho has not been similarly tried can tell what an effort of moral courage it re- quired tc make this first confession, for he had no idea that his bruised face and stained coat would escape the notice of the boy. One mo- ment he wavered, and his troubled heart sent forth a cry of agony, which God was listening to hear. " Honor thy father." Long ago God had commanded it, and now He saw, and knew, that this struggle in the child was because he could not " honor" his father as he wished. It is difficult for us to realize how constantly God is with us ; how, looking beyond what we say, or what perhaps our lips refuse to utter, He reads deep in our hearts all those thoughts and feelings which no human eye has ever dis- cerned. Willie hardly thought of God at this moment ; he thought of his father, as he WILLIE'S HOME. 35 was years ago ; he had an indescribable longing to keep from the knowledge of every one how he erred, how cruel and wicked he had be- come ; but he walked steadily on, and, as he came nearer the boy, he heard his own name shouted loudly. "Willie! Willie Sumner! Come here, quick. You don't know what I have found ! " He recognized the voice as James's, and fol- lowing at once came another sound : never had there been so much music in it before ; it was Lotty's shrill voice, uttering, in her own unin- telligible language, her glad welcome. Seated upon James's sled, that same Snow- bird, sat Lotty, so nicely and warmly wrapped up in some of Lina's clothes, that, notwithstand- ing the voice, Willie had to peep several times under the hood to be sure the bright, happy face was indeed that of his deaf and dumb sister. A pair of warm red mittens covered her hands. She held up one for Willie to admire 36 WIN AND WEAR. its bright color ; and then the other liaLd, with a look of infinite childish delight, to show a large slice of cake with which Mrs. Ashton had provided her. The sight of the food re- minded Willie that he had eaten nothing since morning. He involuntarily made a movement to break a piece from off it, for his long, cold walk had given him a keen appetite, although he had not had time to think of it before. Lotty saw it, and eagerly held it out to him ; but Willie, remembering himself, kissed his hand to her, his usual way of thanking her, and resolutely turned from the tempting morsel. Probably more of Mr. Sumner's real situa- tion was known to the villagers than his own family were aware, for, to Willie's inexpressi- ble relief, James made no inquiries ; he only said, " that his father had met Lotty on the road to Chelten, and had taken her into his sleigh and brought her to his mother. His mother, knowing that Mrs. Sumner would be anxious about her, had only kept her long enough to MILLIE'S HOME. 37 warm 1 er and put some of Liua's clothes on her ; that Lotty had been a very good child, had not cried at all when his mother washed her, though though," James was going to say, " though the blood had been very stiffly con- gealed by the long exposure to the cold ; " but his quick feelings told him that it was better not to mention the injury, so he finished his sen- tence with, " though she was very cold indeed." Lotty's eye watched the expression of the boy's face very intently, as they stood talking together. She seemed hardly to know wheu'r she had done right or wrong, for God had given to this afflicted child a keen sensibility to the moral value of an act, which, after all, was destined to be a surer guide to her than the light of revelation, and the constant line upon line and precept upon precept, are to many who can both hear and speak. She watched the shade steal off from Willie's face ; she saw a real smile light it up ; and then once more she uttered that strange, wild snout 4 38 WIN AND WEAR. of joy, and, jumping off from the sled, insisted upon putting all her slice of cake into the hands of the hungry boy. " Lotty brought that for you," said James, the tears actually coming into his eyes as he saw Willie striving to keep back the hunger which the food again made almost uncontrolla- ble. " Mother gave her a nice lunch ; she ate all she could then mother sent this to you." "Thank you," said Willie, breaking off a little piece, and carrying it to his mouth as iLiiidently as if he were suddenly placed at a table with a princess ; " the truth is, I am very .hungry, for I have not eaten a mouthful since long before daylight this morning, and I could eat a nail." " Try an apple first, then," said James, tak- ing a large, rosy-cheeked one from his pocket. " Here is a pair of them for you. I put in this very one, thinking you might like to have it at recess ; it's more juicy than a nail, at least." When Lotty saw the apples, and Willie WILLIE'S HOME. 39 really eating, first a mouthful of one, and then a mouthful of the cake, she uttered a series of those joyful sounds, and ended by clapping her hands. " That's her way," said Willie, " when she is too happy to laugh. What a darling she is. Do you know, James ? I think I love her a hun- dred times better than I should if she could talk. She says so much without ever speaking a word." James looked at her animated face with al- most as much pleasure as Willie. He had never seen so much of her before. Children generally have a species of awe for one upon whom God has lain His hand, which keeps them from a very intimate approach ; and this deaf and dumb child, with her eager, piercing look, seemed almost to him like an angel whom God had sent to watch, and report to Him how other children behaved. She had never appeared so much like a human child to him as she did now, and he did not wonder that Willie loved her. iO WIN AND WEAR. It must not "be supposed that the boys stood still while Willie ate his opportune luncheon ; they drew the sled, upon which Lotty had seated herself again, as fast as they could walk, to- ward? her home. And some time before they reached it, Mrs. Sumner, to her inexpressible relief, saw them, and divined the whole. James did not quite like to approach very near the house, so, as they came to a turn in the road, he said, " Now, Willie, if you will lead Lotty home, I will run to- school. I shall just have time,, if I am quick." How thoughtful James was !; Willie did not say so ; but this gentle kindness of the rich boy was one of the beautiful gifts of God, which He sent to compensate the child for the sufferings which must attend his lot. Willie did not think of all this ; James did not even know it. But when the boys parted, James carried with him the buoyant, happy feelings which always remain after having done a kind thing kindly j and Willie went back to his WILLIE'S HOME. 41 desolate home with more courage, and more strength to endure. He could not go to school that afternoon. He felt tired, and almost sick ; and besides, he began to find little frail child that he was ! that his presence was a protection to his moth- er. He hardly remembered the examination, and the long review lesson in spelling and arithmetic, which was to come off this after- noon. He had much to do at home : and, after all, it is the performance of a duty, well, cheer- fully, thoroughly, even if this duty is not the most desirable or if, by many plausible ex- cuses, another could be made to take its place ; still, as there can be but one right thing re- quired of us at a time, it is attention to this which never fails to bring its reward. This is the way, and the only way, to win the laurel ; and this, too, is the only course by which we can fit ourselves so to wear it, that we can feel sure it is ours, and be secure from the envy or ill will which is so often the acconv 4* 12 WIN AND WEAR. paniment of success, because others dispute our claim as founded not in right, but originating for the most part in some species of fraud or deception. Willie was, at present, in no dan ger of this. m. fPHE school in Belden's Falls occupied a posi- -*- tion midway between a district, and a high school. That is, much pain-s was taken to secure competent teachers, and some boys had gone from there directly to college. This advance beyond common schools was owing mainly to the exertions of Mr. Ashton, who, not being able to support a teacher exclu- sively for his own children, and yet unwilling to send them, young as they were, away from home, did the best thing he could paid a larger sum than any one else toward the sup- port of the school and secured a teacher entirely competent. Squire Ashton, as the villagers called him, was the great man of the place. He was not a lawyer, as his title would imply, but was engaged ii extensive manufac- 44 tfIN AND WEAK. hiring interests ; and had come to Belden's Falls to take advantage of a fine water-power, which accidentally came to. his knowledge. It was all an experiment ; but as he was one of those men who unite goodness and integrity with activity and sound business capacity, his residence among them began soon to show it- self in the thrift and increasing intelligence of the towns-people. They had formerly preaching only occasionally in their school- house. One of the first things Mr. Ashton did, after selecting the site for his mill, was to choose one for a church, and the two buildings went up almost stone by stone. " God would, for sartin, bless that ere man," old Mrs. Thomson said, " for he sarved Him> as well as mammon ; and this ere mill would stand and prosper as long as the airth lasted, for it had the blessing." It seemed as if the good lady's prediction was literally fulfilled ; for everything Mr. Ashton touched, prospered. He found the THE EXAMINATION. 46 heart of the people, and they served him faith- fully. At the date of our story there were two large mills in successful operation. Small, neat houses had been built, until the population had doubled to fill them. Nice new stores carried on quite an enterprising competition. The minister " the best man the world ever saw," his people said had a pretty little par- sonage, a competent support, and a loving and attentive people. The old school-house had long since been moved away, and a neat new building was always crowded with its young occupants. So much interest was felt in it, that the "Examination" was considered the event of the year, and the preparation for it a matter of the greatest importance. It very soon be- came rumored about that Willie Sumner was likely to prove the best scholar for this year ; and the intelligence was received with much pleasure, for the whole tone of thought and feeling in the town had become elevated in proportion as it came under the immediate 46 WIN AND WEAR. influence of Mr. Ashtcu. And people, who had known Willie's parents in the days of their prosperity, were glad of anything which could tend to alleviate their situation now. Mr. Sumner had come to settle in Belden'a Falls fifteen years ago ; he had married the youngest child of their old minister. She had been an. only and a very darling child, and seemed, in her gentle loveliness, to belong to the whole town. Mr. Sumner was fine-looking, gentlemanly, and talented. Every one thought it a good match no wonder the young lady did herself, for surely, never was promise given of greater happiness. But Mr. Sumner was active, and the people in Belden's Falls were not quarrelsome ; there was very little for him to do there. He gradually became idle, and idleness, in man or boy, is the root of all evil. Bad habits followed naturally, and, going from bad to worse, business, what little he had, failed. Then came straitened circum- stances, poverty, and at last absolute want. THE EXAMINATION. 47 Mr. Ashton extended his helping hand to him, and tried to save him ; but what, beside the grace of God, can arrest a person who has not the strength to save himself? Mr. Simmer moved out from the village. He rapidly lost his self-respect, and now did noth- ing but an occasional piece of law business, which Mr. Ashton pressed upon him in order that his family might not perish, or come upon the town. "Ah ! God's hand is upon them," the good villagers said. "We are glad our worthy old minister has gone to his rest ; it would well-nigh have broken his heart to see this lamb of his flock suffering so, and that deaf and dumb child too. It never rains but it pours, and the mother was a good little thing ; we all remember her when she was as sweet as a rose." It was therefore now a species of compensa- tion, over which every one rejoiced, to have Willie doing so well ; and many a mother felt that she could give up that first place for her 48 WIN AND WEAK. own boy with real pleasure, if it only might come to Willie Sumner. Willie had no thoughts of the victory. He had studied well, because his mother had al- ways taught him to do what he did with his whole Lrjart ; and then, his heart was in his books, for he often felt sure that he had rather read, and get a good hard lesson, than do any thing else in the world. Perhaps he might have been more playful if he had had a happier life ; but now, care and sorrow had been his companions from his cradle, and it is hard for even a child to sport with such playfellows. He was a quiet, gentle, sad little boy, but all his schoolfellows loved him. He was mod- est and retiring ; and, if he were at the head of his class, put on no airs of superiority or self-importance. There was another reason why Willie was generally beloved : his mates did not know it ; and they would, many of them, scarcely have comprehended it if they had. THE EXAMINATION. 49 His mother had always said to him, since his earliest remembrance, "My son, God is not going to give you many good things in this life ; you must begin early to lay up for your- self treasures in another, and then it will be of very little importance what happens to you here." She not only gave Willie this gen- eral direction, but she strove to put it for him into practical, every-day use. In what man- ner she did this the progress of our story will show. She had brought away from her Chris- tian home a Christian heart ; if it had not been for this, it seemed to her that she should have prayed to lay down her burdens long ago. Perhaps there was not in Belden's Falls a parent who felt less solicitude for Willie's suc- cess at the coming examination than she did herself. So often the praise which is so lav- ishly bestowed at such a time is apt to result in injury to the child, that she dreaded more than she coveted it " Keep my precious boy from temptation," was her daily prayer. 5 50 WIN AND WEAR. It was a bright sparkling day when the bell from the meeting-house announced to the people that the examination was to take place. There was no room for it in the school-house every seat was occupied by scholars. Even the church was crowded ; and many a little heart beat fast, as, dressed in holiday attire, the solem- nity and awe belonging to the church were added to the dread of speaking where there were so many to hear, and the minister and Mr. Ashton, too ! Many small feet made divers paths out of the beaten road as they flew along, to see " how it would seem " in that big church ; and little red fingers, that had never approached the con- secrated stove, held themselves close up to it now, with a kind of wonder at finding it emit- ted precisely the same kind of heat which theirs did at home, and in due time actually restored warmth and circulation. Willie's mother had, with much care and labor, prepared him a new suit, or rather an THE EXAMINATION. 51 old suit turned, and made " as good as new." Willie surveyed it with great sa.isfaction. He, boy as he was, had cast many an anxious thought to the patches on his clothes : he loved dearly to be neat and clean ; he sometimes thought he loved James Ashton better for his trim, stylish clothes. He was perfectly famil- iar with every style of button that adorned them. There was a propriety and elegance in good clothes, which suited the delicacy and refinement of the boy's natural taste. He could not be said positively to suffer from his own shabby condition, but he regarded it as a form of trial, and used often, in his simple boy-prayers, to ask God to take away his proud heart, and make him willing to bear cheerfully precisely the lot which He had seen best to appoint him. This new suit of clothes, coming so unexpectedly how gratefully it made his heart beat ! Not a child among all those neatly-dressed children, to whom their new clothes gave one half the real pleasure ! Per 52 WIN AND WEAR. haps there was not another who, after being all ready to go, stole softly to his chamber, and, kneeling down by the side of his bed, with tears starting from his- eyes, thanked God for being so very kind to him, and asked for abil- ity to do well at school, and help to make, by and by, a good, useful man. Mrs. Sumiier stood at the door, and watched her boy until he was lost to her sight ; then, commending him to God, she felt willing to leave him there. Willie was the only child whose parents were not present ; it may be, the only one who went thither followed by his mother's prayer. What an unusual sound that hum of children's voices was, as he opened the large outer-door ! and how eagerly they wel- comed him! any one might have seen that Willie was a favorite. They immediately made a place for him on the bench nearest the stove. It was by Lina ; and as Willie took it, Lina whispered to him " What a pretty new coat that is,Willie ; you look as neat as a pin." THE EXAMINATION. 53 Mr. Lane soon called the children to order r their several seats were given them, and every pains was taken, in the arrangement, to make the examination as impartial as possible. At the appointed hour the friends began to arrive. James Ashton and Benjamin True acted as ushers. Every thing was quiet and orderly ; for all had been arranged before- hand, and this saves confusion at any time. " Singing, by the choir ! " and sweet singing it was, for who ever heard an unmusical child's voice, unless it was when the voice was raised in anger ? Then the clergyman offered a prayer ; and then the trembling little scholars were called upon to make their first essay. This was not one of Willie's classes. He was glad, for he was more timid than most children, and felt a shy desire to become familiar with the looks of the audience before he spoke. All the faces appeared kind, happy, and pleased ; he gradually began to lose his dread of them, and when his turn came, was in perfect read- 5* 54 WIN AND WEAK. mess. There was a slight movement among the spectators as he took his place upon the stage. He was now only to take part in a dialogue ; and as it was in itself a sprightly thing, the boys entered fully into the spirit of it, and did admirably by forgetting that it was not a reality. After this came the examination in arithmetic. Willie knew that he understood it thoroughly, as far as he had gone, therefore performed his part perfectly ; so did James Ashton, and two others : the only difference was, that Willie was so small and delicate, the listeners would not make up their minds to expect as much from him. " I never heard a better recitation," said Mr. Ashton, as the class took their seats. " Mr. Lane, your scholars do you much credit." Other classes were equally satisfactory. It was now to that spelling-match to which all looked forward with such interest; that, alone, must decide the fate of the day. The school was equally divided into two THE EXAMINATION. 55 parts, both for number and scholarship. They were arranged, at first, according to ages, but were to go up, or down, as they should fail or succeed. The words were given by each child to his opposite in the other class, and no one had interfered in the selection of the words ; indeed, Mr. Lane did not know what they were. In this arrangement James Ashton came very near the head, and Willie very near the foot of the contending parties. Willie's class felt troubled, and many sly whispers expressed the wish that he would go up. " He will get there fast enough," said one of the boys ; " let him alone ! " It was an equal division, and the words flew from side to side like balls of fire, carrying with them smiles and nods, and half-moving lips longing to tell, for fear the speller should make a mistake. But after a few minutes the mistakes began to come, and Willie made a few moves towards the head ; so did James. 56 WIN AND WEAK. But that long row above Willie ! why, as he tried to look up, it almost seemed to him as if he could hardly number the little feet that stood so stoutly ranged above him. The more difficult the words, the better the children spell- ed them : the truth was, they had fully pre- pared themselves on such words as " Nebuchad- nezzar," and " phthisic," and were not to be caught. At length, a boy on James's side gave out the word " necessary." The child to whom it was given, failed ; so did the next, and the next, until a general panic seemed about to 'take place. " Keep cool," said Mr. Lane, pleasantly ; " any one of you who have missed that word would be able, by this time, I have not a doubt to spell it correctly. Don't be afraid of the Ss they won't hurt you if you get enough of them ! " Everybody laughed at the number which the next child used, " nessessary," she said out, very bravely. THE EXAMINATION. 57 "Not quite, Miss Emma you are a little too lavish ; be careful the next." It was in vain ; down, down it went the last few above Willie hardly daring to make the effort aloud. Now for Willie : it would be no wonder if the boy had lost the right way among so many wrong ; but no there it is, spelt loudly, clearly, and correctly. How the children on both sides clapped ! even the spectators could hardly restrain the same expression of sym- pathy. Mr. Lane looked troubled, and soon all was still again. In the changes of the class Lina was opposite Willie. She had stood her ground, had never missed : and now it was Willie's turn to give her the word. " Conscience," said Willie, in his confusion, i hardly being aware to whom he was giving the word. Lina attempted it, but the child was excited with the success of Willie ; she was thinking 58 WIN AND WEAR. much more of him, than of her word ; she hesitated, and Willie saw who was his an- tagonist. He immediately held up his hand. " Mr. Lane ! if you please, may I give another word ? that is too hard for such a little girl." " Not fair not fair," said several voices. " You hear, Willie the children decide for me. They say it would not be fair." " But she is so young," persisted Willie. " She has not missed yet, if she is young," said Mr. Lane, encouragingly. " ' Conscience/ Lina don't be frightened ; show Willie you are no baby." But Lina had not recovered herself, indeed she had had little chance, with the attention of the "whole school so directed towards her. She fairly missed the word, and lost her place. But as she went down, witli a generosity like her brother's, she whispered to Willie " Never mind, Willie ; you did not mean to make me miss, you could not help it don't care about it now." THE EXAMINATION. 59 But Willie did care. It seemed to him that, excited by his own success, he had been thought- less and careless. He would rather at that instant have put Lina back in her place, then gone to the head of his side himself. But he saw there was no help for it now ; so he tried to forget it in the excitement of the scene. All the time, however, instead of watching the pro- gress of the words, he was watching Lina, longing to say to her how sorry he was, and how unpleasantly he felt. He almost missed his next word, really the whole class gave him up, when they saw how he wavered, but he recovered himself; and as Lina seemed not cast down by her failure, his interest began to revive in the result. James had almost reached the head ; but there was a formidable array of bright boots between Willie and that goal. He did not even hope to reach it ; but he felt so glad to see James mounting so fast, that it quite counterbalanced his grief at Lina's failure, 60 WIN AND WEAR. particularly as lie saw how pleased she looked at every fresh success of his own. The trial was long, there were so many children, but at last the younger grew tired ; and Mr. Lane began to dismiss those who had missed three times, to their seats. In this way he soon reduced his number, until only four remained on either side, James and Willie among them. As the number lessened, the excitement increased. One of the four missed, then another ; now no one remained but Willie and Jaines. Who, as they saw the affectionate looks which they cast toward each other, would have suspected that they were rivals? Certainly there was no rivalry in their hearts ; and they would probably have given to each other such easy words, that the children who had taken their seats would hardly have felt that the game was continued fairly : but Mr. Lane took the matter into his own hands, and himself gave out the spelling. Every one thought it most impartially done ; THE EXAMINATION. 61 but the clock struck twelve, and the regular country people began to look at its hands just as often as at the combatants : still neither of them missed. " You see, gentlemen and ladies," said Mr. Lane, stopping soon after twelve, " the game seems to be a drawn one. I might spell these boys on until night without their miss- ing, and they may fail on the very next trial ; I hardly know what to do." " Give them," said Mr. Ashton, " six more words apiece, and then stop." So it was. Six more words were quickly and correctly spelt, and the boys were dis- missed ; but before James took his seat, he held up his hand. He evidently had something he wished very much to say. Mr. Lane gave him leave. "I think, Mr. Lane," he said, cheerfully, " there is no doubt who has been conqueror. I was more than half way up, on account of my being older than Willie ; and as he 62 WIN AND WEAR. made his way from the foot nearly, it is only fair to say that he has done the best. Don't you see, Mr. Lane, how plain it is ? " There is something in what you say, most certainly, James," said Mr. Lane, his eye sparkling with pleasure. " You had the ad- vantage in the start ; but if you had been last, you would quite as likely have ended at the head." " There would have been a great many more chances for my not being there," continued James, " and at any rate, everybody must see that it is not quite fair, for Willie has in truth done better than I have." " It is difficult, I acknowledge, to decide," said Mr. Lane. " I will therefore pass the de- cision of the case from myself, to our minister and Mr. Ashton, who, although he is your own father, will, we all feel sure, be as im- partial toward you, as toward Willie." : ' Let me speak first," said Willie, without waiting for the form of raising his hand. " I THE EXAMINATION. b3 almost missed once. However far down I may have been in my class, this more than makes up. James never even hesitated. It seems to me there is no doubt who has done best." A murmur of pleasure passed through the house, like a ray of sunshine ; and the minister and Mr. Ashton, with faces as radiant as the others, stepped aside to consult together a few minutes. Mr. Ross, the minister, was evidently congratulating James's father on the noble be- havior of his son ; for Mr. Ash ton's eyes sought him out, and rested on him for an instant with a peculiar fondness. They however quickly came to their decision. They thought Willie right. His hesitation had counterbalanced James's position. They thought the boys equally deserving of praise. And so they were all dismissed and returned home, all but the chil- dren who were to stay at noon ; and they soon gathered around the stove, while they de voured the contents of their little tin-pails, eagerly discussing the events of the morning. 64 WIN AND WEAR. One child peeped into Willie's pail. " Why," said she, pityingly, " you have only a piece of bread, no cake, or pie, or even apple ; here, take half of mine ; " and then other hands drew out their choicest bits, and " Here, Willie, take mine, please do, mine is the best," was repeated by many eager voices. Willie refused them all. He was accustomed to plain fare ; and, moreover, he felt tired, very tired, and longed to hide away somewhere and go to sleep. The afternoon exercises were very similar to the morning, only much shorter ; and, when all was over, Mr. Ashton, on behalf of the school committee, made a short address to the assembly. He said he had attended many ex- aminations, but never one where everything had proceeded with such perfect, order and fairness ; that it was unrivalled for the prompt- ness and accuracy of its recitations. It had been, in every respect, highly creditable to both teacher and scholar. THE EXAMINATION, 65 Mr. Ross said he could not forbear alluding to the behavior of the two boys, James Ashton and William Sumner. He did not believe in flattering either parents or children, but he must say he thought they had set an example of true manliness, which it would be well for all, whether old or young, to imitate. He should not go into particulars; there were some things which were weakened by being too accurately denned. He was sure the audi- ence understood him perfectly. He would only repeat the adage which, when he was a school- boy himself, he had so often written in his copy book, " Win and Wear" He trusted his hear- ers would all make the practical application for themselves. James and Willie were the only two among the whole who did not perfectly understand him, though Willie wondered much over it as he ran home, glad the examination was over, glad, too, of a vacation in which he might help his mother. 6* IV. ans for ii QOMETHING- must be done for that boy," ^ said Mr. Ashton to His wife, the night after the examination. I wish I knew just what would be right and best." " What boy ? " said Mrs. Ashton, looking up from her work, and thinking only of James. " Why, Willie Simmer, to be sure. There is promise in that child. You should have heard him recite to-day. James, with the advantages and care he has had, was not quite his equal ; and Willie may have been said to have made himself. Only think what a home he has ! I have no doubt, if the truth were known, we should find there was often positive suffering there, both from want of food and from per- sonal abuse." " Yes," answered Mrs. Ashton, whose heart (66) PLANS FOR WILLIE. 67 was as kind and tender as her husband's ; " 1 can never forget how that poor deaf and dumb child looked that day you brought her home. After I have been to see our own children all tucked up so nice and warm at night, and look- ing so rosy and happy, I cannot sleep for thoughts of those little things there. I am really afraid their father will kill them, some- time. What a brute he is ! " " Yes. I suppose no one but God can ever know how much bitterness is mingled every day in this wife's cup. I have no doubt she suffers, really suffers more in one week than many of the rest of us shall in our lifetime ; and yet, how little she seems to any of us to need this discipline ! Surely, God's ways are not our ways." " Nor His thoughts our thoughts," added Mrs. Ashton. " I am often struck, when events look as inexplicable as this does, with the dif- ferent manner in which God thinks of the same tiling. But about Willie : I do wish we 68 WIN AND WEAR. could do something that would really help him He ought to have an education. What a man he might make ! " "And must make, with God's blessing," said Mr. Ashton. " But there is one thing in the way. Willie is precisely that kind of boy who can only be helped by being allowed to help himself. I mean, that he would not accept money which he had never earned. Nor do I believe you. could by any inducement tempt him away from home, so long as he thought his being there was a comfort or protection to his mother." " Protection ! what possible protection could such a boy be against a drunken father ? " " More than it would seem. There is a cer- tain manliness about the little fellow which you see affects even me. I should not like to offer him money unless I could find a good excuse for doing so." " You are the very person to help him. You have so much delicacy yourself, that you would PLANS FOR WILLIE. 69 never wound him. Rich people are very apt to forget that the poor have feelings. For my part, I am constantly becoming more and more sure that the reason why there is so little real gratitude in the world is, because so much is demanded, because the needy know that the rich give only a very small part of their worldly substance, and require in return what is far more precious than silver and gold. You are an exception ; you always give as if you were receiving the favor." " Ah ! my wife," said Mr. Ashton, his voice trembling, " it is because I have found how much more blessed it is to give than to receive. I always feel, when I am allowed to do any little thing, as if God were giving me a great The tears came into Mrs. Ashton's eyes. " No wonder," she said, " our boy is so good, with such a father ! " " You and I always end our conversations by saying very pleasant things to each other," 70 WIN AND WEAR. said Mr. Asliton, smiling ; " but I don't know that it brings us any nearer the object." " Oh ! to be sure, helping Willie ! Well, what will you do ? I am ready for any thing." " He is now ten years old, but if he remains at home, his father will be growing worse and worse ; and by and by this life will destroy all his love of books, and he will be lost." These worthy people discussed this difficult question until late at night, and the result of the conversation will be made manifest to our readers as they proceed with the storj. Early the next morning Mr. Ashton went to Mr. Sumner's house ; but, early as it was, the jug was already in his hand, and he was about leaving the house to pawn his last book for liquor. " Just in time, I see," said Mr. Ashton, cheer- fully. " I have a little business I should like to have you do for me, and I should be sorry to have been too late. Come, suppose you Btep up to the mill with me. It may prove PLANS FOR WILLIE. 71 something of a job ; but I hardly like to drive over to Rowley for a lawyer, when we have such a good one at home." Mr. Sumner made several awkward attempts to conceal his jug. It was the first symptom of shame he had evinced for months, and Mr. Ashton, looking away, gave him the opportu- nity. This done, Mr. Ashton began a pleasant conversation with him, speaking from time to time to Mrs. Sumner, who, divided between fear and pleasure, hardly knew what answers she made. At length Mr. Ashton glided entirely into the business affair ; and she was content, as she saw by her husband's clear and concise an- swers, that he not only comprehended, but was interested in the matter. Willie came in from splitting his wood, with very rosy cheeks. He was surprised to see Mr. Ashton and his father talking so earnestly to- gether, and would have stolen out again ; but Mr. Ashton saw and stopped him. 72 WIN AND WEAR. " Ah, Willie ! good-morning ; so the success of yesterday did not make you forget your mother's wood. I am glad of it. I have heard you chopping away like a hero ever since I have been here. Which do you love best, work, or books ? " " Sometimes one, and sometimes the other/ answered Willie, timidly, "just as I have them to do." " That is right, my boy. What is the old rhyme about all work and no play ? " Mr. Simmer was the only one who could repeat it ; to do so was a new mark of in- terest. He seemed almost to have forgotten that he had children before. " If you can spare Willie a little while," said Mr. Ashton, looking at Mrs. Sumner, " my boy would be very glad to have him drive over to Bristol with him. It is vacation, you know, and they both did so well yesterday they want a little recreation." Willie's eyes sparkled with pleasure. Mr. PLANS FOB WILLIE. 73 Ashtou wondered, as he looked from them to his mother's, lighted up with the same pleasure, that he had never noticed how much they looked alike before. " He will stop for you as the clock strikes nine. Wrap up warm, for it is very cold or stay, my wife said James had a nice overcoat which was always too small for him, and she wanted it carried for the shop-keeper to send more cloth of the same kind. Now if you will just slip it on James can't wear it it will save it's getting down in the bottom of the sleigh. Boys don't keep every thing right side up, you know, Mrs. Sumner" but Mrs. Sumner was gone. She had slipped away after her husband, who was attempting to rub up his threadbare coat, and to make himself " look de- cently" before going to the mill. As gently and tenderly as in those first summer days of their married life, Mrs. Sumner assisted him. She could not help glancing up to him, almost hop- ing it was not a delusion, that he was himself 7 74 WIN AND WEAE. again ; but his red and bloated face, the dull, heavy eyes and the red lids "were there. Still she began to hope ; was there ever a true af- fection in which the hope of better things was not the last spark to die out of the heart ? She stood at the window, and watched him as he went away with Mr. Ashton. She had little doubt how he would return at night, but even this short reprieve was a blessing, and might be only the beginning of better times. The first thing Willie had to tell her, after they left, was about the overcoat. " Only think, mother," he said, " how very nice ! I should have shivered away, even under the buffalo. Sometimes I grow so cold, when I am out a long time, that it seems as if I never could get warm again ; and I will be very careful of it, not to soil it in the least." " That's a good boy," said his mother. "Willie looked at her eagerly ; there was a sound of the old music in her voice. What could it moan ? " What a good mother she is," he PLANS FOB WILLIE. 75 thought ; " the least thing that makes me happy is so much to her." Punctual as the clock, James came driving up to the door. He had two sets of bells, and two very heavy buffaloes, and the overcoat, which he threw out to Willie as he stopped. Willie had never put one on before. He tried not to be awkward about it, but he was, very. He put one arm in easily enough, but that se- cond arm ! he tried it up no, that wouldn't do ; he tried it down, but couldn't find the arm-hole ; he tried it behind, but it constantly evaded him. His mother came to his rescue, buttoned it up tight to his chin, and with much gratification once more stood at the window to watch them out of sight. Lotty had caught a glimpse of James as he drove up, and had darted out to the sleigh. James caught her up, kissed her, and thrust a fruit-cake he had brought on purpose into her pocket. As Mrs. Sumner turned from the window, she saw her dividing it with Warren, and only caught up 76 WIN AND WEAR. the baby in time to prevent a great piece being pushed into her mouth. So commenced Willie's vacation. Every mile of the way the boys were conscious of the fact. They eagerly discussed the examination of the day before, their studies for the coming time, and Willie thought, as they flew along to the music of the merry bells, he was never so happy before. They had a " grand time," they both said so, and who should know better ? No cloth could be found to match the overcoa t, but all the other shopping was satisfactorily done. As they stopped once more at Willie's door, and he commenced unbuttoning the coat to return it, James said, " Hold on,Willie ! mother said if we couldn't match that coat, she could never do the least thing in the world with it, and if your mother would let you wear it, it would save her the trouble of keeping it from the moths. It fits you splendidly; you just wear it in, and we will talk about it next time I come. Good-bye." PLANS FOB WILLIE. 77 Willie stood confounded. It must be confess- ed that, as he rode so comfortably along, he had given many thoughts to the nice warm garment he wore. He had wished his father was rich, so that he could give him one ; he had wished that he was a man, so that he could earn one for himself ; he almost wished he had' never put it on, so as not to know how much comfort he had lost ; but all these thoughts did not interfere at all with his enjoyment. He had been early taught by his good mother that it was wrong to repine ; that the only way to be a true Christian was to receive life as God had sent it, without murmuring. Did Willie really wish to be a Christian ? We do not know how we can answer better than by say- ing, that during this ride he had remembered this duty often, and, boy as he was, had asked for strength to submit to his life, like one whom Christ could love. As this coat had been, notwithstanding it had added so much to his comfort, rather a 7* 78 WIN AND WEAR. source of trial to him too, he stood now, until the sound of the sleigh-bells had entirely ceased, without moving, wondering what it could mean, if God had heard him, and was answer- ing his only half-thought prayer, or, if he had misunderstood James. His mother's knock on the window first recalled him. " Willie," she said, as he entered, " you have forgotten the overcoat ; run as fast as you can after James, and if you can't overtake him, go directly to the house." " Mother," said Willie, half hesitating what to say, "unless I am very much mistaken, James gave me this coat. He said his mother wanted you to keep it from the moths, or some such thing, I hardly know what. He drove right away without giving me time to say a single word. What shall we do now ? " " What would you like to do, my son ? " said Mrs. Sumner, thoughtfully. " Just what is right, mother," answered Wil- lie, casting some very lo aging looks to the PLANS FOR. WILLIE. 79 coat, a? he began to take it off. " I never had on such a \varm thing in all my life, and if it is right to keep it, I think I think, but I do not feel certain, that I could earn it, and pay Mrs. Ashton what she thinks it is worth." " Well said, Willie," said his mother, smiling. She thought there must be something in the mannishness of the coat, which had made her boy suddenly old. " But what could a little fellow like you do towards earning money ? " " I don't know, mother not much I fear, only I would try. ' Win and wear,' Mr. Ross said ; I did not know exactly what he meant, but I think it was something like this : If you do not earn your coat, you have no right to wear it. I will take the coat on my arm, if you have no objection, and go up. to Mrs. Ashton, and I will tell her the truth without any hesitation." " And what do you regard as the truth ? " " Why, simply this : that the coat is very nice ; that I should like it right well ; that we can't afford to buy it and pay money for it ; but if 80 WIN AND WEAR. she will tell me any way in which I can ear a it during this vacation, I shall be willing to do any thing which I can do well." " I think that is the right and the manly way, Willie," said his mother, quietly. " I am perfectly willing you should do as you have a fancy to." " Thank you, mother ; you are always kind," said Willie, preparing at the same time to go. " Here is your dinner I have kept it ready for you ; you had better eat before you go." " Eat 1 " said the excited child ; " I couldn't, mother, if you had roast beef and plum pud- ding. James had such a big basket full of lunch put up for us, I thought, when I first saw it, that it was enough for all our dinners at home ; but somehow th,e basket was empty when I left it. You wouldn't think I could eat another morsel for a week, if you had seen how it went." Mrs. Sumner had known many and many a time, when she was sure the boy had gone PLANS FOR WILLIE. 81 hungry to school, for the supply for all the children had scarcely been more than one strong boy would require. She was grateful to Mrs. Ashton for her thoughtful kindness, and grateful also to that kind heavenly Father who never forgot nor forsook her, though clouds and darkness were often round about her. Now she could not resist the pleasure of folding up nicely that new coal, and laying it carefully upon her boy's arm, as if it was the harbinger of many coming blessings. He was, as she had called him, " a little fellow." A hungry child, and especially an anxious one, has a very slender chance to develop physi- cally, and Willie had often been both. No wonder that he was scarcely larger than many boys of eight ; but he had, as we have seen, that very doubtful substitute for bodily growth an undue growth of brain. His mind was far in advance of many boys' nearly double hia age. James Ashton saw him before he reached 82 WIN AND WEAR. the house, and saAV the coat upon his arm, " Oh ! mother," he called, running to the par- lor, "you were right. Willie's mother will not let him keep that coat ; here he is back with it. What shall we do ? " " Keep quiet, James ! " said his mother. " Per- haps he has come for something else ; don't let him see it troubles you." "But it does, mother ; I thought I had it all fixed nicely, and now it's all to do over again. I wish people wouldn't be so proud in this world." " Pride is the protection of the poor, often/' said Mrs. Ashton, as Willie's timid knock was heard at the side-door. James hastened to open it, but Willie missed his usual cordial re- ception. James was more than half vexed, for he had prided himself upon the skilful manner in which he had driven off, without giving Willie time to make an objection. I wonder if it occurred to James, when he was wishing people ''wouldn't be proud in this world/' PLANS FOR WILLIE. 83 that lie was indulging in a kind of pride not nearly as honorable as the one he was con dcinning ? I presume not ; but as these two boys stood face to face in the door, this frosty winter noon, they were illustrations of these two kinds. James's was easily controlled by his good sense and good feelings ; Willie's wag occasioned by his. " Is your mother at home ? " asked Willie, too much excited to be troubled by James's slight coldness. " Yes, walk in ; here she is right in the parlor. But why in the world have you worn your coa.t on your arm ? Did you run, so you had to take it off? " Not exactly ; for I did not put it on, though I have run a good part of the way. " Mrs. Ashton," he said, hardly waiting for James to open the parlor door, "ray mother thanks you very much for having offered mo this nice new overcoat, and so do I. I should ralher have it than almost anything I can think 84 WIN AND WEAR. of; but I feel, and so does mother, that I should have a much better right to it, if I could earn it. Mr. Ross said, it was only those boys who could win that should wear, and though I am very small and not very strong, still if I could earn it, I should think so much more of it than if you only gave it to me." " Dear little Willie," said Mrs. Ashton, the mother's heart yearning over the bright, eager face which looked so imploringly up in hers, " I think you look more like being nursed, and taken care of, than being put to work." " But I can work, if you please, Mrs. Ashton, only I know it will be a trouble to find some- thing for me. It was because you were so kind always to me, that made me think that made me hope that " Willie began to hesitate, and the tears to start. " Don't cry, Willie," said James ; " come, you and I will go down to the mill. Women even my mother don't know much about work, but that is no sign that father don't. Come, I'll PLANS FOE WILLIE. 85 help you j I should like the fun right well, and we will soon earn together. How much will 7011 take for it, mother ? We will make a trade." Mrs. Ashton saw at a glance that James was on the right track, so, taking the coat, she examined it with much apparent care. " Well," she said at last, " I can't find a tear or rip all over it. I think you never wore it a half dozen times. I really do feel as if it is worth one dollar ; and if Willie can earn the money, I shall be glad to have him take it off my hands." " One dollar! oh! mother, you are a perfect Jew ; it is not worth half that money. Come, now, trade fair. Seeing it is you, I will give you fifty cents for it,* and that is twelve and a half more than it's worth. Or, stop ! I don't know (taking the coat to the window) I have no doubt there will come a hole here under this pocket soon. I always do wear holes there the first thing ; say twenty-five cents, now, and be reasonable I" 86 WIN AN^ WEAK, Willie began to smile it was just what James wanted. " Come, now ! going ! going ! Say twenty-five, and I will knock it down. A grey coat an overcoat, gentlemen and ladies with two pockets and twelve buttons, black velvet collar and cuffs better than new, because James Ashton has worn it fine, large pockets for apples, hold a small half bushel apiece excel- lent to coast in beside a variety of other excel- lencies, too numerous to mention. Gentlemen and ladies, examine for yourselves going ! going ! for only twenty -five cents ! '"' These last words James uttered in such a perfect imitation of an auctioneer's voice, that Mrs. Ashton and Willie laughed heartily. But Mrs. Ashton said the coat was worth one doHar, and if she sold it at all, she would not take a cent less. Mill hours were, however, over now ; Willie could leave the coat, and she would talk with her hus- band about work, when he came home. Perhaps some way might be planned by which it could be earned. PLANS FOR WILLIE. 87 What a happy boy Willie was, as he went home! And how kind and considerate Mrs. Ash- ton had been ! The boy's self-respect was invio- late. If he could only earn this, perhaps he might do more and more ; and pretty soon, who could tell how much comfort he could be to his mother ? When he once more reached home, Mr. Ashton was just saying good-bye to his father. He had business around that way, so he walked home with Mr. Simmer, and the poor man was very grateful to him, for it had kept his feet from turning down that well-worn path toward the dramshop. Mr. Ashton stepped in to say one word to Mrs. Sumner, and, happen- ing to glance back as he passed the window, had the satisfaction^of seeing Mr. Sumner give the money, which he had well earned, to his wife. So much for the first day of Willie's vaca- tion. V. si HI. THE next morning Mr. Sumner was to go again to his business. He showed no in- clination to avoid it. He even said to his wife. " I wish, Mary, I had a little better coat. Really, Mr. Ashton's head workman is dressed more re- spectably than I am." " I wish you had," answered his wife ; " you really need a whole new suit. Perhaps if you can earn for a little while as much as you did yesterday, you will be able to get one." Then she told him the story of' Willie's overcoat^ and how the boy was to go to-day to earn it, if he could. Mr. Sumner listened in silence. Every word conveyed a tacit reproach to him ; but he knew that he well deserved it all, and that his wife did not mean to wound him. But it made him sad ; and he forgot quickly, in (fi8) THE MILL. 89 the want of his family, his own new clothes, and went, notwithstanding the strong cravings of appetite, directly to the mill. Mr. Ashton had hardly dared expect him ; and there was so much of hearty joy in his re- ception, that Mr. Sumner set about his work with a zest and interest he had not known for years. His business was, to examine a variety of claims to some real estate which Mr. Ashton was anxious to purchase, but to which he had not been able to establish a secure legal hold. A poor widow claimed the land as hers. She said it had been willed to her by her father, who was one of the original settlers ; but as she was a " lone being," without any one to defend her, it had been claimed and occupied by a man who had sold it out in shares to suit his own pleasure. She had no money to go to law with, and so it had gone. But now Mr. Ashton wished to buy. He went to the root of the matter ; and here was this unheard, unthought-of widow's claim, in the S* 90 WIN AND WEAR. hands of a strong, just man, who would see right done. " I have had trust in God," said the poor woman, " through all these long years, while I have seen Mr. Jones grow rich by his gains from that same land. I knew He said, in many places in His good book, that the wicked should not always prosper, and that He would protect the widow. I am old now, sir, and most through ; but I have a relative to whom it would do much good to leave this, when I die." The widow had not in possession her father's will indeed, she had no idea what had become of it. She had had two brothers. They were both dead, and there was of their families only this one child living. She had married badly, she knew, but could tell nothing more about her. This was all the information to be obtained. The woman lived in a town sixty miles dis- tant. Mr. Ash ton had elicited from her all he .could . and Mr. Sumner could not be trusted THE MILL. 91 to go so far from home as would be required, in order to make her a personal visit. But the investigation became every hour more and more interesting to him, and he found him- self often thinking of it when he used to be* thinking only of his cup. Pile after pile of papers Mr. Ashton laid before him. The work seemed almost interminable, as he looked at the heap ; but he took hold of them with the eagerness of a hungry man, or rather, of an active mind which had at last become weary of doing nothing, and was grateful for occu- pation. Willie was not long behind his father. Run- ning until he was all in a glow, he reached Mr. Ashton's house. James was ready to open the door as he came up the steps. " There ! " was his first salutation, " I told you men were better than women for finding work. Just as soon as father heard about it, he said he had plenty for us both to do ; he Bhould quite like to hire two clever hands. 92 WIX AND WEAR. If we would 3ome right round when you came, he would set us to work ; he wouldn't tell ua what we were to do, until we came. Now, sir, in two minutes I will be ready." What happy boys they were, as they started for their work ! They had not been as happy on the previous day, when, with the fine horse and sleigh, they had the pleasant drive before them. Willie was to make his first effort to earn money for his mother ; and James was to do a kind act. It would have been difficult to tell which of the two was the most glad, as they ran gaily along toward the mill ; now sliding, now rolling up a snowball and toss- ing it as far as they could toward the clear blue sky, and now stopping to break off a glit- tering icicle from some corner of an old log, or making new paths where the snow was the deepest, or a bank had been piled up against the wooden fence. Of course they took much longer to reach the mill than if they had walked demurely along, but they carried m THE MILL. 93 with them bright eyes and red cheeks. There was a glow about Willie's face, which made him almost as handsome as James ; and many of the workmen stopped their work for a mo- ment, to look at the boys as they passed. Mr. Ashton was ready for them. " So, my boy," he said, patting Willie on the head, " James and you think you would like to learn to work, as well as study, do you ? Well, I am glad of it. It never hurt a man to be able and willing to turn his hand to anything. There is a great deal of truth, but it is not all true, in that old saying, ' Jack of all trades,- and master of none.' You boys will serve your trade for six cents a card, if you do well. But now I must tell you, to start with, I never employ any but faithful, trusty men. The first time you attempt in any way to cheat me, I have done with you. Here, Pat," he called to a good-looking Irishman, who was his head overseer, " take these boys ; they are raw hands, but I w