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SCHOOLBOY LIFK 
 
OUDENDALE : 
 
 A STORY OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE, 
 
 R. HOPE MONORIEP. 
 
 ' Oh see ye not yon narrow road, 
 
 So thick beset with thorns and briers? — 
 That is the path of righteousness, 
 Thougk after it but few inquires. 
 
 ' And see ye not yon braid, braid road 
 
 Tliat winds across yon lily leven? — 
 That is the path of wickedness. 
 
 Though 6ome call it the road to heaven." 
 
 . Th'>mas the. Rft^ee. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 SHELDON AND COMPANY. 
 
 BOSTON : GOULD AND LINCOLN. 
 
 1865. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 
 CHAPTEB FAOB 
 
 I. — Mother and Son 6 
 
 II. — New Acquaintances 16 
 
 III. — A New Home 30 
 
 IV. — OUDENDALE COLLEGE 43 
 
 V. — The First Dat at Oudendale .... 60 
 
 VI. — Friends and Foes 79 
 
 VII. — " Hot Coals" 91 
 
 Vni. — " The Swells" 105 
 
 IX. — Mischief 117 
 
 X. — Damon and Phinthias 132 
 
 XI. — Clement and Handyside 141 
 
 XII. — " Egyptian Stamps" 158 
 
 XIII. — Good Resolutions 172 
 
 XIV. — The Bully 181 
 
 XV. — A Supper 193 
 
 XVI. — The Dawn of Light 202 
 
 XVII. — Eepentance 213 
 
 XVIII. — Counsel 228 
 
 XIX. — The First of April 241 
 
 XX. — Confessing Christ 249 
 
 XXI. — Slips 264 
 
 XXII. — " Better than the mighty" 274 
 
 XXIII. — The Confirmation 283 
 
 XXIV, — "Wise and Foolish 290 
 
 XXV. — Conclusion 803 
 
 4 3'B 8 3 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In writing this book it has been the author's endeavor to present a 
 natural picture of schoolboy life, and at the same time to invite the 
 attention of his readers to the greatest of all moral truths. Many 
 think it a want of taste to mix up religious sentiments with the rec- 
 ord of more trivial matters; but, believing as he does that we should 
 strive to make the love of God our ruling principle in everj' thought, 
 word, and action, however small or apparently unimportant, he has 
 not scrupled in this story to exhibit virtue, sin, and folly all strug- 
 gling together in the every -day incidents of schoolboy life. Of course 
 there are many to whom such matters are foolishness; but the author 
 trusts that all true Christians may approve of his attempt — more 
 especially as he has not wished to put forward the opinions and 
 dogmas of any particular sect, and does not think that any of the 
 religious sentiments which he has expressed can be displeasing to any 
 who hold that we are saved by believing in Christ, and by his help 
 forsaking our sins, and striving to do right. 
 
 If the author has failed in his attempt, he would desire credit for 
 having at least endeavored to succeed. If he may, in any measure, 
 be considered to have succeeded, may the praise be all His to whose 
 service the following pages are humbly consecrated. 
 
 Jaxuart, 1865. 
 
OUDENDALE : 
 
 A STORY OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MOTHER AND SON. 
 
 " Leaves have their time to fall, 
 And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath. 
 
 And stars to set, but all — 
 Thou hast all seasons for thine own, Death." 
 
 Mrs. Hemans, 
 
 " Well, Charlie, we must just make up our 
 minds to it." 
 
 " I suppose we must," said Charlie, with a 
 sort of sigh. 
 
 "I have no doubt that you are getting on 
 well enough at the Academy ; but I know that 
 it was your poor papa's intention to have sent 
 you to a large public school ; and as you are 
 
6 r'^iy]*'.' ^'^pW^^^^^^' 
 
 now fourteen, it must not be put off any longer. 
 I will write to-morrow to Uncle William, and 
 ask him to get you entered at Oudendale Col- 
 lege. I dare say it will be a trial for you to go 
 away from home for the first time, and I am 
 sure I don't know what I shall do without you ; 
 but it is for your own good, so it must be 
 done." 
 
 " I don't mind so much for myself. I dare 
 say I will like Oudendale very much : of course 
 it will be much nicer being at a regular big 
 school like that than at a small place like the 
 Bath Academy — " 
 
 " Yet ' I remember when you thought the 
 Academy a very large school, and were quite 
 delighted with the idea of going to it," said 
 Mrs. Campion. 
 
 " Oh, that was long ago, when I was just 
 beginning Latin. Of course it's a pretty big 
 school, but nothing to Oudendale. I would 
 rather be at Oudendale — but then I don't like 
 to leave you, mamma. I would like never to 
 leave you all my life." 
 
 Mrs. Oampion smiled, and shook her head. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 7 
 
 " I am afraid that may not be, Charlie," she 
 said, sadly. And, half unconsciously, she mur- 
 mured the words of the hymn : 
 
 " Here we meet to part again : 
 In heaven we part no more." 
 
 Charlie said nothing, but looked very hard 
 into the fire, while Mrs. Campion sunk back 
 in her chair, and seemed lost in reverie. Her 
 worn and pale face showed traces of much sor- 
 row and suffering ; but the sad, sweet smile 
 which lighted it up spoke of patient resignation, 
 and that deep, calm peace which the pleasures 
 and pains of the world can neither give nor 
 take away. She had married young ; and 
 six years after her marriage her husband had 
 fallen, leading his company up to the guns of 
 the Redan. She had had four children, but one 
 by one they had dropped into the grave, leaving 
 only Charlie, the eldest, upon whom all her 
 affections were now centred. She had long 
 suffered from a painful and dangerous disease, 
 but she had no fears for herself. Her only 
 fear was for Charlie. Night and day she was 
 
8 OUDENDaLe: 
 
 thinking of him, and praying for him. God 
 only knew how fervent her supplications were 
 that her only remaining child might be spared 
 to her, and still more that he might be an early 
 seeker and an early finder of his Saviour. 
 Charlie was indeed, like St. Augustine, " a 
 child of many prayers." Up till this time he 
 had lived with her at Bath, and gone to a day- 
 school there ; but now the time came when she 
 felt that he should be sent to a larger school ; 
 and even to think of separation was a terrible 
 struggle to her heart. 
 
 Suddenly Charlie broke the silence, and 
 jumped up, " I'm off to bed, mamma." 
 
 "Very well. Good-night, dear. I am going 
 to bed too in a few minutes, for I feel unusually 
 tired to-night." 
 
 Charlie stooped over his mamma and kissed 
 her, and then took his candlestick and left the 
 room. She sighed as she heard him running 
 actively up the stairs. 
 
 " Poor fellow ! He doesn't like to leave me, 
 and yet I can see. that he is secretly rather 
 pleased with the idea of going to Oudendale. 1 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 9 
 
 do hope he will get much good there — much 
 good every way ; wisdom, health, and above all, 
 holiness. Lord, make him holy and happy ! " 
 
 Breathing this prayer, Mrs. Campion rang 
 the bell for Eliza, an old and faithful servant, 
 who had been with her from infancy, and with 
 whom it was her practice to go over the house- 
 hold accounts every night, before going to bed. 
 
 Charlie went straight up to his bedroom, and 
 after pulling off his jacket and winding up his 
 watch, he threw himself down on his bed, and 
 began to reflect about going to Oudendale Col- 
 lege. He felt that it would be a hard thing to 
 leave his mother, and go away to a school where 
 he knew scarcely any one ; but for him at least, 
 the picture was not without its bright side also. 
 The famous games of cricket in the Oudendale 
 " Field," which he had heard of, the football in 
 winter, and above all, the privilege of being a 
 real Oudendale boy, and many other considera- 
 tions, all combined to form a silver lining to the 
 cloud which was raised in his mind by the 
 thought of leaving home. Hunter Gordon, a 
 friend of his at the Bath Academy, had gone 
 
10 0T7DENDALE: 
 
 last year to Oudendale, and returning for the 
 holidays, had inflamed him and all his compan- 
 ions with envy, by relating its wonders and 
 pleasures. They had two, at least, and some- 
 times more, half-holidays in the week at that 
 happy school ; and there was a splendid cricket- 
 ground, capital bathing-places, and, in short, 
 abundance of all the luxuries which healthy 
 boyhood could desire, all close to the college. 
 Indeed, though Charlie had at first been very 
 downcast at the idea of leaving his dear mamma, 
 the more he thought of it the more his affection 
 to her became overbalanced by the enticements 
 of Oudendale, and he almost wished that he was 
 to enter immediately, instead of at Christmas, as 
 had been proposed. Then again he thought of 
 his mamma, and again he began to feel that it 
 would be almost impossible to part with her. 
 Then once more he thought of Hunter Gordon 
 and the pleasures of Oudendale ; and, in short, 
 Charlie lay for half an hour kicking the bed 
 vigorously with his heels, and not able to make 
 up his mind whether he should like better to go 
 or to stay. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 11 
 
 But at length his candle burning down, 
 warned him that he must be thinking of going 
 to bed ; and he was just pulling off his boots, 
 when he was surprised by hearing a bell rung 
 violently down stairs, and footsteps hurriedly 
 rushing about. 
 
 " I wonder what's the matter," he thought. 
 " Surely mamma must be in bed by this time. 
 Here's somebody coming up stairs." 
 
 " Master Charlie ! Master Charlie ! " cried 
 Eliza, in a loud whisper, from the passage. 
 
 " Halloa ! what's the matter ? " exclaimed 
 Charlie, opening the door. 
 
 " Your mamma — she's in a fit. Come down 
 as quick as you can." 
 
 Charlie started, and his heart gave a great 
 leap ; and then hurrying on his jacket, he 
 pushed past Eliza and flew down stairs to the 
 dining-room, where the first object that met his 
 eyes was his mamma stretched pale and insen- 
 sible on the sofa. The other servant was stand- 
 ing by holding up her head. 
 
 " What's the matter ? Speak to me, mamma ! 
 Oh do speak ! What has happened, Eliza ? " 
 
12 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " I don't know. She just dropped down sud- 
 denly, as I was going over the accounts with 
 her. Run round the corner, Charlotte, and 
 get Dr. Grove." 
 
 " Oh, be quick. Don't lose a minute," cried 
 poor Charlie, who was terribly frightened, for 
 he had never seen any one in this state before. 
 
 Charlotte did not wait an instant, but flew off 
 for the doctor, while Eliza and Charlie waited 
 for her return with anxious hearts. 
 
 " Eliza ! I hope the doctor will come 
 soon," said Charlie, in a whisper. " Do you 
 think mamma is very ill ? " 
 
 " I don't know. I hope not," said Eliza. 
 
 But now Mrs. Campion began to toss about, 
 and to utter incoherent and broken expressions, 
 which added to the alarm of her watchers. She 
 did not appear to know either of them. 
 
 " I am here, mamma. Don't you know me ? " 
 said Charlie ; but there was no answer nor sign 
 of recognition. " Oh, I wish the doctor would 
 come ! " 
 
 " Here he is," cried Eliza, suddenly, as Dr. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 13 
 
 Grove's loud footstep was heard in the hall. 
 Charlie rushed out to meet him. 
 
 " What's the matter with your mamma, Char- 
 lie, my man ? " cried the doctor, in his cheerful 
 voice, which in itself was enough to give relief 
 to many an anxious heart. Charlie could not 
 speak, and silently led the way into the dining- 
 room. But when the kind doctor had entered 
 the room, and cast a glance at Mrs. Campion, 
 the smile died away from his lips ; and though 
 he still tried to keep up a cheerful, assuring 
 manner, he knew that a mightier hand than his 
 had been laid upon his patient. Carefully, 
 however, he altered her position on the couch, 
 and sending for a basin of water and a sponge, 
 he moistened her temples and her hands. 
 Charlie, his first emotion over, was now quite 
 calm, and ran eagerly to fetch whatever the 
 doctor asked for, though the terrified look on 
 his face showed what a shock he had received. 
 
 " 0, doctor ! " he whispered, in a scarcely 
 audible voice, " do you think she will die ? " 
 
 " Get some more water," said the doctor, has- 
 tily, trying to elude the question. But at that 
 
14 OUDENDALE: 
 
 moment Mrs. Campion opened her eyes, and 
 looking around with a wild stare, muttered : 
 
 " Where am I ? I always thought — " the 
 rest of what she said was inaudible. 
 
 Every one in the room stood as if rooted to 
 the spot, and there was a terrible silence, till 
 Charlie, unable to contain himself, gave a con- 
 vulsive sob, and burst into tears. Suddenly 
 she seemed to recognize him, and made a mo- 
 tion with her lips. 
 
 " Bend down your head — she wants to speak 
 to you," said Dr. Grove. Charlie bent down 
 his head, and taking his hand, she whispered : 
 
 "I am dying. Good-bye, Charlie. God is 
 the Father of the fatherless, and he will never 
 forsake you. Seek him. God is love." 
 
 " 0, mamma, mamma ! " he cried, in agony, 
 as pronouncing these last words with an effort, 
 she raised her heaxl, gave a gasp, and fell back. 
 
 Dr. Grove took him by the arm, and gently 
 tried to draw him back. 
 
 " Your mamma is, I trust, in a better world." 
 
 " 0, mamma, mamma ! " he cried, in a tone 
 which brought tears to the eyes of the doctor, 
 used as he was to such scenes. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 15 
 
 In a little while, when the violence of Char- 
 lie's emotions had somewhat subsided, Dr. 
 Grove led him away to his bedroom, and got 
 him to bed, giving him a few drops of a sleep- 
 ing draught, which soon took effect on him, so 
 exhausted was he by this terrible hour. Then 
 Dr. Grove, who was an old friend of the family, 
 went down stairs and gave some directions to 
 the weeping Eliza and the terrified Charlotte ; 
 and sitting down, wrote at once a letter, to be 
 despatched by the early morning post, to Mr. 
 Primrose, Mrs. Campion's brother. 
 
 When Charlie awoke next morning, feeling 
 sick and worn out, he could hardly persuade 
 himself that the occurrences of the past night 
 were not all a strange and horrible dream. 
 But when he went down stairs, and saw the 
 dining-room in disorder, with the basin of water 
 which the doctor had been using standing upon 
 the table, his sorrow came back with double 
 force. He dared not yet go into his mamma's 
 bedroom, but he sat down in the darkened 
 dining-room, feeling all alone in the world, with 
 a heavy, heavy weight at his heart. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 NEW ACQUAINTANCES. 
 
 " All, all are gone, the old familiar faces/' 
 
 Charles Lamb. 
 
 The next week was a terrible one for Charlie. 
 His uncle Primrose came immediately on re- 
 ceiving Dr. Grove's letter, and made the neces- 
 sary arrangements for the funeral. He tried 
 his best to console Charlie by making common- 
 place remarks, such as " We must all come to 
 this some day," or " We must try to be re- 
 signed," which generally had only the effect of 
 making the poor boy burst out crying. He 
 was really kind-hearted; but his manner was 
 so cold and formal and restrained — so differ- 
 ent from the warm, sympathizing love which 
 touches the hearts of the young — that the 
 boy almost wished him away in this time of 
 calamity. His only comfort was sitting beside 
 Eliza in the room which had once been his 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 17 
 
 nursery, and hearing from her stories of his 
 mother when she was young. These sad re- 
 membrances always ended by both the narrator 
 and the listener bursting into tears ; but then 
 it always seemed to do Charlie good to cry. 
 And so the week went on — so slowly. 
 
 At length came the funeral. There was one 
 person at it whom at another time Charlie 
 would have been much interested in, — Mr. 
 Campion, a distant cousin of his, who had just 
 been made one of the masters of Oudendale 
 College, — but now he noticed nothing except 
 that his uncle was very solemn and stately, and 
 that nobody seemed to care for his mamma but 
 himself. Mr. Primrose really loved his sister, 
 and was much affected by her death; but he 
 was too cold and formal to allow himself to be- 
 tray the least token of grief in public. They 
 all stood bareheaded in the rain as the clergy- 
 man read the solemn burial service, and then 
 the clods rattled on the coffin, and earth was 
 given to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, and 
 Charlie felt himself all alone in the world. 
 
 Mr. Primrose had resolved to take Charlie 
 2 
 
18 OUDENDALE: 
 
 away to his own house immediately ; and so 
 the day after the funeral they found themselves 
 rolling along the Great Western Railway. 
 God's mercy has ordained that grief shall not 
 have too close a hold of young hearts ; and be- 
 fore long the excitement of the journey had 
 restored to Charlie a little of his former spirits. 
 He was a light-haired, blue-eyed, well-made 
 boy, with face often dimpled by smiles, and a 
 frank, generous expression ; though any one 
 who could read features would have detected 
 something about his mouth which betokened 
 just a little vein of obstinacy in his character. 
 Altogether, he was a fine-looking boy, whom 
 any one might have been proud of ; and as Mr. 
 Primrose looked at him, he felt that he really 
 could love him, and be a kind and faithful 
 guardian to him. But Mr. Primrose never 
 told any one his feelings, and so he kept all this 
 to himself, and Charlie thought him terribly 
 grand^ and was quite afraid of him. 
 
 At one of the small stations a gentleman and a 
 boy got into the same carriage with them. Mr. 
 Primrose seemed to know the gentleman very 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 19 
 
 well, and Charlie, after a little shyness, struck 
 lip an acquaintance with the hoy, whose name 
 he found was Granville Browne. He was very 
 finely dressed, and had a manner which was 
 evidently intended to be elegant and fashiona- 
 ble. For some time he said very little, and 
 Charlie could think of nothing to say to him, 
 till he found that he was on his way to Ouden- 
 dale College, the holidays having just ended. 
 
 " I am to go there, I think," said Charlie, 
 eagerly. " I wish you would tell me something 
 about it. Are there nice fellows there ? " 
 
 " Oh — so, so," drawled his new acquaintance. 
 " Most of them are rather low ; but if you get 
 into a good set, you will get on well enough. 
 We have some nice enough follows — Mauri- 
 codle, do you know him ? " 
 
 " No. Who's he." 
 
 "The Marquis of Mauricodle, the Duke of 
 Newborough's son. I like him pretty well." 
 
 " Do you know a fellow called Hunter Gor- 
 don ? " asked Charlie, after a little pause, for 
 he was quite dazzled by this grand name. 
 
 " Well, I think I have some recollection of 
 
20 OUDENDALE: 
 
 a fellow of that name, but I shouldn't advise 
 you to have much to do with him. He's among 
 a low set." 
 
 Charlie was quite astonished to hear this ; for 
 Gordon had always been thought a very nice 
 fellow at the Bath Academy ; and he was also 
 very much astonished at Master Granville 
 Browne's grand airs and drawl. 
 
 " What sort of fellows are the masters ? " he 
 asked, after another pause. 
 
 " Oh, a set of fools. There's hardly a jolly 
 fellow among them." 
 
 " Is Mr. Campion not a nice fellow ? " 
 
 " Oh, pretty middling. He belongs to a very 
 good family, I believe, and he certainly looks 
 rather like a gentleman," said Browne, sagely ; 
 " but then, he's a regular fool. Why do you ask ? 
 Do you know him ? " 
 
 " He is my cousin." 
 
 " Cousin, is he ! I didn't think of that. I 
 only could say what I thought, you know," said 
 Browne, in some confusion. 
 
 " All right," said Charlie, laughing. " I 
 scarcely ever saw him, and I don't suppose that 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 21 
 
 he must be a nice fellow because he's my cou- 
 sm." 
 
 At this moment the two gentlemen ceased 
 their conversation, and Mr. Pi-imrose solemnly 
 asked Browne if he had enjoyed his holidays. 
 
 " Oh — well — I can't say that I have. I 
 was rather dull. In fact, the only thing I en- 
 joyed at all was a visit to my fiiend Mauricodle 
 at Westlands House — perhaps you know his 
 father, the Duke of Newborough ? " 
 
 " I cannot say that I do," said Mr. Primrose. 
 
 " Ah, indeed. Well, he's a very nice sort of 
 fellow." 
 
 '' Dear me ! when we were boys, I know we 
 never failed to enjoy our holidays," remarked 
 Mr. Browne, who seemed to be a very different 
 sort of person from his son. " How my brother 
 and I used to scamper over Woodbury Common 
 on our ponies, and what baskets of fish we used 
 to bring home sometimes 1 If it was a fine day, 
 my motlier generally turned us out of the house 
 after breakfast, and we would find our way 
 back again to dinner with tremendous appetites, 
 and clothes and hands very often in a state of 
 
22 OUDENDALE: 
 
 general tatters and mud. I sometimes wish for 
 these days again, but we can't become boys at 
 my time of life. Dear me ! there are no boys 
 now ; they are all ' young gentlemen.' But 
 here we are at Swindon Junction, where we 
 must change carriages now, Granville." 
 
 Mr. Browne and his son now got out, and 
 took leave of them — Granville Browne shaking 
 hands with Charlie in a most condescending 
 manner. 
 
 " When you come to Oudendale, I will intro- 
 duce you to Mauricodle and some other nice 
 fellows." 
 
 Then he swaggered off, leaving Charlie quite 
 impressed by his airs and his intimacy with a 
 real marquis, but, nevertheless, thinking that 
 he would rather be the companion of Hunter 
 Gordon than of Granville Brown and his grand 
 friends. 
 
 When they had passed a few more stations, 
 Mr. Primrose pointed out to Charlie his house, 
 nearly hid by trees. The place was called 
 Primrose Hill. They got out at the next sta- 
 tion, where the train stopped. Mr. Primrose's 
 
I 
 
 A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 23 
 
 carriage was waiting for them, and they were 
 soon whirling along the road. On the way, Mr. 
 Primrose having composed what he considered 
 a very affectionate speech, informed Charlie 
 that he must look on Primrose Hill as his 
 home now, and that though he knew he never 
 could quite supply a mother's care, he hoped 
 Charlie would find him a kind and faithful 
 guardian. The tears welled up to Charlie's 
 eyes at the allusion to his mother ; but though 
 his uncle spoke in his usual constrained man- 
 ner, he could not but feel that he really meant 
 to be kind to him, and resolved to try and be as 
 happy as possible at Primrose Hill. He won- 
 dered very much what sort of people his aunt 
 and cousins were, for till quite lately they had 
 always lived on the continent, and he had never 
 seen them. There were three girls and two 
 boys, he knew, and he hoped the boys would be 
 big enough to play with him. 
 
 But now the carriage drove up an avenue, 
 and the house was before them. It was by this 
 time almost dark, and Charlie could not see 
 what sort of a house it was, but he saw that 
 
24 OUDENDALE: 
 
 there was a large lawn before it, and wondered 
 if his cousins played at games there. 
 
 A very large and majestic-looking footman, 
 who quite struck Charlie with awe, opened the 
 door, and ushered them into a large hall, but 
 no smiling aimt nor rosy-cheeked cousin came 
 running out to meet them, as Charlie had ex- 
 pected. 
 
 " Show Mr. Campion up to his room, Robert, 
 and take up his things. We shall have dinner 
 in a short time, Charlie. I suppose you will 
 not take long to dress ? " 
 
 The footman led the way to a large, well- 
 furnished bedroom, with an enormous four-post 
 bed in it, pier glasses, a writing-desk, a dressing- 
 table, and other luxuries, to which Chai-lie in 
 his little bedroom and iron bedstead at home 
 had hitherto been a stranger. A fire was burn- 
 ing in the grate, and everything was very lux- 
 urious and elegant — rather too much so indeed 
 for Charlie, who did not feel at home among it 
 all. The majestic footman brought up his trunk 
 and carpet-bag, and then having solemnly ar- 
 ranged the towels, and poked the fire, withdrew. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 25 
 
 leaving Charlie to wonder what he had to do 
 next. When he had dined with his mother in 
 Bath, at four o'clock, he had never been in the 
 habit of making any change in his personal ap- 
 pearance, but wasliing his hands and a hasty 
 brushing of his hair (sometimes it was a very 
 hasty brushing) ; but he knew that gentlemen 
 dressed in black for dinner, and supposed that 
 was what his uncle meant when he talked about 
 " dressing." However, he was dressed in black 
 already ; so he had nothing to do but to put on 
 a clean shirt, and give his hands and face a 
 wash. While he was doing this, the majestic 
 footman dgain axTived, with a jug of hot water, 
 and Charlie was quite ashamed of himself for 
 having washed with cold water. He was quite 
 afraid of this footman, who was so majestically 
 and solemnly respectful, but who he thought 
 must see that he was quite unused to such po- 
 lite society. When he had completed his toilet, 
 he began to survey his new apartment, the 
 magnificence of which made him quite uncom' 
 fortable, and to wonder where he ought to go to 
 next. But his doubts on this subject were sqqu 
 
26 OUDENDALE: 
 
 resolved by the appearance once more of the 
 tall footman, who announced that dinner was 
 waiting, and led the way to a large dining-room, 
 where Mr. Primrose was already seated at table, 
 and also his aunt, a delicate-looking woman, 
 just as cold and precise as his uncle. She re- 
 ceived him in a manner which she meant to 
 be very gracious, but which Charlie thought 
 very formal, and then the dinner began. Char- 
 lie was very hungry, and if a round of cold roast 
 beef had been set before him then, he would 
 have done ample execution upon it ; but now he 
 felt quite afraid to eat before his precise uncle 
 and aunt, and besides did not mucli like most 
 of the highly-seasoned dishes which were handed 
 round by the majestic footman ; so that he did 
 not make such a good dinner as he could have 
 desired. 
 
 There was very little conversation during 
 dinner, and immediately afterwards Mrs. Prim- 
 rose took him up stairs to the drawing-room, to 
 introduce him to his cousins — the girls at least, 
 for the boys had gone to bed, she said. He 
 found them all sitting upon a sofa in a row, very 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 27 
 
 prim and polite-looking, with low-necked muslin 
 dresses and large bows of ribbon. Near them 
 sat their governess, a tall, learned-looking lady, 
 if anything more formal-looking than his annt ; 
 and indeed Charlie found her out afterwards to 
 be a complete walking handbook of etiquette. 
 The three girls, Maria, Anne, and Florence held 
 out their hands to him, and said, " I hope you 
 are quite well. Cousin Charlie," and tlio gov- 
 erness made him a most magnificent bow. Then 
 ensued a terrible silence, and Charlie sat fidget- 
 ting about in his chair, not daring to speak or 
 move, for fear of doing something which would 
 offend his aunt's politeness. At length, on a 
 sign from Mrs. Primrose, Maria asked Charlie 
 to look at a book of drawings, and in a little 
 they all got on pretty well together, though tlio 
 girls were, in their own way, almost as stiff as 
 their papa and mamma. Mr. Primrose joined 
 them very soon, and then came tea. Charlie 
 thought that now he would be able to make u]) 
 for his deficiency at dinner ; but there was noth- 
 ing to eat but some very thin slices of bread 
 and butter, and he did not think it would look 
 
28 OUDENDALE: 
 
 well to eat too many of these. It was now 
 nearly ten o'clock, and his cousins rising to go 
 off to bed, Charlie was very glad to go also. Ho 
 said good-night, and was conducted to his room 
 by the majestic footman, without whose assist- 
 ance he could never have found it. 
 
 "When the footman had left him, after an- 
 nouncing that the breakfast was at half-past 
 nine, Charlie drew in the great cushioned 
 arm-chair close to the blazing fire, and began 
 to think. He thought that he should like his 
 uncle and aunt and cousins very well, but 
 he wished that they were a little less genteel 
 and polite. One thing he noticed, — that, imlike 
 his mamma, they had no prayers in the evening. 
 He resolved that he should never forget to say 
 his prayers ; for he knew that his mamma would 
 not have liked him to do so. Charlie had been 
 tang'ht the truth, and was not altogether thought- 
 less on the subject of religion ; but, alas ! his 
 heart was still unchanged, and if he ever re- 
 membered his duty to God, it was only from 
 a desire to please his mamma — not from any 
 higher motive. That night, and often, ho 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 29 
 
 prayed that he might become good, like mamma ; 
 for he had a vague and indefinite idea of being 
 *' good ; " but as yet he knew not the Way — the 
 Fountain where he might cleanse himself from 
 the stain and the power of sin. As usual, think- 
 ing about his dear mamma made him melan- 
 choly, and when he lay down in the great four- 
 post feather bed, he could not help crying ; 
 everything was so new and strange, and there 
 was no one to love him. Poor boy ! he felt very 
 lonely in the midst of strangers, and he did not 
 know that there was one Friend near only wait- 
 ing to be called, far above all others, who could 
 and would fill his heart with a more than earthly 
 love. He could not yet throw himself into the 
 arms of his God, confessing that infinite love 
 and infinite wisdom had done all for the best, 
 and saying, in the language of the poet — 
 
 "If Thou sliouldst call me to resign 
 What most I prized (it ne'er was mine), 
 I only yield thee what was thine : 
 Thy will be done. 
 " If but my fainting heart be blessed 
 "With thy sweet Spirit for its guest, 
 My God, to thee I leave the rest: 
 Thy will be done." 
 
CHAPTER HI. 
 
 A NEW HOME. 
 
 Faultily faultless, icily regular. 
 
 Texntson. 
 
 Charlie awoke next morning, and found the 
 sun shilling in his face through the white muslin 
 blinds and rose-colored curtains. He jumped 
 up at once and began to wash himself, though 
 he had some suspicions that he was expected 
 to wait till Robert arrived with a jug of hot 
 water. 
 
 But when he was quite dressed, he did not 
 know what to do next. He wished to go out 
 and look about the house ; but then he did not 
 know the way to the front door, and besides 
 thought that it perhaps was not polite to go out 
 before breakfast. No one appeared to be mov- 
 ing in the house. So for some time he had to 
 content himself by looking out of his window, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 31 
 
 from which he could only see the avenue and 
 the lawn. 
 
 Presently, however, he heard some one mov- 
 ing in the passage, and, opening the door, saw 
 a maid-servant, who directed him to the front 
 door, and he found himself out in the fresh 
 morning air ; and with something of his former 
 light-heartedness, ran off on a tour of inspection 
 all round the house. It was a fine, stately 
 building, with numbers of splendid old horse- 
 chesnut and willow trees round about it, some 
 of which Charlie felt a strong inclination to 
 climb, but was afraid lest he should spoil his 
 new black clothes. Then he went down the 
 avenue, and took a stroll among the fields, 
 where he watched some reapers at their work. 
 Presently the reapers left off to take their 
 breakfast, and this reminded him that he must 
 not be late for his ; and so he turned back and 
 went towards the house, whistling gayly as he 
 went ; for the sunny morning, the blue sky, the 
 pleasant breeze, and the dewy grass had made 
 him quite forget all his unhappincss of the night 
 before. 
 
32 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Just as he arrived in front of the house, he 
 came upon two little boys, about nine and eight 
 years old, who were walking very demurely 
 along the gravel walk. 
 
 " I suppose you are my cousins," said Charlie, 
 stopping and holding out his hand. The 
 younger boy took it with a shy smile, and said 
 nothing; but the elder addressed him very 
 volubly in French. 
 
 " Oui. Je suis Henri. Celui-ciest Augustey 
 
 Charlie was rather astonished at this speech, 
 which indeed he scarcely understood, for his 
 acquaintance with the French language went 
 no further than certain nouns and verbs which 
 had been laboriously drummed into him at the 
 Bath Academy. However, he wanted to make 
 friends with his cousins, and so said, with a 
 pleasant smile : " Come on and let us have a 
 race across the lawn to that big tree there. I'll 
 give you both a start." 
 
 " Non merci^^ said Henry, in a very formal and 
 polite manner. " Nous ne sommes pas pe7*mis 
 (Taller " — " We're not allowed to go on the 
 grass ; that is what he means," interrupted Au- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 33 
 
 giistus, the younger of the two, who was a 
 merry-looking, rosy-cheeked boy, apparently 
 quite different from all the rest of his brothers 
 and sisters. 
 
 " Eh! mon garcon P'^ shouted the governess, 
 who was coming up behind them and heard this. 
 " Francais, franc ccis, sHl vous plait ^ Auguste ! " 
 
 " Voila Mademoiselle Woodville, qui vous 
 bldme jjour parlant anglais ^^^ remarked Henry, 
 turning to his younger brother. 
 
 Charlie was greatly puzzled at all this, and 
 stood looking at his cousins in real astonish- 
 ment, wondering why they did not speak Eng- 
 lish. But now Miss Woodville came up. 
 
 " Bon jour^ llonsieur Charles ^''^ said she. 
 *• Ces enfants sont defendus de parler anglais 
 avant le diner. Ne parlez pas vous francais ? " 
 
 "I beg your pardon," said Charlie, blushing. 
 
 " Do you not know French ? " 
 
 ^^ No — not much — that is, hardly any. I 
 have begun to learn," stammered he. 
 
 " That is a great pity," said Miss Woodville, 
 in English. " The cliildren are not allowed to 
 speak anything else till dinner-time." 
 
34 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Charlie began to be still more afraid of the 
 terrible gentility of his uncle's family, and to 
 wonder what tv^ouM be the next proof of it 
 which he should meet with ; but just then a 
 gong sounded, which he supposed to be the 
 signal for breakfast ; and so he turned to Miss 
 Woodville and asked if she was going in. " We 
 have had our breakfast already," said she. " I 
 believe you are to breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. 
 Primrose. The breakfast-room is just to your 
 right as you enter the hall." 
 
 Charlie thanked her, and was bounding off, 
 when she cried — 
 
 " Wait one instant, if you please. Excuse 
 me for remarking it, Master Campion, but you 
 should not take leave of a lady in that abrupt 
 manner. I see I shall have to be your instruc- 
 tor in some points of etiquette. See — incline 
 your head gently, and turn gracefully round — 
 so. That is right. Allans nous, mes chers.^^ 
 
 Charlie did as she desired in some confusion, 
 and then went off to the breakfast-room with a 
 terrible suspicion on his mind that he was des- 
 tined to be before long as great a slave to the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 35 
 
 monster etiquette as any of his cousins were. 
 He easily found the breakfast-room, and mot 
 with a kind, though formal as ever, salutation 
 from his uncle and aunt. Then they began 
 breakfast, and Charlie, who was hungry enough, 
 made a meal which quite astonished his delicate 
 aunt, who, however, was pleased to see him 
 have such a good appetite. 
 
 After breakfast the servants were called up, 
 and his cousins came with Miss Woodville, and 
 Mr. Primrose read one or two short prayers out 
 of the Prayer-book, which Charlie couldn't help 
 thinking did not sound like prayers, the way 
 his uncle read them. 
 
 When this short ceremony was ended, Mr. 
 Primrose went to write some letters, and the 
 girls and boys were driven off, like a flock of 
 sheep, by Miss Woodville, to their lessons. 
 They were all obliged to speak French in the 
 forenoon ; so Charlie had no conversation with 
 any of them, except " Bon jour.''^ Mrs. Prim- 
 rose asked him if he cared for reading ; and 
 when he said that he did, she led him to the 
 library, where he found a nice book which gave 
 
36 OUDEND-ALE: 
 
 him occupation till twelve o'clock, when his 
 uncle came and took him out for a walk in the 
 neighborhood. 
 
 At two the children's dinner was served, 
 which Charlie found was understood to be his 
 lunch, as he was elevated to the dignity of 
 dining with his uncle and aunt. There was 
 more conversation among the cousins now, as 
 they were allowed to talk English, except when 
 asking for anything, which had to be done in 
 French ; so they were rather more sociable. 
 But Charlie was always oppressed by a vague 
 dread that he was doing something which Miss 
 Woodville would condemn as contrary to eti- 
 quette ; the more so as he saw with what severity 
 she visited such offences on her pupils. 
 
 " Maria, Maria," she would cry, in a tone of 
 agony, " My dear child, just look how you are 
 holding your fork. You would be taken for I 
 can't tell what if yovi were to hold your fork in 
 that way in good society. Put your finger — 
 so. That will do. Now, you shall be severely 
 punished if I see you holding your fork so 
 again." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 3) 
 
 The next moment it would be — " Augustus, 
 you must not take such large mouthfuls, or I 
 shall have to send you at once up to the nursery. 
 Really it is very sad to see your want of good 
 manners, in spite Of all my exertions to teach 
 you. Henry ! Sit iipright in your chair." 
 
 Charlie rather pitied his cousins, so vigorously 
 did Miss Woodville scold them all dinner-time ; 
 and he wondered what she said when they did 
 anything really bad, such as not telling the 
 truth, or not learning their lessons, if she was 
 so severe upon trifling transgressions against 
 that terrible thing etiquette. Once or twice she 
 looked critically at his fork, or spoon, and his 
 heart sunk within him, but she made no remark, 
 and Charlie breathed freely again. 
 
 After dinner Charlie went out for a walk with 
 his cousins. They were all dressed very ele- 
 gantly, and walked along the road very properly 
 and quietly, not daring to run, nor to climb a 
 bank after wild flowers, for Miss Woodville was 
 with them to remind them of the laws of eti- 
 quette. However, they became very confiden- 
 tial ; and Charlie actually Bticceeded in making 
 
38 OUDENDALE: 
 
 the girls give a faint giggle, by telling tliom an 
 amusing story. This was the first time he had 
 ever seen anything like a laugh or a smile at 
 Primrose Hill. Then he climbed up a tree, to 
 the horror of Miss Woodville and the astonish- 
 ment of the boys. Augustus wanted to try and 
 follow his example, but this Miss Woodville 
 would by no means permit. Indeed, as they 
 went on, Charlie began to get quite frisky, and 
 to let out his spirits, which had been restrained 
 all the morning. He jumped, and climbed, and 
 ran about, in a style which made his well-be- 
 haved cousins stare, and look round dubiously 
 at Miss Woodville, as if to see whether she con- 
 sidered these proceedings to be according to 
 etiquette. 
 
 On their way home they met Mr. Primrose, 
 and he delighted Charlie by informing him that 
 he was to have a pony to ride on every day in 
 future. When they reached the house, the 
 young people were allowed to go and play bag- 
 atelle together. Then at seven Charlie had to 
 go and dine in state with his uncle and aunt 
 and the majestic footman, who always seemed 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 39 
 
 to be looking straight at liim, and silently re- 
 buking him in a solemn, respectful manner for 
 doing something that was not according to 
 etiquette. This at length over, Charlie went 
 with his aunt to the drawing-room, where he 
 sat, almost afraid to move, for fear of breaking 
 some of the beautiful vases and other ornaments 
 with which the room was filled. Then tea and 
 thin slices of bread and butter, and at last bed- 
 time, and the great four-post feather bed once 
 more, which Charlie felt very glad to get to. 
 
 Thus passed the first day at Primrose Hill, 
 and many other following days passed in very 
 much the same way. Charlie generally spent 
 the forenoon in riding about on his pony, and 
 the afternoon walking with his cousins, and 
 learning French and etiquette from Miss Wood- 
 ville. He always had a groom to ride behind 
 him when he went out on his pony. Charlie 
 himself would gladly have dispensed with this 
 mark of dignity, but Mrs. Primrose insisted on 
 it, for she was very much afraid of his getting 
 hurt, and indeed was with difficulty persuaded 
 not to make him promise that he would never 
 
40 OUDENDALE: 
 
 go faster than a slow trot, which promise Charlie 
 would certainly have kept if he had made it ; 
 but, fortunately for him, his uncle interfered, 
 assuring his aunt that the pony was very well 
 behaved, and that there was no danger. 
 
 Charlie and his cousins soon became great 
 friends. He liked Augustus best, though Au- 
 gustus was the worst behaved of them all, 
 according to Miss Woodville. He was always 
 upsetting something, or getting himself hurt, 
 or doing something else which was not etiquette ; 
 but then he was more like a boy, and less like 
 a speaking-machine, than the rest of the family. 
 Henry he did not like at all, for he was what 
 Charlie had been accustomed at the Bath Acad- 
 emy to call a " sneak." He was always running 
 to tell Miss Woodville about any little miscon- 
 duct of his brothers and sisters, a practice which 
 she very foolishly encouraged ; and then he 
 seldom did anything naughty himself — except 
 when there was not ihe remotest chance of his 
 being found out. Mr. and Mrs. Primrose too 
 did all they could think of to make him happy 
 at his new home, and Charlie couldn't help 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 41 
 
 seeing that they were anxious to be kind to him, 
 and hked them. 
 
 And they all liked him too. Even Miss 
 Woodville acknowledged that he would be a 
 very nice boy if he only knew a little more 
 etiquette. His cousins, who were at first aston- 
 ished by his open, merry, boyish manners, were 
 soon quite delighted with him ; and Augustus 
 especially was only happy when he was with 
 his new cousin, who was sometimes allowed, 
 when it was a very fine day, and there was no 
 chance of their wetting their feet, to take them 
 oiit into the park, and run races and play with 
 them. These sports greatly delighted Augus- 
 tus ; but Henry, whenever he got a tumble or 
 any slight hurt, would run off in a state of 
 tears and loud lamentations to Miss Woodville. 
 
 But though they were all very kind, they were 
 terribly stiff and formal and restrained. Char- 
 lie never felt quite comfortable in his new home, 
 but was forever afraid of offending etiquette 
 and the majestic footman, who was always 
 wanting to do everything for him which he 
 would much rather have done for himself. He 
 
42 OUDENDALE: 
 
 longed for a more natural, and less artificial 
 life, for the society of boys of his own age, and 
 above all, for some one to love ; not only to like^ 
 but to love. And, therefore, he was not very 
 sorry when liis uncle wrote to the head master 
 of Oudendale College about him, and received 
 an answer that he could be entered immediately. 
 Then came a great buying of new clothes and 
 other necessaries by Mrs. Primrose, and a gi^eat 
 packing up and preparation ; and in due time 
 Charlie set off for Oudendale with his uncle, to 
 the great sorrow of all his cousins, especially 
 Augustus. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 OUDENDALE COLLEGE. 
 
 " A public hive of puerile resort." — Cowper. 
 
 OuDENDALE COLLEGE is oiie of the youngest of 
 our English public schools, being only some 
 thirty years old ; but nevertheless it is not by 
 any means one of the least useful or prosperous. 
 Its very youth is in one way an advantage to it, 
 as it is untrammelled by any of the ridiculous 
 customs and traditions of older schools, from 
 the discipline and customs of which its man- 
 agers have been able to choose what is good 
 and reject what is bad, at their own discretion. 
 
 Passing through the High Street of the little 
 town of Oudendale, and going about half a mile 
 along the turnpike-road, you come to the large 
 iron gates through which you enter the grav- 
 elled quadrangle of the college. At the right 
 of the gates is the chapel, and on the left the 
 
44 OUDENDALE: 
 
 porter's lodge and racket courts. Up the sides 
 of tlie quadrangle, which is of an oblong shape, 
 are the various schoolrooms and studies, and 
 the boys' sleeping-rooms ; and at the other end, 
 facing the gates, is the hall, where the boys 
 take their meals, and meet for prayers in the 
 evening, or on any other occasion when the 
 head master wishes to address the whole school. 
 In a garden behind the college, and communi- 
 cating with the hall, is the house of the head 
 master, or, as he is generally called, " The 
 Master"; the other teachers being known col- 
 lectively as " the Masters," and individually as 
 " one of the Masters." On the whole, Ouden- 
 dale College was a fine building, though it hst3. 
 not the air of antiquity which gives such a 
 charm to some of our more ancient schools. 
 From the Master's house to the great iron gates, 
 everything about it looked new, and the place 
 might just as soon have been taken for a hospi- 
 tal as for a school, so little of the real scholastic 
 appearance of antiqiiity, of birch, Latin gram- 
 mar, and Greek verbs had it ; on which account 
 Oudendale is rather looked down on by the 
 young gentlemen of Eton and Harrow. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 45 
 
 It was under these gates that Charhe and his 
 uncle found themselves one evening. Charlie 
 was quite sure that he should like school very 
 much ; but, nevertheless, his lieart sank within 
 him as Mr. Primrose pulled the great bell, 
 which made a very loud noise, and rung for a 
 very long time, as if to call all the college out 
 to see the new boy. 
 
 A porter with very bright red hair answered 
 the summons, and, having taken a good look 
 at Charlie, led the way across the quadrangle 
 to the Master's house. 
 
 On their way through the quadrangle two or 
 three groups of boys, who were lounging about 
 it, cast looks of curiosity at Charlie ; but he took 
 very little notice of them, for his thoughts were 
 all occupied in picturing his interview with the 
 great Master of Oudendale. 
 
 " I wonder what like Dr, Eden is ? " he re- 
 marked to his uncle. 
 
 " I have always understood that he is a most 
 accomplished scholar, and a most excellent 
 teacher," said Mr. Primrose. 
 
 But now they passed out of the quadrangle, 
 
46 OUDENDALE: 
 
 and crossing a garden, stood at the door of Dr. 
 Eden's house. Here the porter handed them 
 over to the doctor's own servant, who con- 
 ducted them to his study. 
 
 Dr. Eden was a man such as you do not see 
 every day. Tall and noble-looking, with a high 
 forehead, and bright, thoughtful eyes, which 
 spoke of an intelligent and cultivated mind, no 
 less than his frank, kindly smile, proclaimed a 
 loving and open heart : he seemed particularly 
 suited to the office of guiding and governing 
 the young, in w^iich both affection and severity 
 must be judiciously employed. Nor was his 
 noble character lost upon his pupils, for he was 
 beloved and respected by nearly all ; and even 
 those few who had neither love nor respect in 
 their natures, could not help feeling ashamed 
 before him, and were sometimes even cowed 
 into obedience by a dread of his kindness as 
 much as his sternness. 
 
 It is not necessary for the reader to know 
 what passed between Mr. Primrose and Charlie 
 and Dr. Eden at their interview. It will be 
 enough to say that, like every one else who saw 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 47 
 
 Dr. Eden for the first time, Charlie could not 
 help feeling that he was a man both to be loved 
 and obeyed. 
 
 As Mr. Primrose was going back by the night 
 train, he soon took his leave. Charlie accom- 
 panied him to the gate of Dr. Eden's garden, 
 where he said good-by. His uncle told him 
 that he hoped he would behave himself well and 
 not get punished, which Charlie promised most 
 faithfully that he would, and gave him five sov- 
 ereigns — more money than Charlie had eyer 
 had, at one time, before. 
 
 When his uncle had gone, Charlie returned, 
 as he had been desired, to Dr. Eden's study, 
 and found him sitting with his cousin, Mr. 
 Campion, a young clergyman, whom we have 
 before heard of as l)oing lately appointed a 
 master at Oiidendale. He greeted Charlie 
 kindly, and then they began to examine him as 
 to his attainments, and decided that he should 
 be put in the fourth form. 
 
 " Do you know any boys in the school ? " 
 asked the Master. 
 
 " Yes, sir. I know Hunter Gordon ; and I 
 
48 OUDENDALE : 
 
 know — a little at least — a fellow called Gran- 
 ville Browne." 
 
 Dr. Eden looked at Mr. Campion, and a sign 
 of intelligence, unobserved by Charlie, passed 
 between them. " Gordon is a warm-hearted, 
 impetuous, honest boy," Mr. Campion after- 
 wards said, talking the matter over when Char- 
 lie had left them ; " and though he is not very 
 hard-working, he will do him no harm. As for 
 Browne, he is scarcely a desirable friend ; but 
 if I have judged my cousin rightly, he will soon 
 find that out for himself." 
 
 '' .Well, you will be in the same form as both 
 these boys ; and you shall sleep in the same 
 room as Gordon, so you will not be altogether 
 among strangers at first. I think that room is 
 not quite full." 
 
 " No. There are two beds vacant," said 
 Mr. Campion. 
 
 But now a great bell began to ring, and in a 
 few minutes Dr. Eden and Mr. Campion rose, 
 and taking Charlie with them, passed through 
 a private door into the hall, where the boys 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 49 
 
 and the other masters had now assembled for 
 evenmg prayers. 
 
 We may be sure Charlie felt very uncom- 
 fortable at the consciousness that three hundred 
 pairs of eyes were fixed upon him ; for it is a sad 
 fact that more of the boys were occupied in 
 looking at the new comer than listening to the 
 prayers. Dr. Eden read a chapter, and then a 
 prayer and a collect from the evening service, 
 and then the boys began to troop out again, 
 form by form, to Charlie's great relief. 
 
 The Master beckoned the red-haired porter, 
 and desired him to put Master Campion's lug- 
 gage, which had been sent from the railway 
 station, in room No. 5 of the West House, and 
 send Hunter Gordon to him. 
 
 This young gentleman soon appeared. Out 
 of deference for the Master's presence he did 
 not recognize Charlie, otherwise than by a look 
 out of the corners of his eyes. 
 
 " I believe you two know one another," said 
 
 Dr. Eden. " Will you take Campion to your 
 
 room, Gordon, and look after him for a day or 
 
 two, till he gets used to our ways ? I hope he 
 
 4 
 
50 OUDENDALE: 
 
 will like them ; " then, with a pleasant smile, 
 he shook hands with Charlie and bid him good- 
 night, and so did Mr. Campion. 
 
 " He seems a nice boy, your cousin," said 
 Dr. Eden, as they left the hall. 
 
 " Well, I have not seen much of him. In 
 fact, I met him at his mother's funeral for the 
 first time about a fortnight ago. But I like 
 the expression of his face. I do hope he will 
 get good — real good — at Oudendale." 
 
 " Ay, ay," said Dr. Eden. " I understand 
 you. It will be of little use to him, if he gains 
 all the learning that we have to give, and loses 
 what is infinitely more valuable — his own soul." 
 
 " I feel particularly answerable for his moral 
 welfare," said Mr. Campion, '' as I am now one 
 of his nearest living relations. His mother I 
 know was a most excellent Christian woman, 
 and gave him a good religious education, but 
 now she has been taken away ; and from what 
 I know of Primrose, I fear he is not the man to 
 direct the boy's attention to any matters above 
 those of this world ; though I do not doubt that 
 he is kind and well-meaning. I feel, therefore. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 51 
 
 doubly bound to watch over him. Dr. Eden, 
 we have a great and responsible charge 1 " ex- 
 claimed the young clergyman, ardently, after a 
 moment's pause. 
 
 " It is, indeed," said Dr. Eden, musingly. 
 " Three hundred immortal souls, which we may 
 have the power of influencing either for good 
 or evil. God grant that we may feel the re- 
 sponsibility of our charge, and through his 
 grace fulfil it rightly." 
 
 Mr. Campion sighed, and looked thoughtful. 
 " I desire nothing more than that God would 
 give me strength to spend all my life in this 
 noble work ; but, ah, how weak I sometimes 
 feel ! Is it not discouraging, when we think we 
 have almost won a soul to walk upon the straight 
 and narrow way of life, to see it suddenly slip, 
 and rush once more headlong on the broad way 
 of death ? " 
 
 " We should not be too easily discouraged," 
 said Dr. Eden ; " though I can well sympathize 
 with you in such a case as you have mentioned. 
 Even though we see no immediate reward of 
 our labors, it is our duty to work on, hoping 
 
52 OUDENDALE: 
 
 and praying, and trusting that afterwards our 
 efforts may bear fruit. Many a lad, who may 
 be unimpressed while he remains among us, 
 may remember years after the lessons which we 
 have striven to teach, and may thus be enabled 
 to gain a new heart. God's Word, if we preach 
 it faithfully, will not return unto him void. "We 
 must do our best to plant and water, and God, 
 in his wisdom and love, will give us the in- 
 crease, as seemeth to him good." 
 
 At this moment one of the other masters 
 came up, and interrupted this conversation. It 
 will be seen that Mr. Campion felt that it was 
 his duty to do what he could to teach divine as 
 well as human wisdom ; and who shall say 
 that he was wrong ? Young, ardent, impulsive, 
 with high and lofty views of purity and perfec- 
 tion, — rather too high indeed to be realized in 
 human nature, — he was too often tempted to 
 despond, and would then fly for encouragement 
 to his wiser friend and senior, who had learned 
 by experience to wait and trust and pray. 
 
 But we must see what Charlie and his friend 
 were about. The boys walked very soberly out 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 53 
 
 of the hall^ for the masters had not yet left it ; 
 but when they passed the door, and stood in 
 the cloistered walk which ran round the quad- 
 rangle, Gordon turned to Charlie, and slapped 
 him on the back, crying, — 
 
 " Hallo, old fellow ! who would have dreamed 
 of seeing you here ! How jolly ! " 
 
 " I have left Bath, and gone to live with my 
 uncle, you know." 
 
 " Yes, I know," said Gordon, hurriedly, for 
 he had heard of Mrs. Campion's death, and 
 with instinctive delicacy felt that the subject 
 was one which Charlie would not like to dwell 
 on. " But come along to our room ; I'm so 
 glad you're going to be in it. Isn't the Master 
 a jolly old fellow ? We've a jolly set of fellows 
 in No. 5. I'm sure you'll like Oudendale." 
 
 Rattling on in this manner, Gordon took 
 Charlie's arm, and dragged rather than led 
 him along the cloisters to the door of the " West 
 House," as one of the blocks of sleeping-rooms 
 was called. Then he led the way up two pairs 
 of stairs, and ushered Charlie into a large bed- 
 room, where four or five boys were sitting or 
 
54 OUDENDALE: 
 
 lying in various stages of preparation for bed. 
 Some were curiously inspecting Charlie's lug- 
 gage, which had just been brought up to the 
 room. 
 
 " A new fellow ! " was Gordon's introduction, 
 and then all the boys looked at Charlie. " Here, 
 Campion, you can have either of these two beds 
 you like. I would advise you to take the one 
 nearest the wall ; for Henrys, the monitor, can't 
 very well shy a boot at you there, for fear of 
 smashing a pane of glass." 
 
 Charlie took this prudent advice ; and, by 
 the assistance of Gordon, put his trunk at the 
 head of the bed pointed out to him. Then he 
 sat down on the bed, and began to chat with 
 Gordon and the other boys, and soon they were 
 all very friendly together. 
 
 One thing Charlie had been thinking about. 
 He wondered whether the boys would all say 
 their prayers before going to bed ; for, at all 
 events, he had resolved to do it, as he knew his 
 mother would have wished him to do. But his 
 mind was soon set at rest on this point, for 
 presently Henrys, the monitor, entered, and 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 55 
 
 cried : " Now, then, say your prayers there, and 
 don't be staying up all night." 
 
 At this the boys, Charlie among them, knelt 
 down by their beds and said their prayers, 
 though the ceremony was, in most cases, rather 
 short. Charlie found that there were but few 
 boys in the school who did not say their prayers ; 
 how many really prayed, is a question in which 
 he was not at that time interested. 
 
 When they had all risen from their knees, 
 Henrys said, " Now, look sharp, and tumble 
 into bed ; and if I hear any row, I'll come 
 and—" 
 
 Henrys did not say what he would do, but he 
 shook his head, as if the threat was unspeakably 
 terrible. " Where's Clement ? " he asked, look- 
 ing round the room. 
 
 " He went away to speak to a fellow. He 
 said he would be back in a minute." 
 
 "Well, tell him he had better not let me 
 catch him shying about my pillows again. 
 Hallo ! is that a new fellow ! " 
 
 And taking only this slight notice of Charlie, 
 the great man, who was captain of the room, 
 
56 OUDENDALE: 
 
 went off to his study ; and the other boys, so far 
 from obeying his orders to get into bed imme- 
 diately, gathered together in the middle of the 
 room, and commenced to talk, and to go through 
 gymnastic performances on the bedsteads. 
 
 " What form are you in ? " asked one boy of 
 Charlie. 
 
 " The fourth." 
 
 " Oh ! then you will have Porbury and Cam- 
 pion day about," said the boy, who appeared to 
 have no great reverence for his instructors. 
 " Porbury is a regular old fool, and you. can do 
 whatever you like with him ; but Campion is 
 the fellow to jaw you, if he catches you up to 
 any tricks. He'll give you a sermon an hour- 
 and-three-quarters long. By the by, your name's 
 Campion, didn't you say ? Has he anything to 
 do with you ? " 
 
 " He's my cousin," answered Charlie. 
 
 " Cousin ! I hope he won't favor you, then." 
 
 " Not he. Campion wouldn't do such a low 
 thing for the world," said Gordon. 
 
 At this moment a tall, handsome, reckless- 
 looking boy entered the room. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 57 
 
 " Hallo, Clem ! Henrys has just been looking 
 for you, to blow you up for shying about his 
 pillows last night." 
 
 " Henrys may go and hang himself," growled 
 Clement. " Who's this ? " 
 
 " A new fellow — Campion." 
 
 " Oh, is it ? I am very glad to see you, Mr. 
 Campion," said Clement, with mock politeness. 
 " I hope you are well, sir. How did you leave 
 your dear mamma and your charming sisters ? 
 I know your mamma exceedingly well — hang 
 you, Gordon, what are you kicking me for ? " 
 
 Charlie's face flushed, and the tears rose to 
 his eyes at this thoughtless speech ; but Clement 
 having been brought to understand the state of 
 the case, by repeated kicks and nudges from 
 Hunter Gordon, and by observing Charlie's 
 black clothes, very readily turned the discourse 
 into another channel. 
 
 " You have come to the right place for arts 
 and all sorts of accomplishments," he said. 
 " Eton and Harrow are nothing to us, and there's 
 not a professor in all the country that's fit to 
 hold a candle to Eden — " 
 
58 OUDENDALE : 
 
 " Nor such a donkey as Porbury," said the 
 boy who had spoken before. 
 
 " Johnson, don't speak disrespectfully of your 
 masters," cried Cleipent, looking very stern, 
 which all the other boys seemed to think a very 
 good joke. " What are you all laughing at ? 
 Hallo, Bill ! what's the row ? " 
 
 " I'm going to turn out the gas presently, 
 gentlemen," said the red-haired porter, looking 
 into the room. 
 
 "Is that all?" said Johnson. "I thought 
 you had set the house on fire with that red hair 
 of yours, at least. Come in here, Bill, and be in- 
 troduced to the new fellow." 
 
 Two or three of the boys darted forward, and 
 dragged in Bill, who in fact made no resistance. 
 
 " Mr. Campion, allow me to have the pleasure 
 of introducing you to Mr. "William Harris, com- 
 monly called Bill Rufus, from his brilliant cap- 
 illary attractions ; and also William Tell^ from 
 a disagreeable habit which he has of reporting 
 to the Master things which we wish to be kept 
 secret. You didn't know we had such a his- 
 torical character among us. You may go now, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 59 
 
 Bill ; and if you put out the gas for half an hour 
 yet, woe betide you." 
 
 Bill grinned in answer, and was allowed to 
 escape. In a minute or two, however, he ful- 
 filled his threat, and the whole room being 
 plunged in sudden darkness, the boys had to 
 get into bed as best they might. There was a 
 little conversation in bed, but one by one they 
 said " Good-night," and dropped off to sleep. 
 Charlie stayed awake longer than any of them, 
 so excited was he by the new scene in which he 
 was placed ; and it was not till Henrys had 
 come down from his study at eleven, and retired 
 to his curtained bed at the end of the room, 
 that he too fell asleep. 
 
CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE FIRST DAY AT OUDENDALE. 
 
 " All, happy years ! once more, who would not be a boy I " 
 
 Byron. 
 
 Charlie slept on quite soundly till six o'clock 
 next morning, when he was suddenly awakened 
 by a Liddell and Scott striking him on the head. 
 Not that he knew, of course, what it was ; but 
 in the middle of a very delightful dream, in 
 which Dr. Eden, Bill Rufus, and Miss Woodville 
 all figured as characters, he was conscious of 
 receiving a blow from some hard and weighty 
 substance, and immediately started up, rubbing 
 his head and his eyes. 
 
 " Hallo ! " cried Henrys, who was studying 
 in bed, and who had just thrown the book by 
 which Charlie had been so suddenly awakened. 
 " I didn't intend to hit you. I beg your pardon. 
 I meant it for that sleepy-headed pig beside 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 61 
 
 you. Dale ! " he shouted, at the pitch of his 
 voice, " are you never going to get up ? I 
 have shied a grammar and two Greek plays at 
 you already." 
 
 " What's the matter ? " muttered a little boy, 
 who slept in the next bed to Charlie, sitting up 
 sleepily. 
 
 " Oh, you have really awakened at length, 
 have you ? I thought that I should have to 
 shy a whole library at you, besides bawling loud 
 enough to frighten a field full of jackasses. 
 What's the matter ? The matter is, that I 
 want you to jump up as quick as you like, and 
 get me my classical dictionary." 
 
 " It's terribly cold," remarked Dale, in a 
 tone of remonstrance. 
 
 " I know that, or I should have got up for it 
 myself," answered Henrys, coolly. " There — 
 that's it, with the red edges. Now pick up the 
 books I threw at you, and that will do." 
 
 Dale did as he was bid, and then returned to 
 bed, where he soon fell asleep. As for Charlie, 
 he lay awake, watching the great man, who, 
 having leisurely looked up the word he wanted 
 
62 OUDENDALE : 
 
 in the classical dictionary, raised it as if he were 
 going to throw it at Dale again, but appeared 
 to think better of it, and only let it fall on the 
 floor. 
 
 " You're a new fellow, aren't you ? " re- 
 marked Henrys, in a condescending manner, as 
 he saw Charlie's eyes fixed on him. " What's 
 your name. Is it Smith ? " , 
 
 " No," said Charlie, smiling, for he perceived 
 that the great Mr. Henrys was pleased to be 
 facetious. 
 
 " Brown ? Jones ? Robertson ? Snooks ? " 
 
 " No : Campion." 
 
 " Campion. W'ell, Campion, I hope you in- 
 tend to behave yourself. Do you know who I 
 am ? Did Dr. Eden not specially remind you 
 to obey me implicitly ? " 
 
 " No," said Charlie. 
 
 ''What are you laughing at? That must 
 have been because he was in a hurry, or he 
 would certainly have mentioned it. I am a 
 monitor, sir, and captain of this room, and it's 
 your duty to do whatever I tell you. You saw 
 that that fortunate youth. Dale, had the privilege 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 63 
 
 granted to him just now of getting up to fetch 
 me a book. Don't you wish you were he ? " 
 
 "Not particularly," said Charlie, laughing. 
 
 " That shows your ignorance and want of 
 gratitude ; and if you weren't so near that 
 humbugging window, I should take the trouble 
 to shy another book at you, to convince you of 
 your mistake. The seven gates of Thebes — 
 the seven gates of Thebes — do you know their 
 names ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Then hold your tongue, and don't presume 
 to interrupt me again in my studies ; " and this 
 inestimable monitor returned to his Greek play. 
 
 But their conversation had awakened some 
 of the other boys, who began to sit up, yawning 
 one by one. Presently a bell sounded, pro- 
 claiming that it was half-past six, and some of 
 the boys got up, some lying in bed till the last 
 moment. Charlie was up among the first, and 
 was washing himself, when Bill Rufus put his 
 red head within the door to see if they were 
 awake, and instantly withdrew it again, to es- 
 cape a volley of pieces of soap and brushes 
 which greeted his appearance. 
 
64 OUDENDALE : 
 
 Henrys now began to order the other boys 
 to get up ; and as he enforced his commands by 
 very vigorous threats, they were reluctantly 
 obeyed. He did not get up himself, however, 
 till the very last moment, and had scarcely 
 huddled on his clothes by the time the chapel 
 bell began to ring. 
 
 Charlie was ready in very good time, and at 
 once went oif with Gordon to the chapel, which 
 we have mentioned as being near the gateway 
 of the college. They were in plenty of time, 
 but most of the boys came crowding in just as 
 the bell stopped ringing ; and indeed there 
 were several who did not come up till the door 
 was shut, and consequently were absent from 
 chapel, of which they heard more in the course 
 of the day. 
 
 A portion of the morning service was then 
 read by one of the masters ; and Charlie, who 
 had been always accustomed to reverence, out- 
 wardly at least, the sacred services of religion, 
 was quite shocked by observing the indifferent, 
 and even profane, conduct of many of those 
 around him. Some were whispering together, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 65 
 
 or making signals to boys in the next seat ; some 
 were looking over their lessons ; one boy next 
 him was drawing pictures in his prayer-book, 
 and another was reading on the sly a book 
 which looked very like a novel; while a very 
 large number seemed to be not yet thoroughly 
 awakened, and would have laid down their 
 heads on the desks and gone to sleep if it had 
 not been for the monitors, who made it their 
 duty to preserve a show of decorum by precept, 
 if not in every case by example. 
 
 Whenever chapel was over, the boys hurried 
 out, seemingly glad to have gone through an 
 irksome ceremony. It might be well for those 
 who rule our great public schools, to consider 
 whether compulsory daily attendance upon such 
 sacred services is the best means of creating 
 devout and reverential thoughts about them. 
 
 Charlie stuck close to Gordon, and went with 
 him into the English schoolroom, as the Eng- 
 lish lesson was the first which his form had that 
 day. It is to be observed, that one of the 
 heresies which Oudendale was guilty of in the 
 
 eyes of more ancient schools, was, that she held 
 5 
 
66 OUDENDALE: 
 
 it as a principle that boys ought to be taught 
 their own language, as well as those of long 
 defunct nations. The English master, however, 
 was not a man calculated to interest boys in 
 the subjects which he taught. He was stiff, 
 formal, pompous, and cold (something like Mr. 
 Primrose in a white tie, Charlie thought), and 
 was known among the boys by the expressive 
 name of " Starchey." . He took no notice of 
 Charlie, beyond entering his name in the roll, 
 and telling him that some of the other boys 
 would show him what books were required. 
 This lesson did not last long, and was of very 
 little use, for the teacher seemed utterly incom- 
 petent either to interest the boys, or to compel 
 them to attend. 
 
 At half-past eight came breakfast in the hall. 
 Three hundred boys seated at three long tables, 
 eating as much as healthy boys do eat in as 
 short a time as possible, and at the same time 
 managing to talk a good deal, is a scene which 
 can be more easily conceived than depicted ; 
 and so it will be left to my readers' imagination. 
 The boys all got plenty of rolls and coffee pro- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 67 
 
 vided for them ; and there were very few who 
 added any luxuries of their own, as this was a 
 practice much discouraged by Dr. Eden. 
 
 As has been hinted, breakfast did not last 
 long, and Charlie, who had sat next Gordon all 
 the while, accompanied him into the quadrangle. 
 As he was passing out, he felt some one pull his 
 sleeve, and looking round, saw Granville Browne. 
 
 " How do you do, Campion ? " said that gen- 
 teel youth. " I am glad to see you among us. 
 But, I say," he added, sinking his voice to a 
 whisper, " that's a very low set you've got into — 
 I mean Gordon and those other fellows you 
 were talking to at breakfast. Come along with 
 me, and I will introduce you to Mauricodle." 
 
 " Yes — I want to go after a fellow," said 
 Charlie, moving out, and going up to Gordon. 
 
 " Can't you come with me ? " cried Browne, 
 following him ; but as they came up to Gordon, 
 he turned round and said — 
 
 " Hallo ! Sham, do you know Campion ? " 
 
 " You mind your own business," said 
 Browne, trying to look very haughty, and walk- 
 ing off, while Gordon only laughed. 
 
68 OUDENDALE : 
 
 " That's an awful fool. He's one of the 
 fellows called " The Swells," who always hang 
 on about Lord Mauricodle. Browne goes by 
 the name of " Mauricodle's valet de chambre,^^ 
 or, " Sham," as he's generally called. But 
 now we must go into our schoolroom. It's old 
 Porbury to-day. Won't we have fun ? He's 
 quite mad." 
 
 Charlie was then taken into the fourth-form 
 room, and introduced to Mr. Porbury as a new 
 boy, who entered his name on the rolls, and 
 directed him to sit at the foot of the class, and 
 look on with the next boy. This was a merry- 
 looking boy, whose name, as Charlie discovered 
 from its being written at least six times over 
 the page of Yirgil, from which he was now 
 making a desperate eifort to learn his repetition, 
 was Francis H. Lurn. When he had learned 
 Charlie's name, he stopped learning his lesson 
 to ask — 
 
 " Are you any relation of Campion's — I 
 mean our master ? " 
 
 " Yes. He is my cousin." 
 
 " Is he ? Then I have a good mind to give 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 69 
 
 you a regular good thrashing,"' said Lurn, 
 laughing. " He turned me down to the bottom 
 of the form yesterday, otherwise you should not 
 have had the honor of my society, and I think 
 I ought to make you pay for his misdeeds ; " 
 and, after another fit of laughing, Lurn re- 
 turned to his Virgil. 
 
 The boys belonging to the fourth form came 
 dropping in one by one and took their places ; 
 and when the nine o'clock bell rang, the head 
 boy shut the door, and the lesson began. 
 
 Mr. Porbury was undoubtedly a very learned 
 man — rather too learned, indeed, for his pupils. 
 His mind was quite at home in the most lofty 
 and crabbed kind of atics and ologies, but it 
 was quite incompetent to deal with more trivial, 
 yet not less useful matters. The boys knew 
 well that they might behave to him in a way 
 which no other master would suffer, as he was 
 quite unsuspicious and ignorant of all their 
 tricks. Sometimes he would fall into deep 
 reveries, or fits of absence, of which, it must 
 with sorrow be stated, his pupils were generally 
 not slow to take advantage. He was thought 
 
70 OUDENDALE: 
 
 by them to be a little mad, and certainly had 
 not a great share of that valuable quality, 
 common sense. In fact, though Mr. Porbury 
 was a man of great talents, and one who had 
 written more than one useful and clever book, 
 he was by no means fitted to be a master in a 
 public school. 
 
 Charlie saw at once how he was looked upon 
 by the boys, but resolved not to join in any 
 tricks upon him. Not that our hero's notions 
 of o^bedience and respect to his masters were at 
 this time very strict, but he still felt a tender 
 respect for the teachings of his mother, and had 
 a repugnance to doing anything of which he 
 thought she would not have approved. 
 
 Before the lesson had gone on very far, at a 
 preconcerted signal from one boy, who was the 
 ringleader in all sorts of mischief, most of the 
 boys had laid their books on their knees, and 
 were all busily occupied in twirling their thumbs, 
 which was considered a capital joke. This in a 
 little was exchanged for a simultaneous swing- 
 ing of feet, and then a number of the boys, as if 
 by accident, commenced dropping their books, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 71 
 
 and making as much noise as possible picking 
 them up again. These proceedings greatly 
 disconcerted Mr. Porbury, who however did 
 not understand the true state of the case. 
 Charlie understood it well enough, for he had 
 seen such tricks at the Bath Academy ; but he 
 did not join in any of them. Lurn, however, 
 twirled his thumbs, and swung his feet, and 
 dropped his book, with great glee ; and was 
 always whispering to Charlie something to 
 make him laugh. In fact they were both very 
 idle, and got little benefit from the learned re- 
 marks which Mr. Porbury made upon the les- 
 son. In spite of all his good resolutions, Char- 
 lie could not help liking Lurn, who was so idle, 
 mischievous, and merry. 
 
 The reader must not be kept too long hearing 
 about Mr. Porbury and his inattentive scholars. 
 The schoolroom clock went slowly on till it 
 reached the hour of twelve, when the boys were 
 set free, and snatching their caps, rushed out 
 into the quadrangle. 
 
 Most of the forms were released* at this time 
 from their separate schoolrooms, so that the 
 
72 OUDENDALE: 
 
 quadrangle was quite filled with boys hurrying 
 about in all directions, chattering, laughing, 
 and shouting. Charlie looked about for his 
 friend Gordon, who had taken upon himself to 
 be his mentor in all matters relating to lessons 
 and games, but for some time could not see 
 him. Presently he heard Gordon's voice crying 
 his name from a window above, and running up 
 to their bedroom, found him with some wickets 
 in his hands. 
 
 " What do you say to a game of cricket ? " 
 
 " All right," answered Charlie, by no means 
 loth. 
 
 " Well, just take these wickets, and run over 
 to the field. You can't miss it ; it's right oppo- 
 site the gate. Go as fast as you can, and get a 
 good place to stick in the wickets, and I'll get 
 some fellows to come, and be after you in no 
 time." 
 
 Charlie took the wickets, and went forth to 
 seek the field as directed. "The Field ". was 
 a large enclosed space, which served for a cricket 
 and football ground. Charlie had no difficulty 
 in finding it, for, as Gordon said, it was just 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 73 
 
 opposite the gate of the college on the other 
 side of the road. He eaitered the field by a 
 little wicket gate, through which he saw some 
 other boys going in, and at once began to look 
 about for a good place to pitch the wickets. 
 There were not many boys in the field, as it 
 being now September, cricket was going out, 
 and football had not come in ; so Charlie took 
 some trouble to find out a 'good place, deter- 
 mined to show his new acquaintances how 
 knowing he was in these matters. The uneven 
 ground near the gate, covered with long, thick 
 grass, he at once rejected with scorn, and going 
 towards the centre of the field, he found a spot 
 covered with splendid turf, and quite unoccu- 
 pied, which, congratulating himself on his great 
 good luck and sagacity, he fixed on as a capital 
 place for a game. But he had hardly stuck 
 ,one wicket into the gi^ound before a sixth-form 
 iellow ran up in great wrath. 
 
 -•" Hang you, what are you doing, pitching 
 yov-r jwicket^.on the first eleven ground." 
 
 " I didn't know," began Charlie. 
 
 " Take th^ for not knowing, then," cried 
 
74 OUDENDALE: 
 
 the other, giving him a box on the ear, which 
 made him stagger back two or three paces. 
 Then he snatched up a wicket and was going to 
 strike him with it, when he was arrested by a 
 hand laid on his shoulder, and a voice — 
 
 " What's the matter, Clark ? " 
 
 " Matter ! Here's this young scoundrel se1>- 
 ting up his wickets on the first eleven ground." 
 
 " Don't you know that's not allowed ? " said 
 the new comer, turning to Charlie. 
 
 He was just recovering from the confusion of 
 ideas which Clark's blow had caused in his 
 mind, and was conscious that a tall, pleasant- 
 looking boy was speaking to him, while Gordon 
 and Lurn and two or three others, bat and ball 
 in hand, were looking on in surprise at some 
 little distance off. 
 
 " I didn't know. I only came here last 
 night." 
 
 " Oh, that's it, is it ? Well, you will know in 
 future that you must not venture to pitch 
 wickets here, for that's a most terrible crime," 
 said the tall boy, smiling. 
 
 " Shall I just give him another little reminder 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 75 
 
 of the fact ? " said Clark, motioning to lift up 
 the wicket again. 
 
 " No, no," answered the other, hastily. 
 " You're too violent, Clark," he added, in a 
 lower tone. " It's only a mistake, you see." 
 
 So saying, he walked away, accompanied by 
 Clark, who muttered something about little 
 boys being impudent, and thrashings being good 
 for them, but did not attempt to do anything 
 more to Charlie, who gathered up his wickets, 
 and advanced towards his friends, looking 
 rather chapfallen. 
 
 " What tempted you to pitch the wickets in 
 the first eleven ground ? " cried Gordon. 
 
 "I can tell you what," said Lurn, "if 
 Cholmondeley hadn't come up, you would have 
 caught it sweetly from Clark ; " and Lurn in- 
 dulged in a lively pantomime expressive of 
 Charlie's sufferings and emotions on the sup- 
 posititious occasion to which he referred. 
 
 " Who's Cholmondeley ? " 
 
 " Why, the captain of the school — that fellow 
 who came up and made Clark stop thrashing 
 you." 
 
76 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " He seems a nice fellow." 
 
 " Oh, yes. Cholmondeley is a jolly old chap, 
 but awfully religious ; behaves in chapel, reads 
 the Bible, and so forth," said Lurn, making a 
 comical face. 
 
 But now the other boys had pitched their 
 wickets in a less privileged spot, and the game 
 was begun, and lasted till nearly two o'clock. 
 Dinner was at two, and after dinner afternoon 
 school. Mr. Campion had the fourth form, and 
 proved himself to be an able and energetic 
 teacher ; so Charlie saw that idleness in school 
 was the exception, and not the rule, in Ouden- 
 dale College. Mr. Campion was the proper 
 master of the fourth form, and it was only twice 
 or thrice a week Mr. Porbury heard it. 
 
 After afternoon school, Charlie took a walk 
 with Gordon down into the town, where he 
 laid out part of one of his sovereigns in buying 
 a cricket ball, and sundry articles at the con- 
 fectioner's shop, which need not be enumerated. 
 While the five sovereigns lasted he very often 
 visited that shop, and there were always many 
 of his companions willing to accompany him 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 77 
 
 there, for he was very ready to share all sorts 
 of good things with others. Perhaps it may 
 be said that he wasted his money ; but he was 
 by no means a faultless character, remember, 
 such as we have read of in some story books, 
 where Master Goodboy is represented as be- 
 having, oh, so well, and giving sage and moral 
 advice to his naughty brother. 
 
 At half-past six came tea, and then the boys 
 sat in the various schoolrooms for an hour and 
 a half, except those who had studies, and 
 prepared, or should have prepared, their les- 
 sons. A master sat in every room to keep 
 order and silence till half-past eight o'clock, 
 when he left, and the boys were at liberty to 
 amuse themselves as they liked. On this night 
 they had some very noisy and romping games 
 in the fourth form schoolroom, which Charlie 
 joined in with great glee, and which were no 
 doubt very good fun to the boys, though they 
 sorely distracted poor Mr. Porbury, who was 
 studying in his room above. 
 
 At half-past nine prayers were read in the 
 hall ; and then all the boys who had not at- 
 
78 OUDENDALE. 
 
 tained the dignity of being in the fifth or sixth 
 forms, went off to their sleeping-rooms, which 
 were nearly all in two different parts of the quad- 
 rangle, known as the East and West House. 
 
 Thus was spent Charlie's first day at Ouden- 
 dale, and very much he had enjoyed it. His 
 share of schoolboy troubles was yet to come. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FRIENDS AND FOES. 
 
 " The friends thou hast and their adoption tried, 
 Grapple them to thy soul witli hoops of steel; 
 But do not dull thy palm with entertainment 
 Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade." 
 
 Shakspeare. 
 
 Charlie's first entrance into Oudendale Col- 
 lege was as it were under the protection of 
 Gordon, who prevented him being hoaxed or 
 played tricks on, as new boys sometimes were, 
 and initiated him into the manners and cus- 
 toms of the place. Before long, however, they 
 had had two or three quarrels, as they often 
 had at the Bath Academy, for Gordon's great 
 failing was a very quarrelsome temper. But by 
 this time Charlie was quite able to take care of 
 himself, and had made several other friends — 
 rather too many, indeed. Charlie was too good- 
 natured to refuse his friendship to any one who 
 
80 OUDENDALE: 
 
 sought it, even thougKlie did not much like 
 him ; and there was an innocency and refine- 
 ment about him which, strange to say, attracted 
 those who had a lamentable want of such 
 qualities. Clement, who was one of the most 
 reckless and ill-behaved boys in the school, but 
 who was not without traces of a better nature 
 in his character, took an extraordinary fancy to 
 Charlie, which he himself could scarcely account 
 for. " He's so jolly innocent," he explained to 
 one of his other friends as the cause of this 
 singular attachment. Charlie was often seen 
 walking with Clement, and if he did. not feel 
 inclined to imitate his conduct on all points, at 
 all events he did not show any dislike to him. 
 Granville Browne grew also very intimate with 
 him, though he was a boy whom Charlie did 
 not much care about. But we have seen that 
 he was too good-natured to repulse any one 
 who desired to be intimate with him. So for 
 some time Charlie had a great many compan- 
 ions, but none whom he liked well enough to 
 look upon as his Jidus Achates. 
 
 With his masters, too, Charlie got on pretty 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 81 
 
 well ; though so far from favoring him, Mr. 
 Campion, who generally heard the chief lessons 
 of the fourth form, was rather more than usu- 
 ally strict with his cousin, so afraid was he of 
 being suspected of partiality. Charlie was not 
 a very clever boy, — the only thing he had any 
 particular talent for was writing poetry, — but 
 he was not by any means either very stupid nor 
 lazy ; so that he soon gained and kept a respect- 
 able place in the form — above his friends 
 Gordon and Lurn. Clement, who was not at 
 all stupid, but very idle, was generally to be 
 found at or near the bottom, and Granville 
 Browne about the same place as Charlie. Gran- 
 ville's friend. Lord Mauricodle (Mollycoddle he 
 was generally called) , was also in the fourth form, 
 and rather low down in it too, — a pale-faced, 
 effeminate, stupid-lookmg boy, who learned 
 just as little as possible, and generally amused 
 himself in school, when the Master was not 
 looking, by throwing peas at his particular 
 friends, of whom he had several. Public opin- 
 ion in the school accused these particular friends 
 of taking delight in hanging on to a Marquis 
 
82 OUDENDALE: 
 
 and flattering him. Tiiis they denied ; but, 
 certainly, when Lord Mauricodle threw peas at 
 them, they never threw back again, or at least 
 took care not to hit him, which looked suspi- 
 cious. At all events, the youthful peer and his 
 circle of friends were generally disliked in the 
 school for the airs which they gave themselves, 
 and were called " the Swells." Oudendale be- 
 ing a comparatively new school. Lord Mauri- 
 codle was the only member of the nobility in 
 it, and was therefore made much of by all these 
 tuft-hunters. 
 
 Charlie was fortunate in only making one 
 enemy during his first half at Oudendale. This 
 was a coarse, disagreeable-looking boy call Ed- 
 monds, one of the most stupid and ill-behaved 
 fellows in the fourth form, who ever since he 
 came to the school had bullied all the boys 
 whom he could thrash, and toadied all those 
 whom he could not. 
 
 There is a large playground, known as " the 
 Yard," just outside the college, and communi- 
 cating with the quadrangle, which was used for 
 all sorts of small games — nothing less dignified 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 83 
 
 than cricket or football being permitted in the 
 field. Charlie was one day walking through 
 the yard, when he saw Dale, a third-form boy, 
 whom we have already heard of, following 
 Edmonds, and apparently asking for something 
 which the other seemed unwilling to give. 
 
 " Give me back my knife," Dale was entreat- 
 ing. '• Please do, Edmonds." 
 
 " I'll give it to you another time." 
 
 " But I want it just now; I do, really. You 
 know you promised to give it me back." 
 
 " Yes, but I didn't say when. I'll give it 
 you on the Greek Calends. Go and look up in 
 the dictionary and find out when that is," and 
 Edmonds laughed loudly at this piece of stale wit. 
 
 " What are you two fighting about ? " asked 
 Charlie, stopping as he passed them. 
 
 " I loaned Edmonds my knife, and he won't 
 give it me back again. It's a beastly shame !" 
 cried Dale, his indignation making him forget 
 his fear for Edmonds, who was a great, strong 
 boy, and a notorious bully. 
 
 " Why don't you give him his knife ? " asked 
 Charlie, turning to Edmonds. 
 
84 OUDENDALE : 
 
 " TVliy don't you mind your own business ? " 
 answered he, sulkily. " I'll give it him back 
 just whenever I please." 
 
 " You'll give it him back this very instant," 
 said Charlie, in a cool, firm way, which both 
 amazed and disconcerted the bully, who did 
 not think that Charlie, generally very easy and 
 good-tempered, had so much spirit in him. 
 
 " If you want a thrashing, I'll give you one 
 very soon ; and if you don't, you'll walk off as 
 fast as you like," cried Edmonds, wrathfully. 
 
 " You'll give Dale back his knife," said Char- 
 lie, assuming a hostile attitude. 
 
 At this moment two or three little boys, who 
 had been spectators of the scene, raised the cry 
 of " a fight," and from every side all the boys 
 in the yard came running up. They found 
 Edmonds in a terrible rage, while Charlie stood 
 opposite to him, quite cool, though slightly 
 flushed ; fox, to do him justice, he was coura- 
 geous enough, and was not at all frightened at 
 his blustering opponent, who looked far bigger 
 and stronger. 
 
 " A fight ! A fight ! Make a ring ! What's 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 85 
 
 it about ? Come on now, Edmonds ! Stand 
 up to liim, Campion ! " These were the con- 
 fused cries of the crowd which had instantly 
 gathered round them, and Charlie found him- 
 self just on the point of beginning a regular 
 fight with Edmonds, in which he certainly did 
 not seem likely to come off best. But before a 
 blow had been struck, the ring was broken 
 through by Cholmondeley and Henrys, who had 
 happened to be passing by at the time. 
 
 "Stop now," cried Cholmondeley. "There 
 is to be no fighting. What's this all about ? " 
 
 A dozen voices were instantly raised, giving 
 various accounts of the quarrel, but among the 
 hubbub Cholmondeley managed to find out the 
 true state of the case from Dale, and turning to 
 Edmonds, said : 
 
 " I see this is all your fault. You give that 
 knife back again to Dale immediately, and be 
 thankful that I don't give you a good thrash- 
 ing." 
 
 Edmonds sulkily obeyed, muttering, " I was 
 going to have given it to him." 
 
 " You should have given it to him when he 
 
86 OUDENDALE: 
 
 asked for it. Now if I catch you bullying any 
 more, or fighting with Campion or anybody 
 else, you won't get off so easy." 
 
 " So you had just better look out," added 
 Henrys, who did not approve of any one but 
 himself tyrannizing over smaller boys. 
 
 And so speaking, the two sixth-form boys 
 strode off. 
 
 '' He must be a plucky fellow, that Campion, 
 to stand up to a great big brute like Edmonds," 
 remarked Henrys. "It's almost a pity you 
 stopped it." 
 
 " You know it is Dr. Eden's wish that we 
 should stop all fights." 
 
 " Well, hang it, Cholmondeley, why are you 
 so conscientious ? You should shut your eyes 
 whenever you are not obliged to see." 
 
 Cholmondeley looked rather grave, but said 
 nothing. • 
 
 Edmonds did not attempt to renew, or rather 
 to begin, the light, for he knew that Cholmon- 
 deley would keep his word ; so the only result 
 of the affair was, that Charlie got a great deal 
 of credit for his pluckiness in standing up to 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 87 
 
 such a big fellow as Edmonds, and became more 
 of a favorite than ever. 
 
 But Edmonds from this time lost no oppor- 
 tunity of showing that he had conceived a most 
 rancorous hatred towards him. 
 
 When Mr. Campion, who took a greater in- 
 terest in Charlie than he was aware of, heard 
 of this quarrel, and the reason of it, he was not 
 much displeased, for he saw that Charlie had 
 the right on his side, and was glad to think 
 that he was brave and generous enough to 
 stand up for the weaker side. But he was not 
 by any means pleased at the character of some 
 of Charlie's companions. Gordon and Lurn he 
 was not so much afraid of, for theirs were only 
 the usual faults of boys ; but from Clement, 
 Browne, and some others of that set, he feared 
 his cousin would learn some pernicious habits 
 which might be his ruin. Clement had already 
 narrowly escaped expulsion for being found in 
 a low public house ; and scarcely a day passed 
 but what he had to be punished for something 
 or other. Granville Browne and " the Swells " 
 thought themselves more refined and altogether 
 
88 OUDENDALE: 
 
 superior to the other boys of their age, and to 
 prove it, were accustomed to laugh at all virtue 
 and to endeavor to imitate many of the vices 
 and follies of their elders. " The Swells " 
 would have been insulted to have been called 
 " boys " ; most of them thought themselves 
 " young men," though they were only fourteen 
 or fifteen years old. 
 
 Mr. Campion, therefore, did not think that 
 Charlie would get any good from these com- 
 panions ; and having asked Mm to tea one half- 
 holiday, gave him, what Charlie thought, a very 
 long and wearisome admonition upon this and 
 other points. We have seen that Charlie did 
 not care very much for any of these boys, and 
 only remained in their society because he would 
 not take the trouble to avoid it ; but in spite of 
 his good nature, there was a grain of obstinacy 
 and wilfulness in his character, which made 
 him resent his cousin's attempt to meddle with 
 his friendships. So he listened in silence to Mr. 
 Campion's advice, and was more than ever to 
 be seen in company with the boys whom he 
 had warned him against. Mr. Campion noticed 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 89 
 
 this, and felt very much grieved and discour- 
 aged. 
 
 Charlie did not at first get as much harm 
 from these companions as another hoy might 
 have done. There was a certain purity of 
 thought in him which px^eserved him to a cer- 
 tain extent from the contagion of evil. Though 
 he showed no sign of disgust at the sinful con- 
 versation and the bad habits in which most of 
 them delighted, he was by no means inclined 
 to imitate them, and even rather disliked many 
 of those with whom he seemed to bo on tho 
 most friendly terms. Though he had many 
 companions, he often thought he would like to 
 exchange them all for one real friend, ono 
 loving and sympathizing heart, which would 
 help to fill up the void his mother's death had 
 made in his own. Often recurring thoughts of 
 her goodness and gentleness and love kept him 
 from much of the evil by which he was sur- 
 rounded ; but as yet he had no thought of tho 
 Friend whom she had found, loving and con- 
 soling above all others. 
 
 The only fellow whom Charlie thought he 
 
90 OUDENDALE. 
 
 could really like was Lurn, who was a remarka- 
 bly generous and honorable boy, and had many 
 other good qualities ; he was also rather mis- 
 chievous ; but this proceeded from a mere love 
 of fun and merriment rather than from a bad 
 disposition. But he kept this attachment a 
 secret for some time, though it grew every day. 
 
CHAPTER YII. 
 
 "HOT COALS." 
 
 " 'Tis thus that on our choice of friends 
 Our good or evil name depends." 
 
 Gat. 
 
 It has been mentioned that Charlie did not 
 get so much harm from his bad companions as 
 many others would have done. For some time 
 he always declined to accompany them to public- 
 houses and other forbidden places, and he never 
 allowed himself to swear, or to take any part in 
 improper conversations, though he made no 
 pretensions to superior virtue. But still, he 
 was not altogether unharmed by this tainted 
 atmosphere; and day by day his respect for 
 his mother's memory, and for the lessons which 
 she had taught him, was decreasing. " Can 
 one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be 
 burned ? " 
 
92 OUDESTDALE: 
 
 For some time Charlie would never learn his 
 lessons in any dishonorable way, as Clement, 
 Granville Browne, and most of his other as- 
 sociates did. He looked up all the words in 
 his grammar and dictionary, and even though 
 a crib might be lying just beside him, he never 
 looked into it. 
 
 One day, however, being unexpectedly called 
 up to construe by Mr. Campion, when he had 
 not learned the lesson very perfectly, he got 
 up in great confusion, and having stammered 
 out the Latin, seemed likely to break down at 
 the translation, Clement, who was sitting next 
 him, took advantage of Mr. Campion's eye 
 being turned away for a moment to slip into 
 his hand a piece of paper, containing an English 
 translation of the passage which they were 
 reading. Charlie did not refuse it, but put it 
 into his book, and then began to translate from 
 it. Mr. Campion, who had suspected from the 
 way in which he had begun the translation that 
 he did not know it, was now surprised to hear 
 him reading so fluently, and at first looked to 
 see whether he was not being prompted by some 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LITE. 93 
 
 one near him. But they were all silent, and 
 still Charlie went on turning the Latin into 
 most excellent grammar, and using most elegant 
 words, contrary to the usual custom of school- 
 boys ; for Charlie was not skilled in deceiving, 
 and had not the cunning to alter a little^ the 
 grandiloquent language of the " crib." When 
 he had finished, ^h\ Campion said, looking him 
 in the face, 
 
 " Were you reading that from a translation ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," answered Charlie, after a little 
 hesitation, growing very red. 
 
 A look, half of anger, half of grief, passed 
 over Mr. Campion's face, for his ideas of honor 
 being most strict and scrupulous, it gave him 
 great pain to see any one whom he took an 
 interest in acting dishonorably. But this passed 
 off in an instant, and stretching out his hand, 
 he said, in a quiet voice, 
 
 " Give it to me." 
 
 Charlie, blushing still more, and not darmg 
 to look him in the face, took the leaf of the 
 translation out of his book, and handed it to 
 him. 
 
94 OUDENDALE : 
 
 " Are you in the habit of using this ? " 
 
 " No, sir," answered Charlie, more confi- 
 dently, for he was only telling the truth now. 
 
 "Whose is it?" 
 
 Charlie made no answer, and indeed would 
 nev^er have brought Clement into a scrape ; but 
 Clement at once rose, and said, in a jaunty, 
 defiant manner, 
 
 " It is mine. I gave it to Campion. I am 
 in the habit of using it." 
 
 Mr. Campion almost lost his temper at this ; 
 not only because of Clement's impertinence, 
 but because of the harm which he was doing 
 to his cousin; but he restrained himself, and 
 tearing up the paper into bits, said, 
 
 " You will Ijoth go to Mr. Horsley at twelve 
 o'clock, and be caned. I fear I cannot in 
 future trust to the honor of either of you." 
 
 With this, motioning to Charlie to sit down, 
 Mr. Campion turned to another boy, and or- 
 dered him to go on. But though he seemed 
 indifferent, in his heart he was deeply grieved 
 at this. Charlie was also in no very happy 
 frame of mind — though he was not so much 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 95 
 
 anuoyed at having to be punished, as ashamed 
 of having been found out doing such a dishonor- 
 able action. 
 
 At twelve o'clock Mr. Campion gave the two 
 boys a note, and sent them off to Mr. Horsley's 
 room. Mr. Horsley was the Senior Master, the 
 next in authority to the Master, Dr. Eden. It 
 was his duty to inflict all floggings and canings ; 
 and at twelve o'clock a number of boys might 
 often be seen waiting at his door, with notes 
 from the various masters detailing their faults. 
 This ridiculous custom Dr. Eden soon after- 
 wards abolished, and gave to all the masters 
 the right of punishing in their own schoolrooms. 
 Mr. Horsley indeed was not a man to be much 
 trusted with the power of the rod. He was 
 very choleric, or what schoolboys call " waxy," 
 and hasty ; so that the punishment of any 
 ofiender was determined, not so much by his 
 own deserts, as by the state of Mr. Horsley's 
 temper on that particular forenoon. 
 
 As Charlie and Clement made their way 
 across the quadrangle, in company with Lurn, 
 who was also sent up for a caning by Mr. 
 
96 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Campion, thej were favored by some of the 
 others with intelligence by no means calculated 
 to inspire them. 
 
 " Are you fellows going up to Horsley ? " 
 asked one boy. 
 
 " Yes. We are going to decline the verb 
 ca^o," said Lurn, who could never resist a joke. 
 
 " Then I can tell you I wouldn't like to be 
 in your skins. Horsley is as waxy as a mad 
 bull to-day. Won't you catch it?" 
 
 " I'll cheat the old fool," cried Clement, with 
 an oath. " Come on, and let us put something 
 up our backs, under our jackets : he'll never 
 find out." 
 
 " Not I. I'm going to have no more non- 
 sense," said Charlie, rather sulkily, for he was 
 vexed both with Clement and with himself. 
 
 " Nor I," added Lurn. 
 
 " Well, don't go in for a little. I'll be back 
 in a moment ; " and Clement darted off, leaving 
 his companions just at the door of Mr. Horsley 's 
 room, where there was only one little boy in the 
 second form, who was waiting in fear and 
 trembling, and had not yet summoned up 
 courage to knock. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 97 
 
 " What's that fellow Clement going to be up 
 to now ? " observed Liirn. " He had better 
 look out what tricks ho plays on Horslej, or he 
 may find him just a little too sharp." 
 
 Presently Clement came running back, and 
 then they knocked at the door. 
 
 " Come in," cried a loud, gruff voice, and 
 the four boys entering, with Clement at their 
 head, found themselves in the presence of the 
 terrible Mr. Horsley, a stout, red-faced man, 
 who read the notes which they brought from 
 their masters, and then took out his cane. 
 
 First he caned the second-form boy, who 
 brought a very long list of offences from the 
 French master ; but Mr. Horsley smiled rather 
 grimly on reading it, for the French master was 
 given to magnify very small matters into hei- 
 nous crimes, and this had been the case in the 
 present instance ; so he merely gave him one or 
 two strokes, and sent him off much relieved, 
 to boast among his companions of the terrible 
 thrashing which he had just received. Then 
 Mr. Horsley told Clement to stand out; and 
 
 even Charlie, in his discontented humor, could 
 7 
 
98 OUDENDALE : 
 
 scarcely help smiling, when, at the first stroke 
 of the cane across Clement's shoulders, one of 
 two copy-books, which that ingenious youth 
 had stuffed up his back, underneath his jacket, 
 became loosened, and fell to the floor. As 
 for Lurn, he could not restrain himself from 
 a burst of laughter. But the effect on Mr. 
 Horsley was to put him in a great passion, and 
 he thrashed away with all his might at Clement, 
 till not only the other copy-book had fallen out, 
 but the boy lost his defiant and careless manner, 
 writhed about, and by biting his lips, scarcely 
 prevented himself from giving utterance to a 
 cry of pain, which he had often boasted no flog- 
 ging had yet ever wrung from him. 
 
 " I will teach you, sir, to practise your tricks 
 on me," he cried, angrily. 
 
 " I thought I might do it," said Clement, 
 who, though nearly mad with pain, had still 
 the unblushing impudence to tell a deliberate 
 and evident lie, which only increased Mr. Hors- 
 ley's wrath. At length he stopped, and indeed 
 it was time, for Clement's back was afterwards 
 found to be striped like a tiger's. Then he 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 99 
 
 turned to the other two, and it must be con- 
 fessed that, though tliey were not by any means 
 cowards, they did not feel very comfortable. 
 However, Mr. Horsley's wrath seemed to have 
 been exhausted on the unfortunate Clement, for 
 he only gave them each a few cuts, and sent 
 them all off. 
 
 This was the first, but it was far from being 
 the last caning which Charlie received from Mr. 
 Horsley. Indeed, he was sent up to that gen- 
 tleman's room rather frequently ; and in due 
 time came to look upon a caning, unless it was 
 rather more severe than usual, as a mere joke. 
 Clement once offered to make a bet with him, 
 as to which of them should get more canings 
 before Christmas, but Charlie would not bet ; 
 nor indeed did he care to do wrong merely for 
 the sake of doing wrong and getting punished, 
 as Clement seemed to do. 
 
 Mr. Campion saw Charlie's conduct with 
 great sorrow. He very often had long talks 
 with Cholmondeley, and sometimes told him 
 of his anxiety about Charlie. This anxiety he 
 carefully concealed from any one else, and he 
 
100 OUDENDALE : 
 
 never addressed Charlie in any more familiar 
 manner than he did the other boys : perhaps he 
 was even more constrained towards him, and 
 more severe towards his faults, so afraid was he 
 that he should seem to " favor " his relation. 
 
 " You don't know how discouraged I feel 
 about that boy," he said to Cholmondeley one 
 night. " He has so much in him that is truly 
 amiable and beautiful, and yet he seems to be 
 fast becoming one of the worst-behaved boys in 
 the school. Both yesterday and to-day I had 
 him caned for being unprepared with his Vir- 
 gil, and misbehaving in school. I must send him 
 up to Dr. Eden soon, if this goes on. I do wish 
 that I could get him away from some of those 
 friends of his. They will be the ruin of him." 
 
 " Don't you think that perhaps we need not 
 be so discouraged after all ? " said Cholmon- 
 deley, in that modest, half-reluctant manner 
 with which a true Christian offers his opinion 
 to one who is older and wiser than himself. 
 " He might have associated with very well- 
 behaved boys, and been outwardly well-behaved 
 himself, while his heart would be still unchanged. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY T.IFE. 101 
 
 Perhaps God may be taking his own way to 
 work his own work within him." 
 
 '' True, true. His ways are not as our ways, 
 nor his thoughts as our thoughts. God often 
 works good by what appears to us to be evil, 
 and it is sinful of us to distrust him. May he 
 change Charlie's heart." 
 
 Cholmondeley was one among a thousand. 
 It would be well for all our schools if such boys 
 were at their heads. Brave, agile, generous, 
 talented, with all the qualities which command 
 the respect and admiration of boys, he had also 
 sought his Creator early, and his heart was 
 filled with his precious love. The amount of 
 good which a boy placed in his position has it 
 in his power to do, is incalculable ; and Chol- 
 mondeley deeply felt his responsibility, and, by 
 God's help, earnestly sought to do good in the 
 school, both by precept and example. His 
 brother monitors were shamed into doing their 
 duty by the influence which he had over them, 
 though many of them were quite unfit for the 
 posts which they occupied. No one ever ven- 
 tured to utter an oath, or to plan anything 
 
10^ . 0rjUF2;ifALE: 
 
 wrong, before Cholmondeley. Some of the boys 
 pretended to laugh at him for being " a saint ; " 
 but, nevertheless, they all felt that there was 
 something about liim — a superiority in his 
 character and principles — wliich they must 
 respect though they could not appreciate. 
 
 The first time Cholmondeley saw Charlie af- 
 ter this conversation with Mr. Campion, he 
 called him aside, and said, in a pleasant 
 manner — 
 
 " I say. Campion, I have twice saved you 
 from getting a thrashing." 
 
 " Twice ! " cried Charlie, laughing. " Only 
 once, you mean. You don't think Edmonds 
 would have licked me, do you ? " 
 
 " At all events you are in my debt. Now, I 
 want to ask you a favor." 
 
 " All right. What is it ? " 
 
 " I want you to learn your lessons better, 
 and not get punished so often." 
 
 Charlie looked up at him with a comical smile. 
 
 " I am not joking," said Cholmondeley, more 
 gravely. " When your cousin, Mr. Campion, 
 takes so much pains with you, you ought to try 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 103 
 
 and do your best not to give him trouble. Don't 
 you tliink I am right ? " 
 
 " Well — yes. I will try and learn my les- 
 sons better, and all that sort of thing." 
 
 " Another thing Mr. Campion is sorry to see 
 is, that you have got some friends who will do 
 you no good." 
 
 " What does he know about it ? " 
 
 " He sees you constantly associating with 
 them." 
 
 " Well, perhaps they aren't very well-behaved 
 fellows ; but I needn't do what they do, unless 
 I like," 
 
 Cholmondeley saw that it would be injudicious 
 to say anything more on the subject ; so, after a 
 few more trifling remarks, he walked away, 
 pleased with Charlie's frankness, yet sorry for 
 his obstinacy in opposing Mr. Campion's wishes, 
 for Cholmondeley saw enough of Charlie's 
 character to know that he could have no very 
 warm love for wicked boys like Clement, and 
 foolish ones like Granville Browne. 
 
 " I think we had better leave him alone," he 
 said to Mr. Campion ; " and I have no doubt 
 
104 OUDENDALE. 
 
 that lie will get disgusted with some of his 
 worst companions, of his own accord." 
 
 For a time at least Charlie kept his promise 
 to Cholmondeley : he became much more dili- 
 gent in his lessons, and behaved better in school, 
 but he was not less intimate with Clement, and 
 others of the same stamp. 
 
CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 "THE SWELLS." 
 
 "In cute curanda plus aequo operata juventus." 
 
 Horace. 
 
 " Your Lordship and Your Grace ! what school can teach 
 A rhetoric equal to those parts of speech ? 
 What need of Homer's verse, or Tally's prose — 
 Sweet interjections! — if he learn but those." 
 
 COWPER. 
 
 AxLUSiON has been made to a small clique of 
 young gentlemen, nicknamed " The Swells," 
 who thought themselves immensely superior to 
 all the other boys of their own age. Tliese 
 young gentlemen, when they did go out of the 
 college, seldom did anything but lounge up 
 and down the one or two chief streets of Ou- 
 dendale, looking in at the shop-windows, star- 
 ing superciliously at the passers-by, and laboring 
 under the delusion that everybody was admiring 
 them. Lord Mauricodle was a sort of sover- 
 
106 OUDENDALE: 
 
 eign among the swells, and Granville Browne 
 was his chief toady. There was another boy 
 called Harrison, who had a reputation for being 
 funny, and who was attached to Mauricodle in 
 the quality of buffoon, just as long ago a 
 prince used to have his jester. 
 
 One Saturday afternoon these three asked 
 Charlie to come out with them, and he was too 
 good-natured to refuse, though he had no am- 
 bition to be reckoned among the number of 
 Lord Mauricodle's retinue. First they went to 
 a pastrycook's shop in Oudendale, and regaled 
 themselves on ices, tarts, and toffee, all which 
 Mauricodle desired the shopkeeper, in a con- 
 descending manner, to put down to his " tick." 
 Then they entered a tobacco-shop, and Browne 
 asked for one of the best cigars, and began 
 smelling and examining most critically a bundle 
 which the tobacconist handed him. 
 
 " Ah, these are real Havanas, Evans, aren't 
 they ? " said he, looking sagely at them. 
 
 "Keal Havanas, sir, and no mistake," said 
 Evans, winking at another customer, who was 
 sitting smoking beside the counter. " They're 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 107 
 
 part of a splendid lot tiiat I have got straight 
 from Cuba, and only four shillings a dozen." 
 
 " How very cheap ! " exclaimed both Maiiri- 
 codle and Browne. 
 
 " Yes, my lord, it's not in every shop that 
 you would get such cigars so cheap." 
 
 " Give me half a dozen to try," said Browne. 
 " Mauricodle, if you've got your purse, I wish 
 you would pay for them, for I have forgot mine." 
 
 Mauricodle paid for the cigars, and they left 
 the shop. 
 
 "I wish I could get everybody to give me 
 four shillings a dozen for cabbage leaves," said 
 the tobacconist to his customer, when the boys 
 were gone. 
 
 They were now joined by two or three more 
 of the swells, who had been showing themselves 
 off in another street, and sauntered down to a 
 secluded spot beside the river, where there was 
 no likelihood of their being seen by any of the 
 masters. Charlie took a cigar, and pretended 
 to smoke it, but he blew all the smoke out of 
 his mouth always, without swallowing it, for he 
 was terribly afraid of being sick, remembering 
 
108 OUDENDALE: 
 
 the unhappy end of a previous attempt of his 
 to smoke a pipe. 
 
 " What do you say to go and have a game 
 at billiards," remarked Browne. " WiU you, 
 Campion ? " 
 
 " Where could you play ? " asked Charlie. 
 
 " Oh, we'll easily find a table if you'll have a 
 game." 
 
 " I don't care about it," said Charlie, evasively. 
 
 " It's the jolliest game possible," drawled 
 Mauricodle. " Isn't it Browne ? " 
 
 " Of course it is. Won't you have a game, 
 Campion? We'll take you to a place where 
 we always go to play." 
 
 " And we'll send our compliments to Dr. 
 Eden, and ask him to join the game," said 
 Harrison, at which Mauricodle and Browne 
 began to laugh. 
 
 " I'll tell you a good joke," Mauricodle said. 
 "The last time my governor was here, Eden 
 told him that he felt confident there was no 
 such thing as a billiard-table in the town, or if 
 there were, he knew that he could trust to our 
 honor not to go near it. I very nearly burst 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 109 
 
 out laughing. You see the governor had no- 
 ticed how well I played, and he wondered 
 where I got the practice." 
 
 " What a joke ! " exclaimed the swells in 
 chorus. 
 
 " I must say I never saw such neat cannons 
 as you make sometimes, Mauricodle," remarked 
 Browne. 
 
 " Do you think so ? " said Mauricodle, highly 
 gratified. " I can't help laughing, though, 
 whenever I think of Eden's simplicity. But 
 Eden's a jolly old fellow, as jolly as any head 
 master I ever heard of." 
 
 " Just fancy if Old Starchey were the Master," 
 said one fellow. 
 
 " The old beast ! I should cut Oudendale if 
 he were." 
 
 " One thing I like about Eden is, that he 
 always treats us like gentlemen, and trusts to 
 our honor," said Browne. " Now Old Starchey 
 is as suspicious as if we were all cads. The 
 other day when I showed up my essay, he hinted 
 pretty broadly tliat he thought I had copied a 
 lot of it from Miller's, because they were so 
 
110 OUDEN-DALE: 
 
 like. Now I never saw Miller's essay, and I 
 told him so, and I think it was a horrid insult 
 to me to doubt my word. Hang it, a fellow 
 has no right to doubt a gentleman's honor." 
 
 " Of course not," said Harrison. 
 
 " But even though Starchey is so suspicious, 
 he's very easily taken in," remarked one fellow. 
 
 " I'll tell you a capital trick I played on him 
 the other day," said Harrison, chuckling. "Do 
 you remember that map of Europe which he 
 gave us to draw ? Well, I got a sheet of thin 
 paper and laid it on the atlas, and traced it off. 
 Starchey never twigged, and gave me no end of 
 marks for it." 
 
 " I never thought of that," exclaimed Browne, 
 regretfully. " I did mine so horribly ill, too." 
 
 " Look ! Look at the pheasants," suddenly 
 exclaimed Charlie, as two pheasants rose in a 
 cornfield on the other side of the river, took a 
 short flight, and disappeared into a wood close 
 
 by- 
 
 " That wood must be swarming with pheas- 
 ants," said Harrison. " We'll get a splendid 
 haul of eggs out of it next year." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. Ill 
 
 " What will you do with them ? " asked Charlie, 
 innocently. 
 
 " Eat them, of course. We'll have jolly sup- 
 pers on half-holiday nights, when there's no 
 preparation ; and then we give a small cad 
 sixpence to bring us a pocket full of pheasants' 
 eggs. They are delicious." 
 
 " My father says that before long there will 
 be no more pheasants left in the country," said 
 a very flashily-dressed boy called Jarley, who 
 aspired to be considered a sporting character. 
 " The cads round about us are the most fearful 
 poachers you ever saw, though there's scarcely 
 a week passes but some of them are sent to jail 
 for stealing eggs or killing game." 
 
 " What a horrid lot they must be," said 
 Mauricodle. " The people near us are just as 
 bad ; but then we keep a tremendous lot of 
 keepers, who watch all the nests, and keep 
 fellows out of the grounds. I would like to see 
 a fellow try to bone eggs out of our grounds ; 
 he'd find himself caught pretty soon and sent 
 to prison." 
 
 " And serve him right too," said Browne, " I 
 
112 OUDENDALE: 
 
 think poaching ought to be very severely pun- 
 ished ; for if a fellow's a poacher he's capable 
 of doing anything." 
 
 This sentiment greatly pleased the aristocratic 
 assemblage, except Charlie, who was puzzling 
 his brains to find out why a boy who stole 
 pheasants' eggs was to be " severely punished," 
 and " capable of doing anything," while the 
 young gentlemen who gave him sixpence to do 
 it, were to testify their disapproval of his crime 
 in such an edifying manner. 
 
 After a while they rose, and throwing away 
 their cigars, began to saunter back through the 
 town. 
 
 Now Mauricodle was going to tea with Mrs. 
 Eden that evening, and he had determined to 
 appear in a fine new suit of clothes ; for this 
 young nobleman was remarkably vain about his 
 personal appearance. Passing the tailor's, he 
 called in to ask if his suit were ready. It was 
 quite ready, but the tailor could not possibly 
 spare a man to take it up to the college till 
 seven o'clock, by which time it would be too late. 
 
 " What a bore ! " drawled his lordship. " I 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 113 
 
 really can't walk through the town with a great 
 parcel like this under my arm. Couldn't wo get 
 a porter or some fellow to carry it up ? " 
 
 " Here ; we'll give it to Holston and White," 
 said Browne, as he saw two small, lower school- 
 boys hurrying past in the street. " Hallo ! 
 Stop, there." 
 
 The two little boys stopped, and came up to 
 the shop door. 
 
 " What do you want, Browne ? " 
 
 " One of you two raust carry up a parcel to 
 the college for us." 
 
 " But I am in a fearful hurry," remonstrated 
 White ; " I have an impo' to write before tea, 
 and I haven't a minute to spare." 
 
 " Why can't you carry your parcels your- 
 selves ? " added Holston, more boldly. 
 
 " Hold your tongues, you little fools. If you 
 don't carry the parcel, without saying another 
 word about it, you'll get a good thrashing.'* 
 
 Holston and White did not dare in the face 
 of his threat to refuse ; and when the parcel 
 was made up it was given them to carry, and 
 they were made to walk behind the rest. 
 8 
 
114 OUDENDALE: 
 
 "It's good for little boys to work for their 
 superiors," Harrison remarked. 
 
 Before the party reached the college gates, 
 Clarke came running out of the field in a great 
 state of excitement. 
 
 " We're fixing up the goal posts for football, 
 and we want two or three more fellows to help. 
 Harrison, Campion, and Browne, come along." 
 
 " All right," said Charlie, willingly. 
 
 " Don't you wish you may get it," cried 
 Harrison. 
 
 " Come along, or I'll make you," said Clarke, 
 roughly seizing Browne by the arm. 
 
 " Leave me alone, you bully." 
 
 " Who's buUjdng you ? " asked Clarke. 
 
 " You are. It's bullying to make fellows go 
 anywhere against their will." 
 
 "Stuff! " 
 
 " What do you call making us carry your 
 parcel," cried little Holston ; " isn't that bul- 
 lying ? See, Clarke, they made us carry this 
 from the town behind them, when we wanted 
 to get home as fast we could." 
 
 " More fools you to do it, then. But you 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 115 
 
 fellows must come, or we'll take you by force. 
 Cholmondeley sent me to get fellows to help 
 
 us:: 
 
 And another monitor coming up just then, 
 Harrison, Browne, and Jarley were forced to 
 go to the field and help, though much against 
 their will, and Harrison had the additional 
 pleasure of hearing little Holston shouting out 
 the remark which he himself had made a few 
 minutes before — 
 
 "It's good for little boys to work for their 
 superiors." 
 
 However, these unwilling recruits were found 
 to be so sulky and so useless that they were 
 presently dismissed with a kick, to their great 
 wrath and indignation. 
 
 The custom of fagging was not recognized at 
 Oudendale, but it was allowable for the sixth- 
 form to press any lower or middle schoolboys 
 into service connected with cricket or football 
 for not more than one hour. Dr. Eden thought 
 that it was good for boys to learn to do things 
 for themselves, and did not permit the cricket 
 and football clubs to employ any of those paid 
 
116 OUDENDALE. 
 
 men who are now such common nuisances in 
 most of our public schools ; so that Clarke was 
 not unjustly demanding assistance from our 
 friends the swells. 
 
 Though there may be much that is objec- 
 tionable in fagging, as practised at some schools, 
 it is no great hardship to make younger boys 
 work for an hour in the cricket field for the 
 first eleven or the twenty. English boys of 
 the present day are getting too lazy and lux- 
 urious. They seem not to be able to play 
 cricket without fine dresses, tents, pavilions, 
 professionals, and many other conveniences 
 which their predecessors never dreamed of. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MISCHIEF. 
 
 *' No friend's a friend till he shall prove a friend." 
 
 Beaumont and Fletcher. 
 
 We have seen that Charlie had a liking for 
 Lurn ; and when he had been two or three 
 months at Oudendale, an incident happened 
 which ripened this liking into a close friendship. 
 
 The Christmas holidays had come at last, 
 and on the evening before the breaking-np day, 
 there was as usual a great hubbub and uproar 
 throughout the college, the boys being of course 
 in a high state of excitement, and the discipline 
 and rules of the college being relaxed to a 
 certain extent. 
 
 Just as it was growing dark, Charlie and 
 Gordon were standing near the door of the 
 lower schoolroom, talking over the past half, 
 the holidays, and other subjects of interest. 
 
118 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Close to tliem, two or three small third-form 
 boys were testifying their delight at the ap- 
 proach of the holidays by dancing and jumping 
 about the steps of the lower schoolroom, while 
 they sung this sublime chorus : 
 
 " No more Latin, no more Greek, 
 No more cane to make me squeak." 
 
 But this performance was brought to a sud- 
 den end by the appearance of Mr. Horsley, 
 who walked rapidly by, nodding as the boys all 
 touched their hats, and disappeared into the hall. 
 
 " There goes old Horsley," said Gordon. 
 " Look at these little fools making faces behind^ 
 his back. I suppose they're about as fond of 
 him as anybody else is." 
 
 "Oh, he's not a bad sort of a fellow, Horsley, 
 though he is so waxy." 
 
 " He hates us all equally, at all events, which 
 is better than favoring," said Gordon, laughing. 
 
 " You mean he canes us all equally, I sup- 
 
 " Well, canes or hates. They both come to 
 the same thing, don't they ? But after all, 
 Campion, I agree with you that he is not such 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 119 
 
 a bad fellow, though he does allow his angry 
 passions to rise just rather too often." 
 
 " So does another friend of mine," remarked 
 Charlie. 
 
 " You mean me, I suppose. Well, do you 
 know, Campion, I often think whether I shall 
 be as bad as Mr. Horsley when I grow up. I 
 know I am rather inclined to lose my temper, 
 and, upon my honor, I must try to conquer it. 
 I wish I were like you, for I'm sure I never see 
 you in a wax." 
 
 " You had better not try to put me in one," 
 laughed Charlie. " I'm a terrible fellow when 
 my blood is up," and here he seized Gordon by 
 the collar, and began to mimmic Mr. Horsley in 
 a rage, caning a boy. 
 
 In the meantime, the small boys had also 
 been talking about Mr. Horsley. 
 
 " I should like to pay old Horsley out," said 
 one of them, when he was fairly beyond hear- 
 ing. " He's a waxy old fool." 
 
 " What do you say to play him some trick ? " 
 proposed another. " The fellows will be all 
 away, and he ivon't find out who did it." 
 
120 OUDENDALE: 
 
 "Oh, capital ! Let us play him some trick. 
 What shall it be ? " 
 
 " Break the windows of his room." 
 
 " Oh, shut up, Smith. That's no fun at all, 
 and we would be safe to be found out." 
 
 " Catch a mouse and put it in his desk," 
 suggested another, 
 
 " Bosh 1 How could we catch a mouse ? 
 That won't do at all, either." 
 
 " Well, then, Howard, can't you think of 
 something yourself ? " 
 
 " I Yote to put a lot of gravel in his bed, 
 after prayers." 
 
 " The very thing ! Will you do it, Howard ? " 
 
 " No, I thank you. I proposed it ; some other 
 fellow ought to do it. I think Smith ought to." 
 
 " But I don't," said Smith. " It needs a 
 very quiet and small fellow, like Jackson, who 
 could creep in without being found out." 
 
 " I'm not going to do it," said Jackson. " It 
 must be a fellow who sleeps on that side, be- 
 cause he can bolt away to his own room imme- 
 diately. Williams is the fellow, I think." 
 
 " No, I'm not," said Williams energetically. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 121 
 
 " My opinion is, that it needs a fellow with all 
 the Georgics ready written out, and no end of 
 towels on underneath his jacket." 
 
 " I say," remarked Howard, " there's Gor- 
 don. I vote we get him to do it." 
 
 " All right. Come on and ask him." 
 
 " Hallo ! what do you shrimps want ? " cried 
 Gordon, seeing them approaching him and 
 Lurn. 
 
 " I say, Gordon, if we get you a lot of gravel, 
 will you put it in old Horsley's bed ? It will 
 be a splendid lark." • 
 
 " You're a nice set of cool young gentlemen," 
 cried Gordon, rather indignantly. " Do you 
 think fourth-form fellows are going to do all 
 your dirty work for you ? " 
 
 " Why do you want to put gravel in old 
 Horsley's bed ? " asked Charlie. 
 
 " Because he's a waxy old fool. He gave 
 Howard and Jackson a most fearful licking 
 yesterday, because — " 
 
 " Oh, I know all about it," said Charlie. 
 " We heard you howling in our schoolroom on 
 the other side of the quad." 
 
122 0UDEM)ALE: 
 
 " No you didn't," cried Howard, indignantly. 
 "I never sung out at all. Jackson did, though." 
 
 "0 Howard, what a — " Jackson began to 
 exclaim. 
 
 " Shut up, and be off with you," interrupted 
 Gordon. " If Horsley licked you all day long, 
 you wouldn't get half as much as you deserve." 
 
 "He broke our rods the other day — Effing- 
 ham's and mine," said Howard, bringing for- 
 ward another accusation against Mr. Horsley. 
 " We were fishing in the Ouden, and he came 
 and said Ave weren't to fish except on half-holi- 
 days ; so he broke our rods right across. They 
 are quite spoiled." 
 
 "If I had been Mr. Horsley," said Gordon, 
 " I would have spared the rods, and spoiled the 
 children. Why don't you small boys laugh 
 when I make a joke ? I never saw such thick- 
 headed animals. Come on. Campion, and help 
 me to put up my things now to be ready for 
 to-morrow, and then I will help you." 
 
 " All serene," replied Charlie ; and the two 
 boys strolled across the quadrangle towards the 
 West House, where they both slept. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 123 
 
 " What a Immbug Gordon is ! " exclaimed 
 Howard. *' Oh, I say, here's Lnrn. I'll bet 
 he'll do it in a minute, if we ask him." 
 
 Lurn was lounging along the cloisters which 
 ran all round the quadrangle, and had just 
 then reached the spot where this conversation 
 was taking place. He was immediately accosted 
 by a general shout. 
 
 " Are you game for a real lark, Lurn ? We 
 have thought of such a splendid trick." 
 
 *'What is it? Are you going to burn the 
 college down, or to set the Thames on fire, or 
 anything equally wonderful ? " 
 
 Howard then revealed their plot to Lurn, 
 with many chuckles, and asked him to carry 
 it out. Lurn, who was not at all malicious, 
 but who was but too fond of all sorts of mis- 
 chief, and, besides, was accustomed to regard 
 the masters as his natural enemies, whom it 
 was perfectly fair to annoy in any possible way, 
 was easily persuaded to consent, and indeed 
 improved upon the original scheme, by sug- 
 gesting that one or two nettle-leaves might be 
 substituted for gravel. 
 
124 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " Oh, capital ! " shouted' the conspirators, 
 half afraid and half delighted at the boldness 
 of this proposal ; and, at Lurn's suggestion, 
 they all started off to look for some nettles by 
 the bank of the Ouden, which flows only a few 
 hundred yards from the college gates. 
 
 There was no preparation that night, but at 
 nine o'clock prayers were read as usual. As 
 the boys were leaving the hall. Dr. Eden made 
 a sign to one or two boys, Charlie among them, 
 to stay and speak to him. Charlie obeyed, 
 wondering whether he was going to be scolded 
 by the Master, for he was conscious that he 
 might have behaved better during his first half 
 at Oudendale. But Dr. Eden had too much 
 tact to scold him. He knew that Charlie had 
 given a good deal of trouble to his masters, 
 and that he had some very undesirable friends ; 
 but he said nothing of this, and only asked him 
 how he liked the school, and hoped he did not 
 find the work too difficult, in such a kind, pleas- 
 ant way, that Charlie felt at once relieved, and 
 told him, what was indeed the truth, that he 
 liked Oudendale very much, and that he did 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 125 
 
 not find his lessons too difficult. Dr. Eden 
 shook hands with him, and turned to some 
 other boys, who were also new comers that last 
 half. Charlie then said good-by to his cousin, 
 Mr. Campion, who desired to be remembered 
 to his uncle, and then he left the hall, and ran 
 off to his own bedroom in the West House, in a 
 high state of spirits and good humor. 
 
 On his way he had to pass through the pas- 
 sage in which Mr. Horsley's rooms were, and 
 just as he entered this, Lurn darted out of the 
 bedroom, and, without observing him, ran hur- 
 riedly up the stairs. 
 
 " Lurn ! in Mr. Horsley's room ! " thought 
 Charlie, in amazement, stopping for a moment. 
 '' I do believe these little fellows have got him 
 to play some trick on Horsley. It's a regular 
 shame. I have a good mind to go in and see 
 if there is anything in his bed. Should I, or 
 should I not ? " 
 
 For a moment he stood at the door deliber- 
 ating, but the sound of approaching footsteps 
 brought him to a resolution. 
 
 "I will do it," he said to himself; and going 
 
126 OUDENDALE: 
 
 into Mr. Horsley's bedroom, lie quickly lifted 
 up the bedclothes, and saw some nettle leaves 
 lying on the bed. 
 
 " What a shame ! " he thought, as he began 
 to pick up the leaves ; but at that moment a 
 hand was laid heavily upon his shoulder. 
 
 " What is the meaning of this ? " sharply 
 asked Mr. Horsley, who had just entered the 
 room. Charlie gave a great start, and let fall 
 the nettles, which stung him the moment he 
 ceased to hold them tightly. 
 
 " Ah ! " exclaimed Mr. Horsley, in a sharp, 
 disagreeable voice, which was with him always 
 the precursor of a burst of passion. " I under- 
 stand it all. So you were going to play me a 
 trick, were you ? " 
 
 " I didn't — I mean — it wasn't me. Another 
 fellow put these into your bed, and I was taking 
 them out." 
 
 " Who was this other fellow ? " asked Mr. 
 Horsley, in an angrier tone. 
 
 Charlie grew still redder, and was silent, for 
 though he felt that he was in an awkward 
 scrape, he was resolved not to tell upon Lurn. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 127 
 
 In the meantime, no sooner had Lurn reached 
 the top of the stairs than his conscience smote 
 him for what he had done, and after a minute's 
 dehberation, he resolved to return and take the 
 nettles out again. 
 
 " Don't add to your fault by lying to hide it," 
 cried Mr. Horsley, now quite furious with rage. 
 " This is a base, mean, cowardly, brutal insult, 
 and I will punish you for it in a way you will 
 never forget." 
 
 So saying, he snatched up his walking-stick, 
 which lay close by, and struck Charlie violently 
 across the back with it. His arm was raised to 
 repeat the blow, when Lurn, with a bewildered 
 look on his face, rushed into the room, crying : 
 
 " Stop, stop, sir. I did it. I put the nettles 
 into your bed. Campion had nothing to do 
 with it. I suppose he came into your room to 
 take them out." 
 
 Mr. Horsley dropped his arm, and looked at 
 the boys with a look both of rage and astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " What good would you gain by offering mo 
 this cowardly insult ? " he cried, hoarsely. 
 
128 OUDEKDALE: 
 
 Lurn looked on the ground, and made no 
 answer. But he and Charlie fully expected 
 that Mr. Horsley's wrath would now be vented 
 on him ; but, to their surprise, Mr. Horsley 
 dropped the stick, and said, in a calm, dignified 
 manner : 
 
 " You may both go now. Campion, I am 
 much obliged to you for your kindness in trying 
 to prevent me this annoyance, and I am sorry 
 I unjustly suspected you. We will say no more 
 about it." 
 
 It w^as Lurn's turn to grow confused now, 
 and to stammer : "But — I am really sorry — I 
 was coming back to take them out — I won't do 
 it again — it was a regular shame of me." 
 
 "Enough," said Mr. Horsley. "I should 
 hope that it was more from thoughtlessness than 
 from maliciousness that you did this. At all 
 events, I feel that I was as much to blame as 
 any one in losing my temper, and unless you 
 mention it yourselves, no one else need know 
 anything about it. However, I should hope 
 that such a thing would not be repeated — for 
 your own sakes, as well as mine." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 129 
 
 " Upon my honor, I never will do such a 
 thing again," cried Liirn. 
 
 'The boys then left the room, quite bewildered 
 by what happened, and especially by the ex- 
 traordinary change which had come over Mr. 
 Horsley. That gentleman, the moment the 
 door was shut, threw himself down on a chair 
 and burst into tears. But he soon restrained 
 himself, and murmured : 
 
 " Lord, I thank thee for enabling me 
 to restrain my passion just now before these 
 boys. Help me to be kinder and gentler, and 
 make me more liked by every one. I know 
 that I have a hasty and disagreeable temper, 
 but do thou help me to overcome it." 
 
 If all the boys at Oudendale could have heard 
 this prayer, perhaps they might have thought 
 better of Mr. Horsley than they did. 
 
 In the meantime, Lurn and Charlie were 
 going back to the passage in which their respec- 
 tive bedrooms were. 
 
 " I never will be such a fool again ; I never 
 will," energetically protested Lurn. ^' I say, 
 Campion, you're a jolly fellow for not telling on 
 
130 OUDENDALE: 
 
 me when you were caught," and Lurn looked 
 at Charlie with an admiration which no words of 
 a schoolboy's vocabulary can express. 
 
 Charlie said nothing. English boys are in 
 general very undemonstrative, and are not fond 
 of expressing their feelings by fine words ; but 
 these two perfectly understood each other's 
 thoughts, and from that moment they were 
 sworn friends. 
 
 " What are you two fellows doing out of 
 yoilr rooms ? " cried Henrys, who passed by at 
 that moment, on his way to a private supper- 
 party, which some of the monitors, taking ad- 
 vantage of the trust which was placed in them, 
 were going to have in a study, unknown to the 
 masters, and, it may be added, to Cholmondeley. 
 
 Lurn and Charlie hurried off to their rooms 
 at ©nee, for they knew that Henrys, if disobeyed, 
 would not scruple to use stronger and more 
 convincing arguments. This young gentleman 
 was very zealous in making the smaller boys 
 obey the rules of the school by the force of 
 precept and by coercion, but it is to be wished 
 that he also had added that of example. His 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 131 
 
 is not by any means a singular case among 
 monitors. 
 
 The boys kept their own counsel about what 
 had happened, and so did Mr. Horsley, who, 
 it was noticed, did not lose his temper so often 
 as usual next half. Lurn put off his fellow- 
 conspirators when they asked him about the 
 result of the plot, by talking a lot of nonsense, 
 and telling them to be quiet, and mind their 
 own business. 
 
 " But did you not put them in his bed ? " 
 asked Howard. 
 
 " Ask no questions and you will be told no 
 lies," said Lurn. " That was a stupid trick, 
 and you had better not try to get me to have 
 anything to do with your humbug again." 
 
 This was all they could get out of him ; so, 
 till this day, only three people have ever known 
 what happened in Mr. Horsley' s bedroom on 
 the night before the Christmas holidays of 
 185—. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 DAMON AND PHINTHIAS. 
 
 "Amicitia : qua quidem haud sciam, excepta sapientia, nihil 
 melius homini sit a Diis immortalibus datum." 
 
 Cicero. 
 
 Nothing very memorable occurred during 
 Charlie's Christmas holidays. His uncle and 
 aunt and cousins were still very stiff and very 
 kind, and Miss Woodville was as much like a 
 handbook of etiquette as ever. Primrose Hill 
 was certainly not the place where a boy would 
 have liked to spend his holidays. However, it 
 was very hard frost this winter, and Charlie 
 got a pair of skates, and occupied himself by 
 learning to skate. Then he and Lurn, as they 
 had previously agreed, kept up a correspond- 
 ence together ; but their letters were too brief 
 and uninteresting to be given here. Lurn told 
 Charlie that he wished he could have asked 
 him to his father's house, but could not on 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 133 
 
 account of his sister's illness. Perhaps it was 
 just as well for their newly-fledged friendship 
 that this visit did not take place ; for as it is 
 quite possible to have too much of a good thing, 
 so such friendships are often spoiled by being 
 too much overdone at first. Damon and Phin- 
 thias may be very loving when they only see one 
 another occasionally ; but let Damon go and stay 
 with Phinthias for a fortnight, they will most 
 likely soon tire of too much of one another's 
 society, and quarrel before the fortnight is over. 
 The best and most enduring friendships are 
 those which spring up and ripen by degrees, 
 and under not too favorable circumstances ; in 
 which respect friendship is like corn — too much 
 sun being sometimes as bad for it as too little. 
 
 In due time the holidays came to an end, 
 and Charlie, nothing loth, returned to Ouden- 
 dale. Lurn and he were nearly always together 
 now, and already began to plan out walks which 
 they should take when the season had advanced 
 a little. Those only who have experienced the 
 happiness of a real schoolboy friendship will 
 understand the pleasure which they took in 
 
134 OUDENDALE : 
 
 each other's society. They learned their lessons 
 together, they played together, they walked 
 together, and the whole truth would not be 
 told if it were not mentioned that they some- 
 tbnes got into scrapes together. 
 
 Lurn was not by any means a badly-disposed 
 
 « 
 
 boy, though he was certainly rather idle and 
 mischievous. In general he was always laugh- 
 ing, playing tricks, or talking nonsense ; but 
 sometimes he would speak in a sober, sensible 
 way, which those who were acquainted only 
 with the surface of his character would not 
 have expected from him. One day, walking 
 with Charlie, he hinted that he did not like his 
 intimacy witli Clement. The word " intimacy " 
 is here used designedly, for this connection 
 couM scarcely be called a friendship ; however, 
 it is not to be understood that Lurn was so 
 particular in his language. His expression was 
 that, in his opinion, Charlie was " too thick" 
 with Clement. Charlie, whom we know to have 
 been a little wilful, was not very well pleased 
 with this piece of advice. 
 
 "Why should I cut Clement?" he asked, 
 rather indignantly. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 135 
 
 " Well, hang it, I don't know exactly how to 
 say what I mean. You know, I don't set up 
 for being a very good and well-behaved fellow. 
 I have no objections to a bit of fun sometimes 
 
 — humbugging the masters, and all that sort of 
 thing; but when a fellow goes on like Clement, 
 going out to public houses and getting screwed, 
 and — and all that sort of thing, I think that's 
 not the correct thing — not right : you know 
 what I mean. Clement will get expelled some 
 of these days if he doesn't look out." 
 
 '' But you don't mean to say I would go and 
 
 get screwed. I needn't do whatever Clem does." 
 
 " Of course you needn't, unless ygu like ; but 
 
 — but — don't you be too sure. At all events, 
 I wouldn't have much to do with Clement." 
 
 " Well, I'm sure I haven't much to do Tfith 
 him. I don't care for him a bit; but if he 
 chooses to make friends with me, I'm not going 
 to cut him. I believe the real truth of all this 
 is, that you are jealous of him." 
 
 " No, I'm not, upon my honor," protested 
 Lurn. " I was only advising you ; but I won't 
 say another word about it." 
 
136 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " All right," said Charlie, laughing. " I was 
 only humbugging when I said you were jealous. 
 I don't care for Clem a button ; and as for you, 
 I hate you like poison." 
 
 " And I hate you like castor oil," laughed 
 Lurn, in the same bantering style ; and nothing 
 more passed between them on the subject. 
 
 Now Lurn had particular reasons for giving 
 this advice to Charlie, though he did not tell 
 him them. That morning he had accidentally 
 heard part of a conversation between Clement 
 and a cousin of his own, called Handyside, a 
 fifth-form fellow, who was very intimate with 
 Clement. , 
 
 " Bother take him ; I can't make out what you 
 see to like in such a soft fool," Handyside said. 
 
 "il can tell you he is not so soft as you 
 think," replied Clement. " He has a good deal 
 of pluck in him." 
 
 " So has that religious fool, Cholmondeley, 
 and I don't think he and you are very thick 
 together." 
 
 " Well, I don't know how it is, but there's 
 something about that fellow I can't help liking 
 him for." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 137 
 
 Haiidyside growled out an oath, which can- 
 not be written down in these pages. 
 
 ''Even if he is rather soft," continued Clem- 
 ent, " we can improve him." 
 
 " Will you ? " cried the other, ironically. 
 
 "I'll bet you anything you like, that if we 
 can get him out for a walk on Wednesday 
 afternoon, we'll make him screwed. I'll give 
 you two to one on it." 
 
 " Done ! " cried Handyside. " Five shillings 
 to half-a-crown that we make Campion screwed 
 on Wednesday afternoon." 
 
 When he heard this, Lurn started, and moved 
 off. This conversation had been held in a cor- 
 ner of the fourth-form schoolroom, and Lurn 
 had heard a great part of it while looking about 
 among the benches for a book which he had 
 lost, without taking any particular notice of it. 
 But whenever Charlie's name was mentioned, 
 he understood the meaning of it all, and im- 
 mediately left the room to avoid hearing any 
 more ; for Lurn was very honorable, in so far as 
 his school-fellows were concerned at least. 
 
 We see, then, that Lurn had a good reason 
 
138 OUDENDALE: 
 
 for trying to warn Charlie ; but not finding his 
 hints upon the subject well received, he said 
 nothing more about it. 
 
 Often schoolboy friends are the very antipodes 
 of each other in character ; but there was one 
 point on which Charlie and Lurn were both 
 alike. They had both that frank and open 
 nature, which seems scarcely ever able to con- 
 ceal the truth by a falsehood, however small or 
 indirect. But with Lurn this frankness took 
 the form of boldness, and with Charlie that of 
 simplicity. Some of the boys used to laugh at 
 what they called his innocence. One day when, 
 in the mathematic schoolroom, he was chewing 
 a piece of India-rubber (an inelegant habit 
 congenial to the schoolboy mind), the Master 
 observed him, and said : 
 
 " Campion, you will write out the forty- 
 seventh proposition of the first book, twice, for 
 eating in school." 
 
 One or two of the boys near him, knowing 
 what Charlie was doing, partly from good na- 
 ture, and partly from that feeling which impels 
 the schoolboy to do all he can to resist his 
 masters, cried out : " He wasn't eating, sir." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 139 
 
 " Oh ! I beg your pardon, then. I thought 
 you were," said the Master. 
 
 " I wasn't eating," said Charlie, standing 
 up and blushing, " but I was chewing India- 
 rubber." 
 
 A slight titter arose ; even the Master smiled. 
 
 " Where did you learn that nasty habit ? 
 You will write out the forty-seventh proposition 
 once only, as you told the truth about it." 
 
 " What a fool you were," said Granville 
 Browne, after school. " Why didn't you hold 
 your tongue when the fellows said you weren't 
 eating, and you would have got off ? You're 
 not obliged to tell on yourself." 
 
 "I think he was quite right," said Lurn, 
 who had just then come up and taken Charlie's 
 arm. " He told the truth, which is more than 
 you do sometimes, Sham." 
 
 ''But if he had said that he wasn't eating, 
 that wouldn't have been a lie." 
 
 " It wouldn't have been exactly a lie, perhaps, 
 but it wouldn't have been exactly the truth 
 either. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing 
 but the truth — that's my motto." 
 
140 OUDENDALE. 
 
 " I suppose you would have done the same," 
 said Browne, with a sneer. 
 
 " Well," answered Lurn, rather hesitatingly, 
 " I won't say what I luould have done, because 
 I don't pretend that I always do what is right ; 
 but I know what I ought to have done. But 
 don't you be alarmed, Sham. We don't sup- 
 pose you would have done anything of the kind." 
 
 Browne gave a look at Lurn of the loftiest 
 contempt, which that irreverent young gentle- 
 man returned by making a face. 
 
 " What a swell you are to-day, Sham ! 
 Where did you steal that splendid tie ? Is it 
 one of Mollycoddle's old ones, or has he been 
 paying you your wages lately ? " cried Lurn, as 
 Browne walked away, feigning not to hear him. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CLEMENT AND HANDYSIDE. 
 
 " The drankard forfeits man, and doth divest 
 All worldly right, save what he has by beast." 
 
 George Herbert. 
 
 The fourth form were in their schoolroom 
 one Wednesday morning. The regular master 
 of this form was Mr. Campion, but on Wednes- 
 days and Saturdays Mr. Porbury gave them a 
 lesson in Latin composition for the first hour. 
 Therefore, we now behold that gentleman in- 
 stalled in the Master's desk, and, as an inev- 
 itable consequence, the form in a state of 
 idleness and misbehavior. 
 
 Soon after the lesson commenced, Clement 
 passed up the form this note to Charlie, who 
 now kept a pretty fair place, neither very near 
 nor very far from the top of the class. 
 
 " Handyside and I are going to Meadenburgh 
 this afternoon to see the races. We shall cut 
 
142 OUDENDALE: 
 
 dinner, and set off immediately after morning 
 school. Will you come with us ? '^ 
 
 Charlie hesitated over this proposal. He did 
 not care about seeing the races, and would 
 much rather have gone out somewhere with 
 Lurn, but yet he could not bring himself to say 
 "No." So, after a minute's deliberation, he 
 tore up the note, and nodded to Clement, who 
 from his place at the lower end of the form 
 was watching the result of his missive with 
 some anxiety. Whenever he saw that Charlie 
 consented, he turned to Handyside, who sat 
 beside him, and made a grimace, which was 
 intended to express delight and triumph. 
 
 Mr. Porbury, as we know, was never very 
 much at home among boys, and was the victim 
 of a great many tricks. On this morning he 
 was particularly perturbed by the appearance 
 in the schoolroom of a faint light, which would 
 shoot across the room with great rapidity, then 
 dance about the ceiling in a most extraordinary 
 manner, and then suddenly vanish. This phe- 
 nomenon, which greatly delighted all the boys, 
 was the cause of much perplexity to Mr. Por- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 143 
 
 bury, who, as often as it appeared, would look 
 up to the ceilmg in great amazement, while a 
 suppressed titter would be heard all through 
 the room. 
 
 When Mr. Porbury's hour was up, and Mr. 
 Campion came to relieve him, he took him into 
 a corner of the room, and said, in a low tone — 
 
 " A most extraordinary phenomenon has 
 appeared this morning, which I am altogether 
 at a loss to account for. Every few minutes 
 a flash of light passes over tlie ceiling of the 
 room, and instantly disappears. Can it be that 
 the atmospheric — look! there it is again!" 
 exclaimed Mr. Porbury, and in fact at this 
 moment the light flitted across the ceiling. 
 The boys all saw it, and saw Mr. Porbury draw 
 Mr. Campion's attention to it, and a general 
 laugh ran through the whole form. 
 
 Mr. Campion frowned, though he felt slightly 
 inclined to smile at his colleague's simplicity. 
 
 " I think I can account for it," he said, in a 
 low tone. Then raising his voice, " Who is 
 making that light on the roof? Stand up." 
 
 Charlie stood up, holding a small mirror in 
 
144 OUDENDALE: 
 
 his hand, the reflection of which had caused 
 Mr. Porbury so much perplexity. 
 
 " Give it to me," said Mr. Campion, who 
 was always more severe to his cousin, when 
 found out doing anything wrong, than to any 
 other boy. " You will stay in here till dinner- 
 time, and for two hours afterwards, and I shall 
 give you some work to do. I had thought that 
 boys in the fourth form were above such silly 
 tricks." 
 
 "I lent the mirror to Campion," said Lurn, 
 standing up, " and I was using it before 
 him." 
 
 " Then you will both stay in," said Mr. Cam- 
 pion, and then began the lessons of the day, 
 while Mr. Porbury went away in a profound 
 meditation. 
 
 When school was over, at twelve o'clock, 
 Charlie and Lurn had to stay in together. 
 However, such great friends had they now 
 become, that they rather enjoyed even being 
 punished together; and on the whole Charlie 
 was not sorry that he could not accompany 
 Clement and Handyside, who set off immedi- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 145 
 
 atelj, rather disgusted at Charlie's not being 
 able to come with them. 
 
 " Never mind," said Clement, as they passed 
 out of the gate. " We'll get him some other 
 half-holiday. In the meantime, we'll go and 
 have some fun at Meadenburgh." 
 
 Charlie and Lurn were kept in until dinner- 
 time, and for two hours after. However, when 
 they had finished the tasks which they had been 
 set by way of imposition, they had still some 
 time before their release at their disposal, and 
 employed it in running about the room in which 
 they were, and making as much din as possible, 
 till at length Bill Rufus came to beg them to 
 be quiet, or they would have one of the masters 
 in to see what was the matter. 
 
 " Shut up. Bill," shouted Lurn, waving a 
 ruler at him in defiance. " Nobody will ever 
 come near us unless you go and tell, and you 
 have left off telling now, and become a Reformed 
 Bill, you know." 
 
 " The noise you two are making is quite 
 
 enough ^to tell on yourselves," protested Bill. 
 
 " But really, this can't go on, you know." 
 10 
 
146 OUDENDALE : 
 
 " Stuff and nonsense ! You're getting hilions, 
 Bill," cried Lurn. " Why don't you laugh at 
 that pun ? " 
 
 " Oh, come here and tickle me," exclaimed 
 Charlie, feigning to try, without success, to get 
 up a laugh at this piece of wit. 
 
 Bill, seeing that entreaty and remonstrance 
 were alike in vain, and that in another moment 
 he would have a book thrown at his head, beat 
 a hasty retreat, and the two boys resumed their 
 romps, making noise enough to be heard over 
 the whole quadrangle. In a few minutes the 
 door again opened. 
 
 " Now, Bill, you donkey, if you come a foot 
 further I'll shy this ruler at your head. Now, 
 lookout!" 
 
 But Lurn's speech was brought to a rather 
 sudden termination ; for, instead of Bill, it was 
 Dr. Eden who had now entered the room. He 
 had been passing by, and had come in to see 
 what the unusual noise in the fourth-form room 
 meant. 
 
 The boys stood looking very foolish, and 
 expecting a severe scolding, if not ^something 
 
A TxVLE OF SCHOOLBOY LH'E. 147 
 
 worse. Doubtless, if it had been Mr. Campion, 
 with his stern sense of duty, and his conscien- 
 tious severity towards all Charlie's misdoings, 
 this would have been their fate ; but Dr. Eden 
 was a less severe man, and more inclined to 
 make allowance for the exuberance of boyish 
 spirits, and so he only said — 
 
 " What are you doing here ? *' 
 
 " We were kept in by Mr. Campion," said 
 Charlie, " and we had finished our impositions, 
 and so we just were having some fun ; " and he 
 and Lurn could not help smiling at each other. 
 
 "I beg your pardon, sir," said Lurn, "for 
 calling out at you. I thought you were Bill 
 Ruf — I mean William." 
 
 " Well, but you mustn't make such a noise 
 here," said Dr. Eden, smiling also. "If you 
 have finished your impositions, you may go 
 now." 
 
 Nothing loth, they left the room, and went 
 off to the field to have some football practice, 
 and to inform all their friends of their adventure 
 with the Master, and give it as their opinion 
 that he was " a regular brick." 
 
148 OUDENDALE : 
 
 In the meantime, if we follow Clement and 
 Handyside, we shall find that it was just as 
 well for Charlie that he was prevented from 
 accompanying them that afternoon. 
 
 They took the turnpike road, and set off at a 
 good pace towards Meadenburgh. But before 
 they had gone half a mile they turned into a 
 public house and called for some beer. The 
 landlord put them into a small room by them- 
 selves, for he knew he should get into trouble 
 if any of the college boys were seen drinking 
 at his house. When they had finished the beer, 
 Clement had two glasses of gin, and then asked 
 the landlord if he had any wine. 
 
 " Nothing but ginger wine," said he. 
 
 " Well, bring it, quick, and be hanged to 
 you," shouted Clement, who was by this time 
 very red and excited. 
 
 The landlord went for the wine ; but he was 
 a cautious man, and while he was away he 
 consulted with his wife, and, by her advice, 
 made up his mind not to allow the boys to get 
 drunk in his house, as they seemed very likely 
 to do. So, when he came back, he told them 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 149 
 
 that lie would give them a bottle of wine, but 
 that they must take it away, and not drink it 
 at his house. 
 
 " Hang you, you brute, do you think we are 
 going to get drunk ? " cried Clement. 
 
 " Come away, come away, man," whispered 
 Handyside, who had not drunk so much, and, 
 besides, was of a more cautious disposition than 
 Clement, and began to fear that they would be 
 expelled by force. 
 
 So they took the bottle, and paid for what 
 they had had, the landlord taking good care to 
 charge them about twice as much as he ought 
 to have done. He did not take any notice of 
 the oaths which Clement showered upon him, 
 for he was used to being sworn at; and the 
 boys left the house, Clement carrying the bottle 
 of wine in his pocket. They soon left the 
 road, and turned up a path which led along 
 the banks of the Ouden. 
 
 The wine which the landlord had given them 
 was a vile compound of coarse spirit and sugar 
 and orange-juice ; and as Clement soon knocked 
 the neck off the bottle, and began to pour it 
 
150 OUDENDALE: 
 
 down his throat, the effects of this, and his 
 previous potations, became very apparent. 
 
 " Give me some," said Handyside, trying to 
 take the bottle from him. This young gentle- 
 man was quite as great a scamp as Clement, 
 but he had not his recklessness, and was afraid 
 that they would be seen by some of the masters. 
 
 " Curse you, no ! " cried Clement. " You 
 shan't have a drop. It will make you drunk. 
 Hang it, I bought it, and paid for it, didn't I ? " 
 
 He again lifted the bottle to his lips, took a 
 long drink, and then flung it into the river, 
 after which he sunk down on the bank, and 
 gazed after the bottle floating down the Ouden 
 with a stupid stare. 
 
 " Get up, and come on," entreated Handy- 
 side. " We'll be nabbed, if we don't look out. 
 Get up, you fool, and don't make an ass of 
 yourself." 
 
 " I won't get up — I won't get up till I like — 
 I won't get up till next Christmas," stuttered 
 Clement ; and then suddenly seizing Handy- 
 side's arm, and pointing to the floating bottle, 
 he exclaimed, " Look — it is floating down the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 151 
 
 Oudeii : old Horsley will be sure to see it, 
 and then he'll know we've been drinking. But 
 I don't care for him a bit — not a bit — not a 
 bit." 
 
 Handy side, wishing to humor him, threw 
 some stones at the bottle, and very soon broke 
 it, when of course it sunk. 
 
 " Handyside, you're my preserver," cried 
 Clement, with an idiotic laugh; " Horsley won't 
 find out now, do you think he will? " 
 
 " No, no ; come away now," said Handyside ; 
 and at length Clement was induced to get up, 
 and to try to w£ilk back to the college by the 
 most unfrequented paths. But every minute 
 he would stop and sit down, or would commence 
 to shout out, or play some extraordinary prank. 
 Before long they met with a party of boys from 
 the town, and Clement began to insult them, 
 and offer to fight them all. The " cads " seemed 
 very much inclined to accept this offer, there 
 being an hereditary feud between the boys of 
 the college and the boys of the town ; but at 
 length Handyside managed to drag his com- 
 panion off, pursued by the jeers of the whole 
 
152 OUDENDALE: 
 
 party, and by not a few stones and clods of 
 earth. 
 
 It was indeed rather an unpleasant predic- 
 ament for Handyside, especially as one of the 
 masters might come upon them at any moment, 
 and he felt very much tempted to leave Clement 
 to his fate. But then, if Clement were found 
 out, he himself might get into a scrape, and so 
 he persevered, and in about two hours he and 
 Clement arrived at the college gates. There 
 was now more danger than ever of meeting one 
 of the masters ; but they passed through the 
 gate unnoticed, and Handyside hastily dragged 
 Clement to his bedroom in the West House, 
 and laid him in his bed — helplessly drunk. 
 
 Handyside was very much relieved when this 
 was done, though he still was afraid lest Clement 
 should betray his condition by some act of folly. 
 So he remained in the room during the after- 
 noon, and told any boys who happened to come 
 in that Clement had a bad headache, and must 
 not be disturbed. 
 
 But about an hour after their return, just as 
 it was growing dark, Handyside, thinking that 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 153 
 
 Clement had gone off to sleep, went over to liis 
 own bedroom to fetch a book, and stayed there 
 for some ten or fifteen minutes. He then was 
 going to return to Clement's room, but hardly 
 had he entered the quadrangle before he saw, 
 on the other side of it, a small mob of boys 
 crowding round a fantastically-dressed figure. 
 He rushed across, and, as he had suspected, 
 found that it was Clement, who, with a blanket 
 wrapped round him, and a red scarf tied about 
 his head, was reeling up and down the cloisters. 
 
 " Handyside," cried one boy, as he ran 
 up, "look here! Clement is quite screwed, 
 and — " 
 
 " Hold your tongue, you fool ! " growled 
 Handyside ; and then seizing Clement by the 
 arm, he whispered, " Come away, for goodness 
 sake. What are you making an ass of yourself 
 for ? " 
 
 " Ass ! " said Clement, with a stupid stare, 
 and a drunken laugh. " I'm an ass, you're an 
 ass, old Horsley's an ass ; we're all — all asses." 
 
 " Come away," repeated Handyside, earnestly. 
 " Come away, or you will be nabbed." 
 
154 OUDEJ^DALE: 
 
 " Who cares ? " hiccoughed Clemeut. " Don't 
 speak to me, Handy side. You're drunk, and 
 so's old Horsley. What are you fellows laugh- 
 ing at ? " 
 
 " Here, you fellows, help me to get him up 
 into his room," said Handyside, appealing to 
 the crowd of amazed and laughing spectators 
 who had now collected. They were all little 
 boys. If any of the upper school had been 
 present, they would doubtless have had the 
 sense to drag off Clement at once. 
 
 " Nobody shall touch me ! " cried Clement, 
 hearing what Handyside said. " I'll knock you 
 all down ; " and as two or three of the biggest 
 approached him, he clenched his fists, and a 
 scuffle was just about to ensue, when a well- 
 known voice was heard : 
 
 " What is the meaning of all this ? " 
 
 The boys fell back at once, and Clement 
 stood face to face with Dr. Eden. He gave a 
 silly laugh, and began to reel away, but had 
 not gone two steps before he tottered, and fell 
 on the ground. 
 
 One glance at him told Dr. Eden the whole 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 155 
 
 story, and called up into his face a look of pity 
 and disgust. 
 
 " Go away, all of you," he said. " I wonder 
 you can take any pleasure in such a repulsive 
 spectacle." 
 
 Slowly the crowd dispersed, though many of 
 the more curious lingered at a short distance 
 to see all that was to he seen, which was not 
 much ; for Dr. Eden, calling up Bill, ordered 
 him to remove the wretched hoy to a separate 
 room, and then walked away. 
 
 The news of what had happened soon spread 
 all over the college, and at tea-time nothing 
 else was talked about but this, and Clement's 
 probable punishment. When Charlie first heard 
 of it he was greatly agitated, for he remem- 
 bered he was to have been Clement's companion 
 that afternoon, and now, for the first time, 
 caught some glimpse of the danger which he 
 had escaped, and the need of Mr. Campion's 
 warnings. 
 
 After prayers Dr. Eden ordered the boys to 
 remain for a few minutes, and said, amidst 
 breathless silence : " I cannot tell you how 
 
156 OUDENDALE: 
 
 deeply grieved I was to find this afternoon one 
 of you in a most degrading and disgusting con- 
 dition. I will say nothing more than to express 
 a hope that the example of this unhappy boy's 
 folly may be a salutary lesson to some of you 
 to abstain from such an abominable practice as 
 drinking. As for Clement himself, he can no 
 longer remain at Oudendale. Twice already 
 had I almost determined to expel him, and this 
 time I have made up my mind." 
 
 Not to dwell on this matter, Clement left 
 Oudendale next morning, without being allowed 
 to see any of the other boys, and Handyside 
 breathed freely when he found that he had not 
 been in any way implicated. Charlie was not 
 sorry, for he never really liked Clement, and 
 felt as if he were now released from a certain 
 baneful influence which he had exercised over 
 him. Mr. Campion was glad for his sake — for 
 the sake of the whole school indeed. Clement's 
 recklessness and profanity had done a great 
 deal of harm, and Dr. Eden had long resolved 
 that his next flagrant offence should be visited 
 with expulsion. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 157 
 
 Perhaps this chapter may seem to contain 
 some details which are rather disgusting. But 
 truth is not the less truth because it is dis- 
 gusting, nor the less useful when seeking to 
 repel from vice, rather than to attract to virtue. 
 Scenes such as this are but too common occur- 
 rences in our public schools. boys ! remem- 
 ber that you have precious, immortal souls, 
 — souls which the blood of God was shed to 
 purchase, — and do not reduce yourselves to the 
 level of brutes, nor take a pride in wallowing 
 in the most abject and abominable vices. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 " EGYPTIAN STAIVIPS." 
 
 " Hie ultra vires habitus nitor : hie aliud plus 
 Quam satis est ; interdum aliena sumitur area." 
 
 Juvenal. ' 
 
 Now that Clement was away, Charlie made 
 the resolution that he would keep out of bad 
 company, do his best to please his masters, and, 
 in short, would try to be " better," as he vaguely 
 expressed it, to himself. But, like many other 
 good resolutions which he and millions of oth- 
 ers have made, it was soon quite forgotten. 
 
 Mr. Campion rejoiced for Charlie's sake when 
 Clement left ; for he knew that his recklessness 
 and effrontery made him by far the most dan- 
 gerous of Charlie's bad companions. These are 
 qualities which high-spirited boys are inclined 
 to look on with more admiration than the silly 
 follies and fopperies of such fellows as Granville 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. loO 
 
 Browne, and Mr. Campion well understood the 
 fatal charm which they give to sin. 
 
 Granville Browne had still a sort of liking 
 for Charlie, which had begun from their first 
 meeting in the railway carriage ; and though 
 Charlie did not care for, and in fact rather 
 despised him, he was too good-natured to show 
 it. Browne and Lurn were great enemies ; 
 and no wonder; for fire and water were not 
 more unlike than the boyish frankness and 
 frolicsome nature of the one, and the haughty, 
 conceited airs, beneath which was a large stra- 
 tum of cunning meanness, of the other. Browne 
 affected to look down on Lurn, and called him 
 "low." Everybody was "low" in his opinion, 
 and altogether unworthy of his society, who 
 was not one of the " swells." Lurn, it is to 
 be observed, was the grandson of an earl, while 
 Browne's grandfather was a draper in London ; 
 but no one knew this ; and indeed Browne him- 
 self tried his best to bury the fact in oblivion, 
 and set the praiseworthy example of cutting 
 another boy who was discovered to have com- 
 mitted the terrible crime of having a tailor for 
 
IGO OUDENDALE: 
 
 his father. Browne was therefore not at all 
 well pleased at Charlie's friendship with Lurn. 
 One day, as they were crossing the quadrangle 
 arm-in-arm on their way to the field, he came 
 up, and without taking any notice of Lurn, said : 
 
 " Come with Mauricodle and me, Campion. 
 We are going down to the town." 
 
 " No, I can't," said (^harlie. 
 
 " Why not ? " 
 
 " Because he is going with me somewhere," 
 interrupted Lurn, who was not very well pleased 
 at the cool way in which Browne pretended not 
 to notice him. 
 
 " Cubby, is that you ? " Browne drawled 
 out, using the sobriquet by which Lurn was 
 often designated. 
 
 " Yes, Sham, it's nobody else," retorted 
 Lurn. " Don't you see me ? or shall I have to 
 run and fetch you a pair of double magnifying 
 telescopes to take a better look at me ? " 
 
 Browne turned away from him with a look 
 which was intended to be contemptuous, and 
 again addressed Charlie : " I wish you would 
 come with us. I am just going down to Steel, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 161 
 
 the tailor's, and I want you and Mauricodle to 
 help me to choose a new pair of bags." 
 
 " Get them green, with broad yellow stripes 
 down the sides," said Liirn. " And be sure to 
 make Mollycoddle give you a present of a barrel 
 of starch for your collars. You know he prom- 
 ised you one last week, because you laughed 
 like anything when he made a bad pun." 
 
 These allusions to Browne's collars, about 
 which he was remarkably particular, and to his 
 reputed connection with Lord Mauricodle, si- 
 lenced him at once, and he walked off with an 
 air of dignified contempt, while Lurn and Char- 
 lie burst out laughing. 
 
 Many such verbal encounters took place 
 between these two rivals for Charlie's friendship, 
 and Lurn nearly always came off victorious. 
 No one ever got much advantage in a war of 
 words with " Cubby " Lurn. 
 
 There was at this time a great rage for bet- 
 ting at Oudendale. The games of football, and 
 many other more trifling matters, were betted 
 on ; and thus a very bad habit was confirmed 
 in many foolish boys for life. This being con- 
 11 
 
162 OUDENDALE: 
 
 sidered a fashionable amusement, of course 
 " the swells " were not behmd in it. Granville 
 Browne bet as much as, if not more than, any 
 of them, and generally won too ; for this young 
 gentleman was not only very proud and con- 
 ceited, but rather more cunning than the rest 
 of Lord Mauricodle's friends. However, having 
 bet heavily on a horse which he had thought 
 sure to win a certain race, but which had been 
 scratched, and having met with some smaller 
 pieces of bad luck, he one day found himself in 
 the position of having no money, and owing 
 half a crown to Mauricodle. Being very unwil- 
 ling to offend his noble creditor, Browne began 
 to reflect how he should raise half a crown. 
 
 At this time the stamp-collecting mania had 
 just spread to Oudendale, and all the boys were 
 running about exchanging Badens for Bavarias, 
 and Italian for Portuguese, and so forth. Gran- 
 ville Browne collected stamps, and by selling 
 some of them he thought he might manage to 
 get what he wanted. Having found a little boy, 
 called Handy side, in the lower school, who was 
 willing to pay for some rare stamps, Browne 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 163 
 
 showed him some very old and faded Australian 
 ones, which he informed him were Egj^ptian. 
 Handyside was delighted at the idea of possess- 
 ing such treasures, and willingly consented to 
 give half a crown for them, though in reality 
 they were woVth almost nothing. So Browne, 
 by this piece of what he thought cleverness, 
 was able to pay his debt, and little Handyside 
 ran off to show his new acquisitions to all his 
 friends, and the first whom he met was Lurn, 
 his cousin. 
 
 " Frank ! I've got some awfully rare 
 stamps ! " he exclaimed. 
 
 " What are they ? " said Lurn, with great 
 interest, for lie was a stamp collector too. 
 
 " There ! " cried the little boy, triumphantly 
 displaying the five stamps which he had got 
 from Browne. " Egyptian ! You haven't got 
 anything half so rare as that in your whole 
 collection. What are you laughing at ? " 
 
 Lurn was looking rather contemptuously at 
 his treasures, for he recognized the stamps as 
 some which Browne had tried to exchange with 
 him for far more than their value. 
 
164 OUDENDALE : 
 
 *' Did you get those from Granville Browne, 
 in my form ? " he asked. 
 
 " Yes. He is the only fellow in the school 
 who has them, he told me." 
 
 " He has been gulling you. They're no more 
 Egyptian stamps than I am an Egyptian don- 
 key. What did you give him for them ? " 
 
 *' Half a crown." 
 
 " Half a what ? " exclaimed Lurn. " They're 
 not worth half a farthing. What a horrid cheat 
 he is." 
 
 " Are they not rare stamps ? " asked Handy- 
 side, rather alarmed. '' He told me they were." 
 
 " He told you a regular lie, then. But I'll 
 go and make him fork out the half a crown 
 again, or — " and, with this unfinished threat 
 Lurn strode off to find Browne. 
 
 After Browne had concluded this profitable 
 transaction, he went to look for Mauricodle. 
 On the way he met Charlie, and taking his 
 arm, they went into the racket court together, 
 and there found Mauricodle and some of his 
 friends, who had just been amusing themselves 
 by a game of rackets, — almost the only game, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 165 
 
 by the way, which these elegant young gentlemen 
 condescended to play at that time of the year. 
 
 " Why, Browne ! where have you been ? " 
 drawled out Lord Mauricodle. *' I declare I 
 was looking for you ever so long, to have a 
 game of rackets with you." 
 
 '' I've been down to the town," said Browne. 
 ^' By the by, Mauricodle," he added, as if sud- 
 denly recollecting something, " don't I owe you 
 half a crown, or something like that ? " 
 
 " I believe you do." 
 
 " Then I had better pay you now, in case I 
 forget," drawled he, taking out half a crown 
 from his pocket and handing it to Mauricodle, 
 and proposed another game at rackets. 
 
 " I'll try you, -Browne. Campion, will you 
 bet half a crown I don't beat him ? " 
 
 " I've got no money," said Charlie. He had 
 plentiful supplies of money from his uncle, which 
 never lasted long, and generally went in tarts 
 and cheesecakes to his associates, who always re- 
 joiced when Campion ^' had lots of tin." Char- 
 lie seldom betted, not because he saw that it was 
 wrong, but because he did not care about it. 
 
166 OUDENDALE : 
 
 The game between Maiiricodle and Browne 
 had scarcely begun, before Lurn rushed up in 
 a great state of indignation. 
 
 " I say, Browne, you've been cheating my 
 cousin, Willie Handyside. Did you tell him 
 that these were Egyptian stamps ? " 
 
 " Go away, and don't bother me. Don't you 
 see that I am playing a game ? " said Browne, 
 turning very red, however. 
 
 " I see that you're a horrid cheat," cried 
 Lurn. " See, Campion, he told Willie that 
 these were Egyptian stamps, and got half a 
 crown out of him for them. You give back 
 that half a crown this instant, Browne." 
 
 " I don't know what you are talking about," 
 said Browne, who was feeling very uncomfort- 
 able at being exposed in this way before his 
 fashionable friends. 
 
 " Don't tell lies. You know as well as I do 
 what I mean ; and if you don't fork out, I'll go 
 and tell Cholmondeley this very instant." 
 
 Browne got alarmed at this threat, and tried 
 to pass it over the best way he could. 
 
 " Well, I'll give it back, rather than have 
 
\ A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 167 
 
 any row about it. I declare I've got no money 
 with me," he said, bringing out his purse, and 
 pretending to search it very diligently. Just 
 give me that half a crown again, Mauricodle, 
 will you ? I'll pay you another time." 
 
 ^' There it is," said Mauricodle, not very 
 cordially ; for though he was a fool, he was a 
 gentleman, and would not approve of such 
 cheating as Lurn had accused Browne of. 
 
 " I suppose you think that a very swell thing 
 to do, going and cheating a little fellow with a 
 pack of lies." 
 
 " Can't you hold your tongue about it, now 
 that you've got the money ? " said Browne, in 
 an undertone. 
 
 " No, I won't hold my tongue about it," said 
 Lurn, loudly. "If a fellow goes and behaves 
 like a cad, I'll tell him what I think of it." 
 
 " What do you mean by that language ? " 
 cried Browne, still trying to keep up an ap- 
 pearance of surprise and indignation. 
 
 " I mean just what I say. The fellow who 
 would go and cheat a little fellow out of his 
 money by selling him a lot of rubbish, and tell- 
 
168 OUDENDALE: 
 
 iiig him lies about it, is a mean, blackguardly 
 ead. There now; don't look so grand ! If you 
 didn't hear what I said rightly, I'll say it over 
 again ; and, if you like, I will write it down for 
 you on a piece of paper." 
 
 But as Browne did not seem to desire this, 
 Lurn turned on his heel and strode off, and 
 Charlie followed him. 
 
 " I wonder how you can have anything to do 
 with such a cad ! " exclaimed Lurn, vehemently. 
 " I hate a fellow giving himself airs, and setting 
 up to be better than other people, and all the 
 while not being ashamed to do such low, black- 
 guard tricks. Hang it, I don't set up to be 
 better than other people, but I can't stand such 
 a — I don't know what to call him — as that 
 Browne." 
 
 " He's a great fool," assented Charlie, " and 
 I shan't speak to him again in a hurry." 
 
 When Charlie and Lurn had gone, Mauricodle 
 turned to Browne, and said, with a perplexed 
 look : " Wiiat have you been doing ? Why 
 were you cheating that little fellow ? " 
 
 " It was rather clever, wasn't it ? " said 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. . 169 
 
 Browne, with a forced laugli. " I should have 
 gulled him splendidly, if that fool Lurn hadn't 
 come meddling. Let us go on with our game, 
 now." 
 
 "No — hang it, Browne, it was a beastly 
 shame — cheating the fellow, and all that sort 
 of thing," stammered Mauricodle, who had 
 not enough resolution to say that he thought 
 Browne's conduct had been dishonorable. " I 
 shan't play any more," and he turned away 
 abruptly, and walked off, followed by the otlier 
 " swells," his attendants, who, seeing that his 
 lordship was pleased to look coldly on Browne, 
 of course felt it their duty to do so also. 
 
 So Granville Browne was left in the racket 
 court in no very enviable frame of mind. 
 
 " Curse that little wretch and his stamps ! " 
 he cried, wrathfully. "I'll go off, and make 
 him promise to say nothing more about it." 
 
 But he had hardly got into tlie quadrangle 
 when he met Handy side of the fifth form, who 
 had just heard from his little brother of the 
 way in which Browne had attempted to cheat 
 him, and was on his way to chastise him, though 
 
170 OUDENDALE: 
 
 it is to be observed that Handyside would have 
 thought this rather a clever and laudable trick 
 if it had not been practised on his brother. 
 When he met Browne, he caught him by the 
 collar of his jacket, and, with many oaths, pro- 
 ceeded to give him a tremendous thrashing. 
 Granville howled and struggled ; but it was no 
 use, for Handyside was twice as strong as he, 
 and he got as good a thrashing as ever he had 
 in his life. At length Handyside flung him 
 away, half mad with pain and passion, saying, 
 " There, now ! If I catch you playing any tricks 
 on my brother again, I'll give you twice as 
 much. I think you had better not try selling 
 your Egyptian stamps any more." 
 
 Granville was of that opinion too, and it was 
 a long time before he attempted to cheat small 
 boys again ; or, if he did, he selected those who 
 had no big brothers in the school, and took 
 better care not to be found out. 
 
 Lord Mauricodle cut him for a day or two ; 
 but he was too weak-minded to persist in any 
 such decided course of conduct, and Granville 
 was soon in as high favor with his lordship as 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 171 
 
 ever. Of course, the rest of the swells all fol- 
 lowed Mauricpdle's example. But Charlie ever 
 afterwards kept away from Browne, whom he 
 now thoroughly disliked ; and that elegant and 
 refined young gentleman had the perception 
 to understand that Charlie wished to cut him, 
 and no longer tried to seek his society. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 GOOD RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 " Nam cur. 
 Quae laedunt oculum, festinas deraere; si quid 
 Est anlmum, diflfers curandi tempus in annum? 
 Dimidium facti, qui caepit, liabct, sapere aude ; 
 Incipe. Qui recte vivendi prorogat horam, 
 Eusticus expectat dum defluat amnis ; at ille 
 Labitur, et labetur in omne volubilis aevum." 
 
 Horace. 
 
 When Clement left Oudendale, Mr. Campion 
 thought Charlie had now got rid of his worst com- 
 panion and adviser ; but in this he was deceived, 
 though for some time he did not know it. 
 
 Henrys, the captain of Charlie's bedroom, 
 had taken a fancy to him, — for Charlie was one 
 of those boys who make friends of all sorts of 
 people. Before a fortnight after Clement's ex- 
 pulsion had passed, it was evident that Henrys 
 had " taken up" Charlie. 
 
 " Taking up " (which the ignorant reader 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 173 
 
 must please to understand as a big boy's con-j 
 ferring his intimate friendship upon a little one) 
 is in general bad for both parties. Not tiiat 
 there have not been many lasting, happy, and 
 useful friendships between boys of very dififerent 
 ages ; but in the majority of cases the older boy 
 is lowered in the eyes of his equals by his inti- 
 macy with one much younger than himself, and 
 the younger learns the bad habits of his elders 
 before he has strength of mind to resist them, 
 and often becomes a perfect little scoundrel, 
 versed in all sorts of filthiness and blackguard- 
 ism, while he is yet a mere child. Besides, a 
 boy who is taken up is generally looked upon 
 with a certain dislike by those of his own age 
 and position in the school. On this account, 
 older boys would do well to reflect before they 
 commence intimate friendships with their jun- 
 iors ; or if they do so, let them remember that 
 they will have to give account at the Great Day 
 for every lesson of evil impressed upon these 
 young souls by their agency. We have all op- 
 portunities of doing good or evil by precept and 
 example ; none more so than the senior boys 
 
174 OUDENDALE: 
 
 of a large school ; and the more such oppor- 
 tunities God lias given us, the greater harvest 
 of gpod will he require. 
 
 Charlie was rather older than most boys who 
 were taken up, and he was less impressible by evil 
 example than boys generally are ; yet he could 
 not but learn much evil from Henrys. Henrys 
 was not a very badly-disposed boy, and had nei- 
 ther the recklessness of Clement, nor the low, 
 mean mind of Handyside ; but he was carried 
 away by an intense admiration for what he falsely 
 thought and called " manliness." This quality, 
 in his opinion, and in that of many other 
 mistaken persons, consisted in pursuing some 
 of the most coarse vices, and sneering at all 
 which Divine Iloliness has taught us to be 
 lovely and of good report. To drink, to smoke, 
 to swear, to disregard and disobey all legitimate 
 authority, was to be manly. To be diligent, to 
 be obedient and respectful, to be pure-minded, 
 was to be a muff. Never has a word been more 
 perverted from its right meaning by the present 
 generation than this adjective " manly." In- 
 stead of being reserved for the honorable des- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 175 
 
 igiiatioii of the duty-doing, lieaven-strengthencd 
 Christian, it is used to give an attractive name 
 to the vices of folly and dissipation. 
 
 Charlie now learned evil much faster than 
 under the auspices of Clement. He was more 
 hardened both to the sight and the practice of 
 sin, and was also flattered by being selected as 
 the chosen companion of a monitor. Henrys 
 often had him in his study, and there taught 
 him many tricks for deceiving the masters in 
 the performance of the school work. Among 
 other gifts, Henrys gave a perfect library of 
 translations and keys to the school-books of his 
 form. Charlie had always been taught by his 
 mother that the use of such means was both 
 dishonorable towards his masters, and injurious 
 to himself ; and when he first came to Ouden- 
 dale he would not have even looked at them ; 
 but now his scruples had faded away with the 
 remembrance of her gentle and loving-kindness, 
 and he made use of them constantly. 
 
 The boys of the lower and middle school all 
 had to be in bed by ten o'clock, and the mon- 
 itors were expected to see that this rule was 
 
176 0UDE2;DALE: 
 
 enforced. The upper school were allowed to 
 sit up till eleven, if they liked, but only for the 
 purpose of reading or studying ; and the mon- 
 itors were not bound by any rules. Dr. Eden 
 trusting to their honor that they would not do 
 anything of which he would disapprove. This 
 license was sadly abused by one or two of the 
 monitors, who took advantage of it to have 
 supper-parties (which were forbidden after half- 
 past nine o'clock) in some of the studies, where 
 they indulged in all sorts of forbidden amuse- 
 ments, such as drinking, smoking, playing at 
 cards, and fancying that they were doing some- 
 thing excessively delightful and clever. Henrys 
 and one or two more of the monitors were the 
 managers of these secret feasts, and the other 
 monitors who lived in tho West House, if they 
 did not join in them, at all events did not try 
 to stop them. " It's not our business," was 
 their view of the matter, though certainly one 
 would have thought that all the monitors were 
 interested in not allowing Dr. Eden's confidence 
 in them to be misplaced. 
 
 Henrys took Charlie to more than one of 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 177 
 
 these suppers, and he for his part was delighted 
 at being so honored, to the eiwy of most of the 
 other boys in the room, who could not help 
 knowing all about what was taking place, 
 though it was supposed to be a secret. 
 
 But we need not dwell on such a repulsive 
 subject as a record of the lessons in sin which 
 Charlie received. Suffice to say, that he every 
 day learned more ; and though he often, in 
 moments of reflection, saw how much he was 
 changing for the worse, and resolved to try and 
 be better, his good resolutions, unsupported by 
 a prayerful trust in God, melted away like 
 snow in the evil atmosphere by which he was 
 surrounded. 
 
 Oh, how fast the soul rushes down the broad, 
 smooth road of sin, and how difficult it is to 
 turn and climb, step by step, the narrow and 
 rugged path that leads to righteousness and 
 everlasting life ! 
 
 Lurn was not over well pleased to see Charlie 
 
 taken up by Henrys. They were not so often 
 
 together now, for Charlie was a great deal in 
 
 Henrys' study. But Lurn had sufficient per- 
 12 
 
178 OUDENDALE: 
 
 ception to see that lie would not be grateful to 
 him for any advice on the subject, and so kept 
 his opinion to himself. However, he consoled 
 himself by reflecting that it was not likely to 
 last, Henrys being remarkable for taking sudden 
 and violent attachments to younger boys, and 
 growing before long as suddenly and completely 
 tired of them. Charlie^ was the third boy whom 
 Henrys had taken up within the last six months, 
 and had obtained this enviable situation, vice 
 little Handyside in the lower school — dismissed 
 in disgrace. 
 
 The Easter holidays were now fast drawing 
 on. Ohj how changed Charlie was since last 
 Easter ! How changed since the day when his 
 dying mother cast her last fond glance on him, 
 and prayed to God to make him pure in the 
 blood of the Lamb ! Her prayers were not 
 unheard, though they might seem to be so, and 
 an unseen, and as yet unknown Providence 
 was watching over Charlie, waiting his own 
 good time for the fulfilment of his designs. 
 
 One day Charlie received by post this hur- 
 riedly-scrawled letter, which had neither date 
 nor address : 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 179 
 
 "My Dear Campion: 
 
 "It's not likely that you will see me 
 again, for I am going off to sea next week, and 
 I don't care if I never come back. I write 
 to you to say that I wish we had never been 
 friends at all. Somehow or other I took a 
 fancy to you whenever I saw you, and I am 
 afraid I have done you no good. I know that 
 I am a regular beast, and it is no use for me to 
 try and behave better now; but I hope that 
 you won't follow my example. I daresay you 
 are astonished at me writing in this way to you, 
 but I feel sorry for the way I went on at 
 Oudendale, and especially for the harm I tried 
 to do to you. 
 
 "Don't show this letter to any fellow, and 
 forget all about J. Clement." 
 
 This letter not only astonished, but rather 
 troubled Charlie, for it only repeated the warn- 
 ing which his conscience gave him that he was 
 becoming more hardened to evil every day. 
 He was rather annoyed than otherwise at being 
 reminded of an unpleasant truth. For a little, 
 
180 OUDENDALE. 
 
 however, he had almost made up his mind to 
 cut Henrys, and to behave himself more as he 
 had done when his mother was alive ; for as yet 
 his desire to be better extended no further than 
 this. But then a tempting voice whispered in 
 his heart, " It would be shabby to cut Henrys, 
 when he likes me so much ; he will be leaving 
 at the end of the half; I shall get my remove 
 very likely at the end of this half, and then I 
 will really get on better : after all, what great 
 harm is there in using cribs, and smoking a 
 cigar now and then, and all that sort of thing ? 
 I am not so bad as Handyside and lots of other 
 fellows, and I never will be either ! " 
 
 Thus Charlie persuaded himself, and partially 
 lulled his conscience. He tore up Clement's 
 letter, and tried to forget all about it. 
 
CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 THE BULLY. 
 
 " Thou little valiant, great in villainy ! 
 Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! 
 Thou fortune's champion, that dost never fight 
 But when her humorous ladyship is by 
 To teach thee safety I" 
 
 Shakspeaee. 
 
 We have not heard for some time of Edmonds, 
 the bully of the fourth form. That amiable 
 young gentleman bore no good-will to Charlie, 
 as we have seen ; but though he lost no oppor- 
 tunity of annoying him, he took care not to go 
 too far, as he knew by experience that Charlie, 
 though not nearly so strong as he, had a good 
 deal of courage, and if goaded on to a quarrel, 
 was by no means an antagonist to be despised. 
 But to those boys of whose utter incapacity to 
 resist him he could have no doubt, Edmonds 
 was not so considerate. Having been endowed 
 
182 OUDENDALE : 
 
 by nature with great bodily and very little 
 mental power, he made use of the former to 
 produce the effects of the latter ; or, in plainer 
 language, he was in the habit of forcing small 
 clever boys to do his exercise for him and to 
 give him construes, by threatening to " kick " 
 them if they refused. And thus he managed, if 
 not to keep a high place in the form, at least to 
 secure himself from the punishment which his 
 idleness deserved, which was all he cared about. 
 There had been removed into the fourth 
 form at Christmas a boy called Alfred Steven- 
 son, who was only eleven years old. Though 
 so young, he was always near the top of the 
 form ; for he had most excellent abilities, and 
 was very diligent. He even looked younger than 
 he really was, and so he went by the name of 
 Baby Stevenson. He, like many others, took 
 a great fancy for Charlie ; and it had been well 
 for Charlie if all his friendfe had been like little 
 Stevenson, for he was not only clever and dili- 
 gent, but remarkably amiable and well-disposed. 
 He was too gentle and modest to associate 
 much with any but a few intimate friends ; but 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 183 
 
 if he could catch Charlie alone, he liked to 
 have a talk with him. Charlie liked him, too. 
 There was something very attractive in his 
 bright, pleasant look, and his large, round, 
 shining eyes ; and then the stories which in his 
 open-heartedness he would tell about his mother 
 and his home, touched a chord in Charlie's 
 better nature, and reminded him of his own 
 home and the tender love which had once 
 watched round him, but which had now passed 
 away forever. Stevenson, on his part, regarded 
 Charlie as a sort of hero and admirable Crich- 
 ton in all matters relating to games and such 
 matters, and would often ask his advice in the 
 same trustful way as he would at home have 
 appealed to his father or mother. 
 
 One day, as Charlie was crossing the yard, 
 Stevenson stopped him and said : 
 
 " I want to ask your advice." 
 
 " Well, what about ? Fire away," said 
 Charlie, whose vanity was rather tickled at 
 being looked up to in this way. 
 
 " Do you think it would be right to do an- 
 other fellow's exercise for him? You know 
 
184 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Mr. Campion would think that he did it him- 
 self, and would mark him for it." 
 
 " Well," answered Charlie, hesitatingly, '4ots 
 of fellows do it." 
 
 " I know that ; but is it right ? " persisted 
 Stevenson. " Would God like us to do it ? Is 
 it not deceiving Mr. Campion ? " 
 
 This was a question which Charlie would 
 much rather not have answered, or even re- 
 flected on. He knew that he himself frequently 
 both gave and took the dishonest assistance 
 which Stevenson referred to, and yet he could 
 not defend it in any way. So, after a minute's 
 reflection, he said, though not very confidently: 
 
 " No ; it would not be right." 
 
 " I thought not. And if a fellow were to try 
 and force you to do anything of this sort, you 
 wouldn't give in to him, would you ? " 
 
 " Of course I wouldn't," said Charlie, a little 
 more decidedly this time ; for he was now 
 speaking the truth. His self-will would have 
 risen up and resisted any one who would have 
 attempted to force him to commit sins which 
 he would easily be led to tolerate and take part 
 in by a very little persuasion. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 185 
 
 Stevenson looked as if he wished to continue 
 tlie conversation ; but at tliat moment Lurn, 
 Gordon, and Dale came up to claim Charlie for 
 a game of rackets which he had promised to 
 play with them. So he walked off with them, 
 and Stevenson went in another direction, con- 
 firmed in a resolution which he had come to of 
 refusing to do Edmonds' exercises any more. 
 Nor did he make up his mind for this without 
 thinking with some dread of the consequences ; 
 but, like Charlie, Stevenson had been taught 
 where to seek for help in time of need, and, 
 unlike Charlie, this teaching had not been lost 
 on him; so he prayed to God to give him 
 strength to do right. Nor is that strength ever 
 denied to him who asks in faith. The Christian 
 may indeed give a nobler utterance to that 
 noble sentiment of the heathen poet — 
 
 " Justum et tenacem propositi virum 
 Non civium ardor prava jubentium, 
 Non vultus install tis tyranni 
 Mente quatit solida." 
 
 Charlie could not help reflecting upon Ste- 
 venson's anxiety to do right, and contrasting it 
 
186 OUDENDALE: 
 
 with his own indifference, if not wickedness. 
 He saw that this little boy was far purer and 
 better than himself, and for the moment he felt 
 the voice of conscience reproving him, and 
 urging him to turn ere it was too late. For 
 perhaps the twentieth time since Christmas he 
 resolved to try and be " better," and for the 
 twentieth time forgot all about his good reso- 
 lutions in half an hour. 
 
 The next day Charlie was kept in by Mr. 
 Campion to write an imposition. When he 
 had finished it, the first thing that met his eyes 
 on coming out into the quadrangle was a crowd 
 of boys rushing into the great schoolroom, in 
 which there seemed to be some matter of inter- 
 est going on. 
 
 "What's all the row about?" he asked 
 Gordon, who came running uj) just then. 
 
 " That bully Edmonds wanted Baby Steven- 
 son to do his lessons, and he wouldn't ; so 
 Edmonds gave him a fearful kicking, and half 
 murdered him. Cholmondeley found out about 
 it, and the monitors are holding a meeting in 
 the great schoolroom to decide what's to be 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 187 
 
 done to Edmonds. I hope lie'll catch it. Come 
 on quick, and see the fun ; " and he set off at 
 a run, accompanied by Charlie, wlio now re- 
 membered his conversation with Stevenson the 
 day before, but said notliing to Gordon about it. 
 They elbowed their way into the great 
 schoolroom, and stood in the middle of the 
 crowd who were eagerly watching the proceed- 
 ings. All the monitors but one or two were 
 gathered together at the other end of the room, 
 and Clark was holding a cane in a fidgety, im- 
 patient manner, which boded no good to Ed- 
 monds, who stood in a corner, his sullen fea- 
 tures now filled with an expression of craven 
 fear ; for though bullies are very fond of in- 
 flicting pain on others, they are generally very 
 much afraid of bearing it themselves. Opposite, 
 two boys were supporting Stevenson, who had 
 one of his legs bandaged up, and was looking 
 very pale and nervous. He was quite a hero 
 for the time being, both in his pluck in suffer- 
 ing so much pain rather than do wrong, and 
 from his firmness in refusing to accuse Ed- 
 monds. 
 
188 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " I would rather not say anything about it — 
 I don't wish to tell — I don't, really," he was 
 saying as Charlie and Gordon entered the room. 
 
 " He's a jolly, plucky little fellow," whispered 
 Gordon in an approving manner to Charlie. 
 " I didn't think he had so much in him." 
 
 "Then if Stevenson won't tell about it," said 
 one of the monitors, " we had better have some 
 witnesses. Who saw it done ? " 
 
 " "Witnesses ! " cried Clarke, impatiently. 
 "The brute doesn't deny that he did it, surely." 
 
 " Hold hard, Clarke ; let iis do everything 
 all right and proper. Where are the fellows 
 who saw the thing done ? " 
 
 Two boys then came forward and related how 
 they had found Edmonds kicking Stevenson as 
 he lay on the ground, crying, and begging 
 Edmonds to leave him alone ; how they had 
 said it was a shame, and how Edmonds had 
 told them with an oath to mind their own 
 business or he should treat them in the same 
 way ; and how, being afraid to encounter the 
 bully, though indignant at his treatment of 
 Stevenson, they had gone off and informed the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 189 
 
 first monitor whom tliey met. And as Clarke 
 said, Edmonds himself did not dispute the facts, 
 though if he could have invented a sufficiently 
 plausible lie, doubtless he would have done so. 
 But he was too frightened to invent lies now, 
 and the air of bravado which he tried to assume 
 scarcely disguised his trembling cowardice. 
 
 Having heard this statement, the monitors 
 were all agreed to a certain extent about what 
 was to be done. Some of them thought that it 
 was wrong for any one to bully, others were of 
 opinion that no one but monitors ought to 
 bully ; but all were agreed that it was wrong 
 for a fourth-form fellow to bully ; so that the 
 only debate was what his punishment should be. 
 The usual monitorial punishment for bullying 
 was twenty-five cuts with a cane ; but as this 
 was a particularly aggravated case, and as 
 Stevenson, from his smallness, inoffensiveness, 
 and his generosity in refusing to accuse Ed- 
 monds, had the general sympatliy, Clarke pro- 
 posed that Edmonds should have fifty cuts, and 
 this was seconded by several of the more im- 
 petuous and indignant of the monitors, and 
 
190 OUDEXDALE: 
 
 received witn great applause by the crowd of 
 bojs who filled the room and listened with 
 breathless interest to the deliberation. 
 
 " If we are to have any disputing, the room 
 must be cleared," said Cholmondeley. 
 
 So the room was cleared, and the boys all 
 waited outside with eager impatience while the 
 monitors held a debate upon the number of 
 cuts which Edmonds ought to receive. Chol- 
 mondeley said that twenty-five would be quite 
 enough, reminding them that they must not 
 allow their indignation to get the better of their 
 judgment ; and after some discussion his mo- 
 tion was carried by a small majority. This 
 having been settled, the door was opened to 
 admit the crowd outside, and then Edmonds, 
 who had been put into an adjoining room, was 
 brought out to receive his punishment. 
 
 Such a display of abject cowardice was never 
 witnessed at Oudendale. As the strokes of the 
 cane, well laid on by the five senior monitors, 
 fell on the bully's shoulders, he howled and 
 bellowed, and rolled about on the floor, scream- 
 ing out that he was going to die, and begging 
 for mercy. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 191 
 
 " No fear of your dying," cried Clarke. 
 " You'll live to get twice as bad a thrashing 
 the next time you are caught bullying." 
 
 " Oh, I won't do it again — upon my honor 
 — I really won't ! Oh dear, oh dear ! " 
 
 " I don't think you will," said one of the 
 monitors. 
 
 " Your honor ! " exclaimed another, sarcas- 
 tically. 
 
 " There ! " exclaimed the monitor who gave 
 him the last stroke, flinging away the cane to 
 the other end of the room, " I declare such a 
 fellow is not worth licking." 
 
 " You may go now," said Cholmondeley, 
 who had intended to make a suitable address to 
 Edmonds, but seeing that he was not in a con- 
 dition to attend to anything of the sort, re- 
 served his remarks for another opportunity. 
 
 But Edmonds' exit was not allowed to be a 
 voluntary one ; for whenever the monitors had 
 done with him, he was seized, still howling and 
 weeping, dragged out and kicked round the 
 quadrangle, among a storm of hisses, groans, 
 and jeers. 
 
192 OUDENDALE. 
 
 Mr. Campion happened to pass by, and sa-w 
 the commotion. 
 
 "What is the matter?" he asked Bill Rufus. 
 
 " One of the young gentlemen has been 
 bullying, sir," said Bill, touching his hat, " and 
 the monitors took it up." 
 
 " Oh," said Mr. Campion, passing on, and 
 taking no further notice. 
 
 By the general sentence of public opinion 
 Edmonds was also " sent to Coventry." This 
 ostracism was kept up for a little time ; but 
 virtuous indignation, especially in boys, is too 
 ephemeral, and Edmonds was too cunning to 
 allow this state of things to last. He happened 
 to receive soon afterwards a hamper containing 
 sundry cakes, bottles of wine, and other luxu- 
 ries, and, alas for the weakness of boy-nature ! 
 there were many who found it convenient to 
 forget his offence, and share his good things 
 above mentioned. So, before long he was in 
 the same position in the school as before ; but 
 it was a long time before he ventured to bully 
 again. 
 
CHAPTER XY. 
 
 A SUPPER. 
 
 " Le r^gal fut fort honnete 
 Rien ne manquait au festin : 
 Mais quelqu'un troubla la fete 
 Pendant qii'ils etaient en train. 
 A la porte de la salle 
 lis entendirent du bruit." 
 
 Dp: La Fontaine. 
 
 " Now, you fellows," said Henrys one night 
 to the boys who slept in No. 5, " you see and 
 go off to your beds at once, and don't kick up 
 any row. I've no end of an examination in 
 old Thicksides to get up, and must set to it at 
 once. Campion, you come with me and help 
 me to look up some of the words." 
 
 " Ahem ! " said Dale, as Charlie rose and 
 
 was following Henrys. " You will be no end 
 
 of a swell at Greek soon, if you go on helping 
 
 Henrys in his Thucydides. It was a Latin 
 13 
 
194 OUDENDALE: 
 
 composition you had to do, Henrys, last time, 
 wasn't it ? " 
 
 " You shut up," said Henrys ; and he and 
 Charlie left the room amid a shout of laughter, 
 for all the boys knew perfectly well what they 
 were going to be about. 
 
 " We are going to have a jolly feed in Bran- 
 low's study to-night," said Henrys, when they 
 had got out of the room into the passage. " 1 
 got leave to bring you. It may be the last we 
 are to have for a while, for I hear that Saint 
 Cholmondeley is going to have his study in the 
 West House after Easter, and I suppose he'll 
 kick up a row if we try to have any fun." 
 
 Henrys then led the way to one of the studies 
 at the back of the house, which looked out 
 vipon the Master's garden. There they found 
 five or six other boys assembled: Branlow, a 
 monitor, Handyside, and two other fifth-form 
 fellows, and a small, pretty, curly-haired boy 
 from the lower school, called Dunnismore, a 
 protege of Handyside, who took a delight in 
 prostituting his innocence, and teaching his 
 lips to prattle filthiness and blasphemy. 
 
A TALE OF SCIIOOLr.OY LIFE. 195 
 
 " What arc you bringing tliat fellow for — 
 hang him?" growled Handyside, as Henrys 
 and Charlie entered. " We had quite enough 
 without him." 
 
 ''Why did you bring Dunnismore, then?" 
 retorted Henrys. 
 
 Handyside did not reply, except by a half- 
 audible oath. 
 
 " Come, now, you needn't fight about it," 
 said Branlow. " The more, the merrier. Fork 
 out the beer, Harrison." 
 
 A boy who had been superintending some 
 culinary preparations at the fire, took several 
 bottles of beer from a dilapidated coal scuttle, 
 and placed them on the table. Then the supper 
 commenced. The solids were not particularly 
 plentiful or luxurious, and soon disappeared ; 
 but it was evident that the main business of 
 the evening was drinking beer and strong ale. 
 Branlow also brought out a half-emptied brandy 
 bottle, intimating that there was more in the 
 room if it was needed — and then the party 
 proceeded to enjoy themselves. They had a 
 game at cards, and then Handyside proposed 
 
196 OUDEXDALE: 
 
 that Diiiinismore should sing them an immoral 
 song which he had taught him ; but this pro- 
 posal Branlow at once negatived. 
 
 " No, no," he said, hastily. " You'll have 
 some of the masters after us." 
 
 " Well, you can keep your song till another 
 time, Dunny. I suppose we may smoke, 
 though." 
 
 '' As much as you like. But you had better 
 open that window first. Here are some jolly 
 cigars I got at Evans's yesterday. Try one." 
 
 The windows were flung open, and in a few 
 minutes they were nearly all sitting near it, 
 with cigars in their mouths. 
 
 " This is a first-rate cigar," said Dunnismore, 
 looking at it very knowingly. 
 
 " Not bad," assented Branlow. " But what 
 do you know about it, you young shrimp ? " 
 
 " Oh, Dunny will soon be a first-rate judge 
 of tobacco," said Handyside. " I believe he 
 knows a cabbage leaf from a Havannah already, 
 don't you, Dunny ? You're not a fool, npr a 
 muff either ! " 
 
 " I should say not," said the little boy, in a 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 197 
 
 manner which would have disgusted every 
 right-minded person, but which only delighted 
 his auditors. " I know a thing or two, and 
 I'm game for whatever you like." 
 
 "That's right!" said Henrys, admiringly. 
 " You'll grow up a manly fellow, and not a 
 muff. We'll drhik your health. There, Cam- 
 pion, you're not taking anything," and Henrys 
 pushed a glass of brandy and water across the 
 table to Charlie, who drunk it off. 
 
 At any other time, Charlie's good sense and 
 the remnants of right feeling which he had left 
 would have made him revolt at the spectacle 
 little Dunnismore presented, so young and yet 
 so depraved ; for though we may often fail to 
 see the abomination of sin in ourselves, it is 
 more clearly seen in another. But now he had 
 been so confused and excited by the ale and 
 brandy which Henrys had pressed him to drink, 
 that he scarcely knew what he was doing, or 
 what was going on around him. 
 
 " Hang it. Campion, why are you so glum ? " 
 said Henrys, slapping him on the back. " Take 
 some more brandy, man. You must come to 
 
198 OUDENDALE: 
 
 some rare spreads which we are going to have 
 on Sunday afternoons. Some of us are going 
 to have a club, and you must join us. We 
 shall call our spreads not the Saturnalia, but 
 the ^ndaynalia. Ask your cousin, with my 
 compliments, whether that isn't a very classical 
 idea. You must join us." 
 
 Charlie smiled a silly smile, which Henrys 
 took for assent. 
 
 '-' I say," cried one of the fifth-form fellows, 
 " wouldn't it be fun if old Eden was walking 
 in his garden this fine moonlight night, and 
 smelt us smoking, and came up to see if the 
 place was on fire ? " 
 
 " If he did, we should come to grief," re- 
 marked another. 
 
 '* * If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there 
 would be no trade for tinkers,'" quoted Han- 
 dyside. " But you needn't suggest any such 
 event as probable, Harrison, or perhaps it may 
 really happen." 
 
 " Why not ? " said Harrison, laughing. 
 '' Upon my honor, it would be splendid fun to 
 see Eden stalk in and give us one of his grand 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 199 
 
 frowns all round. Henrys ! Branlow ! Cam- 
 pion ! What is the meaning of all this ? " and 
 Harrison threw himself into an attitude of 
 surprise, and imitated Dr. Eden's voice. 
 
 " Confound you, Harrison, don't humbug 
 Eden," said Branlow. " He's a jolly fellow, I 
 can tell you." 
 
 "Of course he is," assented Harrison. "But 
 it would be such fun if he came in and caught 
 us all here." 
 
 " Give us Dr. Eden preaching, Harrison," 
 cried Handyside. " Come on now. Hold your 
 tongues, you fellows ! B-e member, you are in 
 chapel." 
 
 " Do you want a sermon ? " said Harrison, 
 springing up on a chair. 
 
 He was just about to imitate Dr. Eden 
 preaching, when some one exclaimed, " What 
 noise is that at the door ? " and they all sprung 
 to their feet. 
 
 " Let me in," said a voice of authority, and 
 some one was heard fumbling at the door, 
 which was locked. 
 
 The boys stared at one another, and for a 
 
200 OUDENDALE: 
 
 moment did not know what to do. But, re- 
 covering himself, Handyside dashed forward, 
 and began to conceal the remnants of the 
 supper. But it was no use, for the voice again 
 demanded admittance in a louder tone, and the 
 door being reluctantly unlocked by Branlow, 
 Dr. Eden entered, followed by Bill Rufus. 
 
 The scene may now be imagined. For a 
 moment there was an uncomfortable silence, 
 while Dr. Eden gazed sternly and yet sorrow- 
 fully at the boys, who stood before him with 
 downcast and sheepish looks. The empty 
 bottles, and the smell of tobacco, told him at 
 once what had been taking place. 
 
 " Did you not know that I had forbidden 
 suppers after prayers ? " he asked, at length. 
 
 " Yes, sir," answered Branlow, looking ra- 
 ther foolish. 
 
 " And did I not trust to your honor to see 
 that my orders were obeyed ? " 
 
 No one answered. 
 
 " Enough," said Dr. Eden. " Since I can- 
 not trust to the honor of my monitors, I do not 
 wonder at younger boys doing such things. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 203 
 
 For the present, go to your beds. I shall have 
 more to say about this to-morrow." 
 
 One by one the boys went out of the room, 
 while Dr. Eden took down their names. Char- 
 lie immediately made his way to his room, 
 where the other boys were by this time all 
 asleep, and throwing off his clothes, he laid his 
 burning, throbbing head upon his pillow, and 
 slept a troubled, uneasy sleep. He was too 
 excited by what he had drunk to feel fear for 
 the consequences of his folly ; but he had a 
 vague, confused feeling of unutterable wretch-^ 
 edness — a feeling which is part of the bitter 
 wages sin gives to its servants. 
 
CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 THE. DAWN OF LIGHT. 
 
 " I hold it truth, with one who sings 
 To one clear harp in diverse tones. 
 That men may rise on stepping-stones 
 Of their dead selves, to higher things." 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 The next .morning Charlie awoke in no envi- 
 able frame of mind. He had a dull headache 
 and a feeling of lassitude, which were the nat- 
 ural consequences of the last night's revelry, 
 and want of sound, quiet sleep ; and he felt 
 thoroughly ashamed and disgusted at himself. 
 Then the other boys in the room, when they 
 heard what had happened, seemed not at all 
 sorry at their being found out, though it is to 
 be feared that this was rather from jealousy 
 than from any assumption of superior virtue. 
 
 " I'm not sorry for it," said Dale, while they 
 were dressing, Henrys appearing to be asleep. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 203 
 
 " It serves Henrys quite right. He won't be 
 able to be so particular about sending us off to 
 bed after this, or we can ask him, ' Who was 
 twigged by Eden at a supper in Branlow's 
 study ? ' You see you haven't got much good 
 by being the confidential friend of our esteemed 
 monitor, Campion. I can tell you that you 
 will likely be flogged, and then you won't be in 
 a hurry to go to suppers with Henrys again." 
 
 " You needn't talk. Dale," said Charlie, 
 peevishly. " You know you would have gone 
 yourself if Henrys had asked you." 
 
 "Would I?" said Dale, in an uncertain 
 tone ; for his conscience told him that this was 
 the truth. " At all events, you are in for a 
 flogging." 
 
 " No, he isn't," cried Gordon. " He'll get 
 off with five hundred lines." 
 
 " I'll take you any bet it will be a flogging. 
 And Henrys, of course he won't be flogged, but 
 he'll have to go down a form, or write some 
 whopping impo'." 
 
 " No, he won't," roared Henrys, suddenly 
 sitting up in his bed, and hurling one of his 
 
204 OUDENDALE: 
 
 boots at the prognosticator of evil ; whereupon 
 all discussion upon the subject came to an end. 
 
 Charlie's companions of the night before all 
 more or less shared his feelings, and looked 
 forward with no great pleasure or confidence 
 to the interview with Dr. Eden which they 
 expected, and to which they were summoned 
 after breakfast. But Charlie and Dunnismore 
 at least were agreeably disappointed ; for Dr. 
 Eden, after shortly rebuking them for their 
 folly, said that he should not punish them, as 
 they had been led astray by the example of 
 those who should have known and acted better. 
 The fifth-form boys got a book of Livy to write 
 out ; but when the Master came to Branlow 
 and Henrys, he began to " thunder and light- 
 ning" at them, as the boys used to call it ; for 
 a breach of confidence, or any other dishonora- 
 ble action, would change liis usually calm man- 
 ner into a terrific storm of indignation, before 
 which even the boldest and most hardened 
 could not help quailing. 
 
 " Since you have showed me how little you 
 appreciate the confidence whicli I placed in you, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 205 
 
 you can no longer remain monitors. Black and 
 Purcell will take your places. You may go now." 
 
 They all slunk out, looking very much 
 ashamed of themselves, except Branlow, who 
 remained behind the rest^ and said, in an 
 agitated manner, " I see I have done wrong, 
 sir. I hope you will believe that I am sorry, 
 and will try to show you that I am not alto- 
 gether unworthy to be trusted." 
 
 " I am glad to hear it," said the Master, his 
 sternness vanishing all at once. " Prove that 
 you are sorry, and wish to amend, and we will 
 forget that this has ever happened." 
 
 " I will try, sir," said Branlow, energetically. 
 " I am worse, far worse than you think ; but I 
 often wish to be better, and I will really try 
 this time." 
 
 "Ah, Branlow, be sure to try the right way," 
 said Dr. Eden, solemnly. ''Don't trust to your 
 own strength, but ask God for the help of his 
 Spirit. Without him we can do nothing — 
 nothing. And, by the by," added Dr. Eden, 
 as Branlow turned towards the door, " can you 
 not do something to get that poor child, Dun- 
 
206 OUDKS^DALE: 
 
 iiismore, out of the society into which he has 
 fallen ? You have, I fear, much to answer for 
 in teaching him to offend against God ; the least 
 you can do is to keep Inm from further evil." 
 " I will try, sir,'*" said Branlow, eagerly tak- 
 ing the hand which Dr. Eden held out to him, 
 and then hurridd out of the room. 
 , Branlow's disposition was not unlike Char- 
 ' lie's, and he had learned evil in much the same 
 manner as Charlie was now experiencing. He 
 had had right principles instilled into him by 
 kind and judicious parents, and when he first 
 came to Oudendale had been comparatively free 
 from the knowledge and practice of vice. But 
 his good-natured, yielding disposition had both 
 procured him many friends, and had fitted him 
 •to be more easily led astray by the bad example 
 which some of them set him. Little by little he 
 had gone deep into the waters of sin, first with 
 cautious and unwilling steps, then with bolder 
 plunges, till at length he was hurrying down 
 in the mid-current, unable to reach the shore, 
 on which he often looked back with regret. 
 None knew of Branlow's better thoughts, but 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 207 
 
 all saw that he was considered one of the ring- 
 leaders of about the worst set in the school. 
 
 Henrys tried to bear out his disgrace with 
 an air of bravado, though in his heart he was 
 deeply mortified. Meeting Charlie in the quad- 
 rangle, after morning school, he cried, ''Hallo, 
 Campion ! have you got over the edifying ser- 
 mon which Dr. Eden preached us this morn- 
 ing ? I expected to find you weeping over it 
 yet. Look here, old boy ; come out this after- 
 noon with Handyside and me. We're going 
 to have such a lark at — " 
 
 " I don't want to have anything more to do 
 with any of your larks," interrupted Charlie, 
 crossly. " I'm going to walk with some other 
 fellows this afternoon." 
 
 " Oh, very well. Just as you please, of 
 course," said Henrys, rather coldly. 
 
 Charlie walked off; and that afternoon 
 Henrys and Handyside met him rambling on 
 the banks of the Ouden with Lurn and Ste- 
 venson. Henrys took no notice of him, but 
 thought to himself, as he passed on — 
 
 " Very well. Master Campion, so you cut 
 
208 OUDENDALE: 
 
 me for Cubby Lurn and Baby Stevenson, do 
 you ? You'll see what I shall have to say to 
 you the next time you want to come with me." 
 Charlie never did seek Henrys' society again, 
 but, on the contrary, carefully avoided it. See- 
 ing this, Henrys was very angry, and took a 
 dislike to him, as sudden and violent as his 
 attachment had formerly been. If Henrys had 
 continued to be captain of the bedroom, this 
 would have been rather unpleasant for Charlie ; 
 but he was sent off to another room, and Pur- 
 cell, one of the new monitors, took his place. 
 
 The next day was Sunday ; and on Tuesday 
 the college was to break up for the Easter 
 holidays. Charlie paid more attention to the 
 service this morning than he usually did, and 
 it was not without some earnestness that he 
 joined in the prayer, " Give unto thy servants 
 that peace which the world cannot give, that 
 our hearts may be set to obey thy command- 
 ments." And though his thoughts often wan- 
 dered, he felt more as he once had felt, when 
 he knelt by his mother's side in the church at 
 Bath, and joined in her fervent praises of the 
 God of love. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 209 
 
 After the service Dr. Eden made an announce- 
 ment, which was interesting to many of the 
 boys. He said that the Bishop of the Diocese 
 had consented to have a Confirmation at the 
 college that summer, and he wished them all 
 to know this, that those who wished to come 
 forward might consult their parents, and re- 
 flect upon it during the holidays. 
 
 Charlie 'took a solitary walk that Sunday, 
 and thought about this announcement. He 
 owned to himself, with some sorrow, that he 
 was not what he once had been, and the wish 
 to be better rose up in him more strongly than 
 ever. He knew that his mother had wished 
 him to be confirmed, and he had an idea that 
 the ceremony in itself had something of a sanc- 
 tifying nature. He resolved to go and ask Mr. 
 Campion's advice about it; for though his 
 cousin had lately been rather cold to him, 
 thinking him a hopeless case, Charlie could 
 not help but feel that he had a deep interest in 
 his welfare. 
 
 Accordingly, after tea, he went to Mr. Cam- 
 pion's room. 
 
 14 
 
210 OUDEKDALE: 
 
 " Ah, Charles," said Mr. Campion. " Can 
 I do anything for you ? " 
 
 " I came — that is, I wanted — to speak — to 
 ask you about being confirmed," said Charlie. 
 
 Mr. Campion felt a little surprised, and he 
 thought to himself, " Can it be that the Spirit 
 of God has been working in his own way in 
 this boy, while I thought him every day sinking 
 deeper and deeper into sin ? " 
 
 " Why do you wish to be confirmed ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " My mother always wished me to," answered 
 Charlie. 
 
 "Yes; but do you feel it to be your own 
 earnest wish? In partaking of the rite of 
 confirmation, you solemnly vow that it is your 
 wish to leave all the pleasures of sin, and keep 
 all the commandments of God. Would it be 
 right to make such a solemn vow, merely be- 
 cause your mother — however loved and es- 
 teemed — desired it ? " 
 
 " No," said Charlie, looking on the ground, 
 and speaking very low ; " but I know that I 
 haven't done right for a good while, and I 
 would like to be better." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 211 
 
 " 111 other words, to try and servo God." 
 
 " Yes ; I thought that I should like to be 
 confirmed." 
 
 " But, my dear boy, I fear you may have 
 mistaken the nature of confirmation. This is 
 not an ordinance which of itself can do you any 
 good : it is merely a public avowal of faith and 
 willingness to serve God." 
 
 " Then do you think that I should not be 
 confirmed ? " 
 
 " Far from it. I am merely cautioning you 
 against supposing that confirmation will make 
 you better. No, Charles ; only the blood of 
 Jesus Christ can save you from the guilt and 
 power of sin, and his blood is free to all who 
 repent and believe. Dear Charlie, you have 
 grieved me often lately by your conduct, and 
 you don't know how glad I should be to see 
 that you were trying to leave off sin, and to 
 walk in the happy, though narrow path, which 
 leads to heaven." 
 
 " I really wish to," said Charlie, earnestly. 
 
 " Then I need not tell you, for I know that 
 your mother would have taught you, that you 
 must not trust to yourself, but must look for 
 
212 OUDENDALE. 
 
 forgiveness of your sins, and strength to do 
 right, from God. Pray to him for grace to lead 
 a new life, and remember that he has promised 
 to hear and answer all such prayers, when made 
 in true repentance and faith. But I cannot stay 
 with you longer, as I have to go to a service in 
 the town. Good-night, and God bless you." 
 
 Charlie wrung his hand, but said nothing, 
 and left the room. Mr. Campion gazed out of 
 his window after him as he crossed the quad- 
 rangle, and exclaimed : 
 
 " Lord, forgive me for doubting thy power 
 to save, and being so easily discouraged from 
 laboring to win a soul. May it indeed be a 
 true work of grace which is going on within 
 his soul, and may it be perfected in thine own 
 way, and in thine own time." 
 
 Charlie went and read a few chapters of his 
 Bible, and prayed to God to forgive his sins, 
 and made all sorts of good resolutions for the 
 future. But though the first beams of the 
 Light of the world were dawning upon him, he 
 was still groping in the dark — still trusting 
 too much to his own endeavors, and not look- 
 ing solely for salvation and strength to Christ. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 REPENTANCE. 
 
 " Not the labors of my hands 
 Can fulfil Thy law's demands; 
 Could my zeal no respite know — 
 Could my tears forever flow; 
 All for sin could not atone : 
 Thou must save, and Thou alone." 
 
 TOPLADY. 
 
 The next day, Charlie resolved, was to be 
 passed without a single fault. He would learn 
 his lessons perfectly ; he would be diligent and 
 well-behaved in school ; and he would keep a 
 strict watch over his temper, though it was not 
 in this last respect that he generally failed. 
 
 His form went into the English schoolroom 
 before breakfast three days a week, of which 
 this happened to be one. Tlie English master, 
 Mr. Seymour, commonly called " Starchey," was, 
 as has been mentioned, not a man to interest 
 
214 OUDENDALE: 
 
 his pupils, or even to secure their attention and 
 respect. This morning the lesson was a piece 
 of Shakspeare, of which none of the boys under- 
 stood the beauty, and but few even the mean- 
 ing ; nor did Mr. Seymour endeavor to point it 
 out to them. Charlie, in spite of his resolve to 
 attend most diligently to all the lessons, was 
 soon jDlunged in a state of reflection — not upon 
 Shakspeare, but on sundry other questions of 
 more interest to him — such as when the Master 
 would allow bathing to begin ; what eleven he 
 would be in ; whether his uncle would allow 
 him to ask Lurn to spend part of the long 
 holidays with him, and so forth. He had just 
 indulged in a half-suppressed yawn, when Mr. 
 Seymour's slow, hard, pompous voice said : 
 
 " Will you have the goodness. Campion, to 
 assume the semblance, if not the reality, of 
 attention ? Really, I almost wish that you did 
 not come to my class at all, rather than that 
 you should come merely to sleep and waste 
 your time." 
 
 Charlie obeyed by sitting up straight, and 
 looking very hard on his book ; but he felt 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 215 
 
 rather provoked at Mr. Seymour's tone, and 
 revenged himself by drawing on the fly-leaf of 
 his book a caricature of that gentleman, in an 
 enormous white necktie, represented as caning 
 two small boys, and delivering to them sundry 
 grave maxims, which the said small boys 
 seemed to be deriding, if it might be judged 
 from the expression of their faces. To prevent 
 misapprehension, this work of art bore beneath 
 it, in large and legible characters, " Old Starchey, 
 alias Don Key." Having completed this, Char- 
 lie tore the leaf out of his book, and passed it 
 up the class. He saw the boys giggling at it, 
 and felt gratified that his artistic powers were 
 appreciated ; but his exultation soon came to 
 an end. Granville Brown was sitting at the 
 end of a form, and when the boy at the end of 
 the next form handed the paper over to him 
 to be passed up, he pushed it away in a con- 
 temptuous manner, and it fluttered on to the 
 floor right before Mr. Seymour, who picked it 
 up and examined it. Charlie's heart beat very 
 fast, and the eyes of nearly the whole form 
 were turned upon him and Mr. Seymour. But 
 
216 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Mr. Seymour's cold and impassive face did not 
 betray any annoyance. Seeing Charlie's name 
 on the leaf, he turned to him, and said : 
 
 " Is this your doing, Campion ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," he answered, and a slight titter 
 arose. 
 
 " You seem to think it a very amusing thing 
 to insult and ridicule your master. I can assure 
 you that I shall not trouble myself any further 
 with you. Tliis shall be shown to Dr. Eden." 
 
 So saying, he folded up the paper, and Char- 
 lie looked rather crestfallen ; for he had now 
 cause to dread the result of his next int(3rview 
 with the Master. Most masters would have 
 torn the paper up without taking any further 
 notice of it, or, at the most, would only have 
 inflicted a slight imposition on the too-clever 
 young artist ; but Mr. Seymour w^as a great 
 stickler for his dignity, and resolved to com- 
 plain to the Master about such an insult.- 
 
 But this was not the only scrape into which 
 Charlie was destined to fall that day. The first 
 lesson after breakfast was some twenty lines of 
 Virgil, which the boys were supposed to learn 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 217 
 
 off by heart. But the fact was, that most of 
 them were able to calculate the part which 
 would come to their turn, and learned that part 
 only. This had till now been Charlie's practice ; 
 but to-day, remembering his good resolutions, he 
 determined to learn the whole lesson honestly, 
 and accordingly began it at breakfast. He 
 would have had lots of time to finish it before 
 school time, but as soon as ever breakfast was 
 finished, Gordon and Lurn came running up to 
 him with — 
 
 " Campion, come down to the town, be- 
 fore school, and help me to choose a bat. It's 
 my birthday, you know, and I've got no end 
 of tin, and am going to buy the best bat in the 
 town. You must come." 
 
 Charlie hesitated for a moment, but the 
 temptation was too strong to be resisted. He 
 left the Yirgil to take care of itself, and went 
 off to buy the bat ; and by the time they re- 
 turned, the bell was just ringing, and he had 
 only time to get up the two or three lines which 
 he thought would fall to his share. 
 
 But he was deceived in this, or, to speak ia 
 
218 OUDEKDALE: 
 
 vulgar language, " sold." Gordon sat next 
 above him that day, and just as the lesson 
 commenced, his nose began to bleed, and he 
 had to leave the room ; so that Charlie found 
 himself rather out in his calculations, and was 
 called upon to say the piece immediately before 
 that which he had learned. He got up in some 
 confusion, which the boy below him observing, 
 began to prompt him. Charlie had resolved 
 not to listen to prompts, for he felt that it was 
 not honest ; but now he forgot all about his 
 resolution, and would have perhaps managed 
 to stammer through by his friendly neighbor's 
 aid, if Mr. Campion had not detected what was 
 going on, and ordered him to be quiet. De- 
 prived of this help, Charlie of course could not 
 say a single word, and stood, looking foolish. 
 
 '' Have you learned this ? " asked Mr. Cam- 
 pion, with a puzzled and surprised look, for he 
 had hoped that Charlie had been sincere in his 
 desire for amendment. 
 
 " No," answered Charlie, looking on the 
 ground. 
 
 Mr. Campion felt deeply grieved, and thought 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 219 
 
 to himself, with a sigh, "his good resolutions 
 have only left a momentary impression. At all 
 events, I cannot make a distinction between 
 him and any other boy." 
 
 " Can you give any excuse for not learning 
 your lesson ? " he asked, with a reproachful 
 look. 
 
 Charlie fidgeted about, and grew red, but 
 could make no answer. 
 
 " Then I cannot pass this over. This is the 
 third time within the last few days that you 
 have failed to say your repetition. I must 
 send up your name to the Master. Next boy ! " 
 
 Charlie sat down with a feeling of being 
 discontented with everything, especially with 
 himself. He was not alone in misfortune, for 
 all the boys who had trusted to getting a certain 
 piece of the repetition to say, were of course 
 quite put out by Gordon's absence, and several 
 of them broke down completely. Charlie was 
 the only one sent up to the Master, however ; 
 the rest Mr. Campion sent to Mr. Horsley to 
 be caned. 
 
 There was no preparation that evening, as it 
 
220 OUDENDALE: 
 
 was the last day before the Easter holidays, but 
 soon after tea Bill Rufus appeared to Charlie 
 bearing the dreadful, and, to sbme ears, familiar 
 message, " The Master wants to see you, sir." 
 
 Charlie repaired at once to Dr. Eden's study, 
 with no very pleasing forebodings of what was 
 to come. 
 
 " Come in," cried the Master in answer to 
 his timid knock. " Ah, Campion, is it you ? I 
 am sorry to say that I have received two com- 
 plaints to-day about you from different masters. 
 I cannot pass these over, though I am very 
 averse to flogging any boy on the day before 
 the holidays." 
 
 Here Dr. Eden paused, as if to give Charlie 
 an opportunity to say something on his own be- 
 half, but Charlie said nothing, and he resumed : 
 
 " I am sure you must see that your conduct 
 since you came to the school has not been what 
 it ought to be, and certainly does not agree 
 with the good character which you brought 
 from your former school. Why is this ? Mr. 
 Campion tells me that you have been repeatedly 
 punished and remonstrated with : and if nothing 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 221 
 
 else, the folly and punishment of Clement, 
 whose intimate friend I hear you were, might 
 have served as a warning and example to you. 
 Since you have not profited by these, I fear that 
 I must punish you more severely ; " and Dr. 
 Eden looiced with a puzzled and indecisive air 
 at Charlie, who gave himself up for lost, and said 
 nothing. Dr. Eden had fully made up his mind 
 to flog him ; but now something, he scarcely 
 knew what, made him hesitate. As he gazed 
 on the boy's open and innocent-looking face, a 
 new thought came into his mind, and he said, 
 as if by a sudden impulse : 
 
 " Now, Campion, though you have not 
 hitherto shown it, I believe you to be capable 
 of better things, and for this once I will forgive 
 you. Only for this once, however, remember. 
 The next time you are sent up to me, you shall 
 be severely punished. In the meantime you 
 may go, and I hope never to see you here again 
 under similar circumstances. Show me that 
 you are worthy of being forgiven for the past, 
 and trusted for the future." 
 
 Charlie was quite amazed at this unexpected 
 
222 OUDENDALE: 
 
 termination to the interview, and stammering 
 out something about being sorry, he backed 
 out of the door, and hurried away, scarcely 
 knowing where he went. 
 
 " I fear that it is of no use," sighed Dr» Eden 
 to himself, thinking of Charlie's silent and ap- 
 parently indifferent manner. " I should perhaps 
 have punished him at once." 
 
 In the meantime, Charlie was rushing across 
 the quadrangle in a very troubled frame of 
 mind. He felt as if he were the greatest scoun- 
 drel possible, and should like to go at once and 
 hurl himself over the bridge into the Ouden, or 
 knock his head against the school gates, or do 
 something else to show how much he actually 
 hated himself for having been so wicked. 
 
 As he passed through the gates, little Steven- 
 son ran up, crying — 
 
 " Campion, this locket is yours, isn't it ? 
 I know it is, because the picture of your mam- 
 ma is in it, which you showed me one day. I 
 found it lying in front of the lower school- 
 room." 
 Charlie took it from his hand, almost mcchan- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 223 
 
 ically, and passed on without saying a word. 
 On through the gates, down the road, along the 
 green banks of Ouden, and at length reaching 
 a spot sheltered by bushes, he threw himself 
 down on the ground, and then first looked at 
 the locket which Stevenson had brought to him. 
 The pale, calm face of his mother, with its sad, 
 sweet smile, seemed to be living and breathing 
 before him ; and suddenly his strained feelings 
 relieved themselves by a violent burst of tears. 
 
 On the one hand, all his sins and folly seemed 
 to rise up against him in one single moment; 
 and on the other, all his mother's wise and 
 loving counsels flashed across his mind, and 
 mocked him with an image of what he might 
 have been, and was not. Do not sneer at this 
 description of his feelings. There are many 
 who have experienced similar ones ; and oh ! 
 can there be a deeper grief, and yet a happier 
 sight for the angels of God, than a young heart 
 weeping for the sin to which its eyes have just 
 been opened ? 
 
 In his emotion, Charlie did not hear footsteps 
 coming up the bank of the Ouden from the 
 
224 OUDENDALE: 
 
 opposite direction, nor was he conscious that 
 any one was near him, till a hand was laid on 
 his shoulder, and a sympathizing voice said : 
 
 " You seem unhappy." 
 
 Charlie hastily lifted up his face, all wet with 
 tears, and saw Cholmondeley standing over him. 
 
 " You seem unhappy. Can I not help you ?" 
 
 Charlie silently shook his head. Cholmon- 
 deley sat down beside him, and took his hand. 
 
 " Will you not tell liie what is the matter ? 
 I wish to be your friend." 
 
 " Oh — I'm not happy — that's all," said 
 Charlie, trying to dry his tears ; but they only 
 came faster than ever. 
 
 " Will you allow me to ask you one ques- 
 tion ? " said Cholmondeley, after a pause. 
 " Mr. Campion told me to-day that you wished 
 to be confirmed. Is it anything to do with this 
 that makes you unhappy ? " 
 
 " Cholmondeley, that's just it ! " cried 
 Charlie, in a sudden burst of confidence. *' I'm 
 unhappy because I feel myself so wicked. You 
 don't know how wicked I am." 
 
 " But why, then, be wicked any longer ? " 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 225 
 
 asked Cholmondeley quietly, begimiiiig to pull 
 a piece of grass to pieces. 
 
 " Because I can't help it. I've tried, and 
 tried, but it's no use." 
 
 " You can't help yourself, I know. But 
 Jesus can help you," said Cholmondeley, in a 
 low, yet earnest voice. 
 
 " Oh no ; I'm not good enough. I wish to 
 be good, but I canH.'*^ 
 
 " I know you can't. Neither you nor any 
 one else can of themselves. But Jesus is both 
 willing and able to make you good." 
 
 Charlie had stopped crying, and looked very 
 thoughtful. 
 
 " Campion, why won't you believe this 
 
 simple truth ? " cried Cholmondeley, looking 
 
 into Charlie's face with an earnest expression. 
 
 " Look here. Here is the whole thing as simple 
 
 as possible. We by nature are sinners, and 
 
 cannot become good of ourselves. But God so 
 
 loved us that he gave his only-begotten Son to 
 
 be tortured and crucified as a sacrifice for our 
 
 sins^ — the just for the unjust. So, if we only 
 
 repent and believe, Jesus is both able and will- 
 15 
 
226 OUDENDALE; 
 
 ing to forgive us all our sins, and give us 
 strength and grace to lead a better life. This 
 is what God tells us, and can we doubt his 
 word?" 
 
 " But I do not feel fit to pray to Jesus, who 
 was so holy and so pure." 
 
 " Doubting again ! Why, your feeling your- 
 self a sinner is the very warrant you have for 
 
 the aid of a Saviour. He did not come to heal 
 
 t 
 
 those who thought themselves whole, but those 
 who felt the bvirden of their sins, and wished 
 to be free from them. Campion, don't allow 
 Satan to make you look away from Christ ! 
 Eemember only that you are a sinner, and 
 that Christ shed his blood for you — for you. 
 Millions have been cleansed of greater sins 
 than yours in that precious blood, and you can 
 be cleansed too, if you will only believe." 
 
 " I will believe — \ do believe that He can 
 save me." 
 
 " That He has saved you. If you trust in 
 Him, He will not deceive you." 
 
 Then, kneeling down beside the bush, Choi- 
 mondeley prayed to God to teach Charlie the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 227 
 
 truth, and help him to embrace it ; and he, for 
 his part, began to feel dawning on him the 
 great truth that Christ came into the world not 
 only to heal men of their bodily diseases, not 
 only to teach true doctrine, not only to be a 
 wondrous example of unspotted virtue, but to 
 save poor, helpless, condemned sinners from 
 the guilt and power of their sins. 
 
 That night before the Easter holidays neither 
 Charlie nor Cholmondeley ever forgot, when his 
 soul first saw how far it had wandered from the 
 true Light of the World, and began to take the 
 first uncertain yet eager steps on the narrow 
 way that leadeth to eternal life. 
 
CHAPTER XVin. 
 
 COUNSEL. 
 
 " Si quid novisti, rectius istis, 
 Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecurn/* 
 
 Horace. 
 
 " Primrose Hill. 
 
 " My Dear Cholmondeley : 
 
 " I write to you as I promised ; but as I 
 am not much used to letter-writing, you must 
 excuse me if there are any mistakes in this. 
 
 " Ever since that night when you found me 
 beside the Ouden, I have been thinking about 
 what you said, and trying to believe ; and I see 
 it all now. Jesus Christ has died for me^ and 
 he will cleanse me from all my sins, and give 
 me a new heart. My mother often told me 
 all this when she was alive, and I am sure she 
 tried hard enough to get me to love God : but 
 then I only knew it with my mind; now I seem 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 229 
 
 to know it in my heart. I can hardly explain 
 what I mean, but I daresay you understand 
 me. Isn't it wonderful, to think that God 
 himself came down from heaven, and lived a 
 life of sorrow and hardship for thirty years, — 
 was tempted, mocked, betrayed, falsely accused, 
 buffeted, scourged, spit upon, and crucified, — 
 and all that I and others might be saved? 
 And how wicked it was of me, when God had 
 done all this for mo, never to try and please 
 him, or to doubt that he loved me, and was 
 willing to save me ! You can't think how 
 happy I felt in church last Sunday when they 
 were singing — 
 
 * Jesus Christ is risen to-day. Hallelujah! 
 Hymns of praise then let us sing 
 Unto Christ oar heavenly Kin<^; 
 Who endured the cross and grave, 
 Sinners to redeem and save. Hallelujah! ' 
 
 " I have found out already that we can never 
 be really happy unless we are trying to serve 
 .God. But I woiild be happier still, I believe, 
 if I were not always afraid of sinning again and 
 displeasing him. But I always try and trust 
 in Jesus, that he will help me to do right. I 
 
230 OUDENDALE: 
 
 sec now why the good resolutions which I used 
 to make always came to nothing. I used to 
 trust to myself, and not to the help of God. I 
 know that I am far from being what I ought to 
 be ; but I pray to God that he will show me 
 what I ought to do, and teach me to do it. 
 Sometimes I think to myself (I suspect it is 
 Satan tempting me), 'I am not good enough to 
 please God: it's no use me trying. I don't love 
 him enough.' Then I always try to remember 
 something which I recollect my mother used to 
 say, — 'That we should look not so much at our 
 little love to God, as at his great love to us.' 
 
 " I declare I don't know how I ever came to 
 write such a long letter (for me at least), and, 
 looking over it, I see it is quite like a sermon. 
 I only intended writing a few lines to say that 
 I was trying to do right, but somehow or other 
 a whole lot of things came into my head, and I 
 couldn't help sticking them down. 
 
 " This is a nice enough place to live at, — 
 some people would like it, at least, — but I 
 would rather be at Oudendale. My uncle and 
 aunt and cousins are very kind, and all that sort 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 231 
 
 of thing, and want to make me enjoy myself, but 
 they are awfully polite and stuck up. I don't 
 think I have seen my uncle laugh once since I 
 came ; and if I make the least noise in the 
 house, or help myself to anything at dinner 
 before the footman brings it to me, or get my 
 feet wet, my aunt makes as much row as if the 
 whole place were on fire, and all the children 
 had the scarlet fever. Then my cousins are just 
 the same, though we are great friends. They 
 are obliged to speak French all the forenoon, 
 and Monsieur Legrais will be able to tell you, 
 when you go back to Oudendale, that I am not 
 able to talk much to them till dinner-time, 
 after which English is allowed. I can't see 
 why people don't like their own language. 
 English is worth two of French, any day. 
 
 " But now I must finish, for I have no more 
 room, and nothing more to tell you. I hope 
 you will write to me as you promised, and re- 
 member to give me lots of good advice, for I 
 am terribly afraid of going wrong. 
 I am, yours truly, 
 
 Charles J. Campion." 
 
232 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " I don't know how it is," said Charlie to 
 himself, as he sealed this letter, " that I can be 
 so familiar with Cholmondeley. I write to him 
 just as I would write to Lurn, or some other 
 fellow in my own form." 
 
 In due time the answer to this arrived, and 
 was as follows : 
 
 " Cltstdale Hall, Deton. 
 
 " My Dear Campion : 
 
 " I got your letter all right, and was very 
 glad to hear that you are beginning to remem- 
 ber your Creator and Saviour. May he prove 
 to you as precious as he has been to me. Oh, 
 how pleasant are the paths of true wisdom and 
 virtue, and to what a blessed city do they lead 
 us ! There are many who sneer at religion in 
 boys, and who would laugh at you and me 
 talking in this way ; but should not even boys 
 love the Lord who has loved them ? ' Wait 
 till you are older,' say some, ' and then it will 
 be time enough to think about these things.' 
 But that is not what Christ says. ' Come to 
 me noiv ; come at once. Why wander further 
 from your true home ? The present moment is 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 233 
 
 all you can call your own ; the next, whether 
 boy or man, you may be in eternity.' He asks 
 not for the last dregs of a life, the rest of which 
 has been spent in sin, not for the calm of old 
 age only, not for the vigor of manhood. He 
 asks for all our life ; for the best we have : and 
 does he not deserve it, and far, far more than 
 we can give him ? Boys have their duty to do 
 in the world, as well as men. Boys may die 
 at any moment, as well as men ; and we can 
 neither do our duty well, nor die well, without 
 Christ. 
 
 "You ask me to give you good advice. I 
 do not know that I am the most fit person to 
 advise you, seeing that I am often at a loss how 
 to advise myself, and besides, there is a danger 
 of becoming too fond of giving advice. So 
 that I would rather, on the whole, take advice 
 than give it. Still, as you are beginning to 
 enter upon a path which I have tried to tread 
 for many years, I think I can't be wrong in one 
 or two things which I should like to remind 
 you of, and which you ought to, and very likely 
 do, know* . 
 
234 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " I think that some people often lead others 
 wrong by talking solely about faith in Christ 
 and repentance d.s feelings, and not mentioning 
 that our faith and repentance are worth nothing 
 unless they are followed by suitable fruits. 
 God is willing to give us his grace freely ; but 
 then, by the help of his grace, we have to work 
 out our own salvation with fear and trembling. 
 Would it be reasonable that Jesus should, by 
 himself, combat the world, the flesh, and the 
 devil, while we sat by and looked on ? No ; 
 we must rise, and putting on the armor of God, 
 enter into the strife with sin, remembering 
 that Christ came not only to die that we might 
 find our offended Father, but also to show us 
 how to live so as to please him. True religion 
 is not to talk, nor to seem, nor to feel holy, but 
 to fight prayerfully, earnestly, and unceasingly 
 against sin, that we may become more like our 
 Lord and Saviour. ' If ye love me, keep my 
 commandments.' Don't think that for your 
 own good works you can obtain salvation ; but 
 don't think, either, that your own salvation can 
 be real, unless it is attended by an earnest en- 
 deavor to lead a new life. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 235 
 
 " We have all of us got a duty to do in the 
 world, and it is the performance of this duty 
 that God demands from us — neither more nor 
 less. We must not lose time by wishing tliat 
 God had given us a greater or a smaller duty 
 to do, but we must set to work with all our 
 might to do it, whatever it is. You may per- 
 haps think, ' Oh that I could find some way of 
 doing some great thing for the God who loved 
 me so much ; that I could, careless of all perils, 
 carry the gospel to heathen and barbarous na- 
 tions ; that I could perish at the stake, or amid 
 horrible tortures, as a witness for him to all 
 ages ! ' Stop a bit. When God wants you to 
 do such great works, he will call you to them 
 in his own good time. In the meantime, your 
 duty is to attend to your studies, to cultivate 
 well the powers, both of mind and body, which 
 God has given you, to be obedient and respect- 
 ful to your masters, and agreeable and unselfish 
 to your companions. From what you say of 
 your uncle and aunt, I should think that it is 
 your special duty to try and please them in 
 everything. These little ceremonies, to which 
 
236 OUDENDALE: 
 
 they seem to attach great importance, may be 
 irksome and even ridiculous to you ; but you 
 must try to observe them, so as not to cause a 
 moment's displeasure to those who are now in 
 the place of parents to you. Perhaps you may 
 say, ' This duty will be very hard.' Indeed, I 
 can well believe it to be so ; but the harder 
 duty is, the harder we must try to do it — that's 
 all. Then, every Christian should cultivate 
 humbleness, truthfulness, good humor, pure- 
 mindedness, and all such virtues as are well- 
 pleasing to God. 
 
 " This is the duty which you have to do, and 
 God will no doubt reward you, not according 
 to the greatness of the duty, but the manner of 
 doing it. But do not for a moment forget 
 that even when cleansed from your sins in the 
 blood of Christ, you are still only a weak, sinful 
 creature, and must constantly be looking to 
 Jesus for help in every temptation and trial. 
 Without him you can do nothing. With him 
 you can do everything. Don't look at yourself, 
 or you will be sure to wander. Look at the 
 Light of the World, and you will never go 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 237 
 
 wrong. And when you do find yourself vie- 
 torious over sin, don't be tempted to think 
 much of yourself and your own goodness, but 
 give liim all the glory and the thanks. 
 
 " Often we may be in doubt what our duty 
 is — what is right and what is wrong. But 
 here^is a text : ' Whatsoever ye do, do all to 
 the glory of God.* Nor are the very commonest 
 occupations and amusements excluded by this 
 rule. We can play at cricket to the glory of 
 God, inasmuch as he evidently intends that we 
 should, at our time of life especially, exercise 
 our bodies and refresh our minds by such 
 games ; but can we practice deceit upon our 
 masters, or join in immoral conversation, or 
 indulge our bad tempers, and feel all the while 
 that we are doing all in harmony with his 
 glory ? 
 
 " One caution more, which I had almost for- 
 gotten, and which many Christians are too apt 
 to forget, — though perhaps you are not in so 
 much danger in this respect. Try to cultivate 
 a genial temper, to be agreeable and sociable to 
 your companions (thougli you must never allow 
 
238 OUDENDALE: 
 
 them to get you to do wrong). Don't give the 
 enemies of religion occasion to say that it is a 
 gloomy thing, which makes its converts dull, 
 unsociable, unsympathizing with the tempta- 
 tions, and contemptuous towards the failings 
 of others. Show, rather, that its watchwords 
 are love, joy, and peace. Show that you are 
 an heir of blessings far richer than the world 
 can give, — happiness for the present, for the 
 future, for eternity. Show that the Spirit of 
 God has made you more joyful, more unselfish, 
 more sympathizing, more obliging. 
 
 " I can't resist giving you part of a hymn, 
 which is a great favorite of mine, though it 
 will add to the length of this already very long 
 letter. 
 
 *I would not have the restless will 
 
 That hurries to and fro, 
 Seeldng for some great thing to do, 
 
 Or secret thing to know: 
 But I would be treated as a child, 
 
 And guided where I go. 
 
 * Wherever in this world I am, 
 
 In whatsoe'er estate, 
 I have a fellowship with hearts 
 
 To keep and cultivate; 
 And a work of lowly love to do 
 
 For the Lord on whom I wait. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 339 
 
 * So I ask Thee for the daily strength, 
 
 To none that ask denied. 
 And a mind to blend with outward life 
 
 While keeping at Thy side; 
 Content to fill a little space. 
 
 If Thou be glorified. 
 
 'There are briers besetting every path, 
 
 That caH for patient care; 
 There is a cross in every lot. 
 
 And an earnest need of prayer; 
 But a lowly heart that leans on Thee 
 
 Is happy anywhere.' 
 
 " Oh, why should not Christians be happy ? 
 Some may laugh at us, and sneer; but what 
 care we, if the love of God is ours — that love 
 which gives happiness on earth, and glory for- 
 ever in heaven ? We are on the winning side ; 
 and before Satan can altogether destroy ouv 
 hope, he must conquer our Lord. 
 
 "I see that I have fallen into the same fault 
 which you accused yourself of — writing a reg- 
 ular sermon. However, believe me, I wish and 
 hope to do you good. Don't take it all on my 
 word, though. I may lead you wrong. But 
 go to the Bible, and read the doings and sayings 
 of Clirist and his apostles, and judge for your- 
 self what is the truth. I don't think that I have 
 told you anything which you will not find in 
 
240 OUDENDALE. 
 
 the Bible ; for, before I began this letter, I asked 
 God to help me to show you what he wishes 
 you to do, and I think he has helped me. 
 
 " Once more : beware of trusting in yourself, 
 but keep looking; to Jesus, 
 
 "And hoping to see you soon again at Ou- 
 dendale, 
 
 I am, my dear Campion, 
 
 Your affectionate friend, 
 
 W. T. D. Cholmondeley." 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE FIRST OF APRIL. 
 " I give him joy that's awkward at a lie.' 
 
 Young. 
 
 Charlie had indeed entered upon a new life. 
 The Holy Spirit had breathed upon his heart, 
 and had quickened all the good seed which lay 
 there, hitherto unfruitful. His mother's prayers 
 were answered, and her labors for him were 
 not in vain. And now he will have a battle, 
 and no easy battle, to fight. He will have to 
 give up many «ins, now appearing to his opened 
 eyes in all their loathsomeness. He will have 
 to gain mastery over idleness, disobedience, 
 and the many other evil inclinations of which 
 the natural heart is full. He will perhaps have 
 to endure ridicule from some of those who were 
 once his best friends ; and this, to his friendly 
 and amiable nature, will be a hard trial. He 
 
 especially felt puzzled how to tell Lurn of the 
 16 
 
242 OUDENDALE: 
 
 change whicli had happened in him, for Liirn 
 and he were such intimate friends that they 
 must always know each other's thoughts. Oh 
 that Lurn would do what he had done, that 
 they might walk hand in hand along the way 
 of everlasting life ! 
 
 Such thoughts, or similar ones, passed through 
 Charlie's mind as he was returning to Ouden- 
 dale ; yet he felt hopeful and happy, for he had 
 already learned that Jesus would arm him to 
 gain the victory over the troubles and tempta- 
 tions of the world, the flesh, and the devil. 
 
 The first night of his arrival, he went to tea 
 with Mr. Campion, and found Cholmondeley 
 there also. Charlie's heart gave a great jump 
 when he saw him, for he felt deeply grateful to 
 him for all that he had done for him. Chol- 
 mondeley, too, who had taken a sudden and 
 unaccou.ntable fancy to Charlie from the first 
 day he saw him, now loved him more than ever, 
 and rejoiced that God had chosen him to be the 
 means of doing Charlie good. 
 
 They had a very pleasant evening ; and before 
 they separated, Mr. Campion offered up a prayer 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 243 
 
 to God that he would bless them all. When 
 they rose from their knees, Charlie was crying. 
 
 " I was thinking of mamma," he said, trying 
 to dash away the tears. " She used to pray 
 for me, and I think God has answered her 
 prayers. How glad she would be if she knew 
 all that has happened to me since the beginning 
 of the holidays ! " 
 
 Charlie had to leave soon to see his trunk 
 unpacked; but Mr. Campion and Cholmondeley 
 sat for some time longer, talking together. 
 
 " Do you remember," said Cholmondeley, 
 " how we thought that Charlie was a hopeless 
 case ? How foolish we were ! " 
 
 " How wicked we were! " said Mr. Campion, 
 energetically. " It was wicked to forget that 
 God's Spirit could reach every heart, no matter 
 how sinful. God can bring good out of all 
 evil, and he has brought good in this case out 
 of what appeared to us a hopeless evil. Charlie 
 might have chosen good companions, and been 
 to a certain extent steady and diligent, and 
 outwardly good, but might never have awak- 
 ened to a sense of his sinfulness in the sight of 
 
244 OUDEKDALE: 
 
 God, and his need of pardon through Christ. 
 But He was carrying on a work which our blind 
 eyes did not see. Truly, His ways are not as 
 our ways." 
 
 The next morning Charlie w^as awakened by 
 Gordon shaking him, and crying loudly : 
 
 " Campion ! do you know what has hap- 
 pened ? " 
 
 " No ! " exclaimed Charlie, starting up in bed. 
 
 " The hall and all the other side of the quad 
 caught fire through the night, and were burned 
 to the ground. No end of fellows burned to 
 ashes ! Look and see the ruins ! " 
 
 Charlie was for a moment struck dumb by 
 this astounding piece of news, and then, spring- 
 ing from his bed, he was rushing to the window, 
 when he was stopped by a peal of laughter. 
 
 " April fool ! April fool ! " chorussed the 
 other occupants of the room ; and Charlie, now 
 thoroughly awake, remembered that it was the 
 first of April, and joined in the laugh against 
 himself. 
 
 They were nearly all dressed, and the chapel 
 bell had just begun to ring, when Gordon, who 
 had gone down to the quadrangle just a minute 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 245 
 
 before, came rushing back in a state of un- 
 feigned astonishment. 
 
 " What do you think old Eden's gone and 
 done ? He's put up a notice that there is to be 
 no April fooling to-day." 
 
 " What a cram ! " said Charlie. 
 
 " Oh, bring me a pail of water ! " cried Dale, 
 making gestures, intended to signify that he 
 was making great efforts to swallow something. 
 
 " Of course ! " exclaimed another, ironically, 
 while the other boys expressed in different ways 
 their opinion that Gordon was humbugging them. 
 
 " I tell you it's quite true. You can go 
 and look for yourself, if you don't believe me. 
 There's a regular lecture posted up, all about 
 * that a lie is too awful a thing to be used even 
 in jest,' and so forth, and winding up by ap- 
 pealing to us not to make April fools of one 
 another to-day." 
 
 Their incredulity was however not yet over- 
 come ; but when they got down to the quad- 
 rangle there could be no doubt about it. A 
 crowd of boys pressed round the notice-board, 
 which was just at the hall door; and there, sure 
 
2iG OUDENDALE: 
 
 enough, was an intimation from the Master that 
 he disapproved of the custom of April fooling, 
 and begged that the boys would not practise it. 
 As Dr. Eden said, vice is too loathsome, and 
 virtue too sacred to be trifled with, even in jest. 
 
 The bojs turned away from the notice-board 
 with looks of astonishment, for this was alto- 
 gether unlooked for. However, most of them 
 resolved to obey Dr. Eden's wishes ; for, at 
 most, April fooling is but a stupid and foolish 
 amusement. There were some who began to 
 practise all sorts of foolish tricks, simply be- 
 cause Dr. Eden wished them not to do so ; but 
 they soon stopped when they found that the 
 general feeling of the school was averse to them. 
 
 Charlie was walking through the yard with 
 Lurn, longing for an opportunity of telling him 
 all he thought, when that ingenious young 
 gentleman proposed — 
 
 " Let's go and tell Bill Rufus that we saw a 
 large black dog in the yard a minute ago. 
 He'll go and hunt all over the yard for it, and 
 be a regular April fool." 
 
 ^' But Dr. Eden told us not to go on with 
 tliat sort of thing.'* 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 247 
 
 " Eden has told both you and me a good 
 many thhigs that we paid just as little attention 
 to, so we needn't stick at a small thing like 
 this. Hang Eden ! he has no right to tell us 
 anything of the sort." 
 
 " Now for it," thought Charlie, and with a 
 beating heart he said : "I say — Lurn ! " 
 
 " Well, Campion." 
 
 "It wouldn't be right to do this when Dr. 
 Eden told us not to, would it ? " 
 
 " Don't know, and don't care." 
 
 " But it would not be right, and I won't do 
 it. God wouldn't like it. Look here, Lurn," 
 said Charlie, speaking very fast and very nerv- 
 ously, " I have begun to see how bad I am, and 
 how good God is. I am going to try after this to 
 do right ; for Jesus has died for me, and I ought 
 to try and please him. Now, don't laugh at me." 
 
 Lurn had listened at first with a look of 
 curiosity, and had drawn up his lips as if to 
 whistle, but now he relaxed them, and said : 
 
 " I'm not going to laugh at you." 
 
 " Lurn ! if you only knew how much Jesus 
 loved you. I wish you would try to love him. 
 If you — " 
 
248 OUDENDALE. 
 
 "Hold hard, now," interrupted Lurn. "You 
 are quite right to be rehgious, and that sort of 
 thing, if you like, and I'm sure I don't see why 
 I should laugh at you for it ; but you needn't 
 try me with it. I know quite well enough what 
 religion is, for I'm sure that my mother is per- 
 petually drumming it into me ; but the fact of 
 the matter is that I don't want to be religious : 
 I don't feel as if I should like it. You do what 
 you like, but leave me to do what I like." 
 
 This was all that Charlie could get out of 
 Lurn upon the subject. He felt both sorry and 
 glad after this conversation ; glad because he 
 had told Lurn all that was in his mind, and 
 sorry because he would not seek the Saviour 
 with him. Often afterwards he brought forward 
 the subject, but Lurn always evaded it, and 
 showed no disposition to talk about it. So 
 Charlie could do nothing but pray to God to 
 teach Lurn the truth. And pray he did, as 
 earnestly and anxiously as for himself; for he 
 now loved Lurn as a brother, and could not 
 bear to see him thoughtless and careless about 
 that greatest of all matters, — the salvation of 
 his immortal soul. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 CONFESSING CHRIST. 
 
 " Ashamed of Jesus ! Yes, I may, 
 When I've no guilt to wash away; 
 No fears to quell, no boon to crave, 
 No tears to wipe, no soul to save." 
 
 Anon. 
 
 Some of Charlie's companions perhaps noticed 
 that all of a sudden he began to learn his les- 
 sons, and behave in school much better than 
 before, and that he left off using cribs ; but 
 none of them guessed the reason of this change, 
 — possibly not giving it a moment's thought. 
 Charlie tried hard to leave off all the school- 
 boy besetting sins wiiich he had lately allowed 
 himself to practise, but he could not bring his 
 mind to tell any one but Lurn the new thoughts 
 which he had ; nor did Lurn betray the confi- 
 dence which Charlie put in him. So that, for 
 some time, boys often made plans which ho 
 
250 OUDENDALE: 
 
 knew to be wrong, or spoke immoral or jDrofane 
 language before him, and (alas for human weak- 
 ness !) he was afraid to speak out against such 
 things, and would often even smile, as if he ap- 
 proved of them. Yet he felt how wrong this 
 moral cowardice was ; that those who would fol- 
 low Christ, must confess him before men, must 
 show by word and deed how much they abhor 
 the sin for which he suffered. He knew this ; 
 and yet, whenever an opportunity came of con- 
 fessing his faith, his courage failed him, and he 
 shrank back from the trial. Oh, how loth are 
 we to do ever so little for the Saviour, who has 
 done so much for us ! How ashamed and afraid 
 to confess the glorious Lord and Master of all, 
 who for our sakes was not ashamed to become 
 vile and despised, nor afraid to suffer poverty, 
 torture, and death ! 
 
 Cricket commenced at Oudendale immedi- 
 ately after the Easter holidays ; and for the 
 first week hardly any talk was to be heard over 
 the college but about bats and wickets and 
 subscriptions, and who were to be in the first 
 eleven, and so forth. Cholmondeley was the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 251 
 
 captain of tlie eleven, for he was both head of 
 the school and an excellent player. Charlie 
 was also a pretty good player for his age, and lie 
 was chosen into the first eleven of the middle 
 school of which Gordon was captain. Lurn 
 was turned out of it to make room for him, at 
 which he was rather disgusted ; but his equable 
 temper could not retain ill-feeling long, and his 
 friendship with Charlie did not suffer in conse- 
 quence, though Lurn never afterwards ceased 
 to predict all sorts of misfortunes and defeats 
 to the eleven, •' since they did not know a good 
 player when they saw him," as he said. 
 
 One morning Charlie and Lurn were crossing 
 the quadrangle on their way to chapel, when 
 they passed a group of five or six boys belonging 
 to this eleven, and stopped to hear what they 
 were talking about. Granville Browne was 
 explaining to them some plan for a lottery, in 
 connection with the match which they were to 
 play on Saturday. To do Browne justice, it 
 must be observed that he was not a bad cricket 
 player, though this was almost the only game 
 which he generally condescended to play at. 
 
252 OUDENDALE: 
 
 He was one of the best bowlers in the eleven, 
 and some had even wished him to be captain, 
 instead of Gordon, who was always quarrelling 
 with some of them. But Gordon was by far 
 the best batter ; and even if the majority of the 
 eleven had all disliked Gordon twice as much 
 as some of them did, they would rather have 
 elected him than Browne, whom they despised. 
 
 " Don't you see what I mean ? " he was 
 saying. " Every fellow puts in sixpenpe, then 
 we write the names of the eleven on slips of 
 paper, and each draws one out. Whoever 
 draws out the name of the fellow who makes 
 the biggest score, gets all the money." 
 
 " Better not let Eden catch you setting up 
 lotteries," said Gordon, who always opposed 
 everything that Browne said. There was no 
 love lost between them. 
 
 " Who's afraid of Eden ? " cried Harrison, 
 another of the eleven. 
 
 " Not me, I'm sure," said Gordon, sharply, 
 thinking that this was intended to be personal. 
 
 " Not J, you mean, Gordon," cried Lurn, 
 laughingly. " You'll need me back again to 
 teach you all grammar." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 253 
 
 " You'll need me to come and teach you to 
 shut up your jaw," growled Gordon, at which 
 threat Lurn indulged in a pantomime, expres- 
 sive of delight and derision. 
 
 " But I vote we try this lottery," said Harri- 
 son. " You shan't have the drawing of the 
 papers though, Browne, for you have a queer 
 trick of always getting hold of the right one, 
 somehow or other, where there's anything of 
 that sort going on." 
 
 " You don't mean to say that I would cheat ? " 
 said Browne, assuming an appearance of indig- 
 nation. 
 
 " Oh dear, no ! I won't say it." 
 
 " I don't think it would be right of us to 
 have a lottery," said Charlie. 
 
 " Why not ? " cried Harrison, turning round 
 sharply upon him. " Nobody but a regular 
 saint, like Cholmondeley, would kick up any 
 row about it." 
 
 The rest of what Charlie was going to say 
 stuck in his throat, and before he could again 
 summon up courage to speak out on the matter, 
 the chapel bell stopped ringing, and they had all 
 to make a rush for the door to escape being late. 
 
254 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Charlie's conscience bitterly reproached him 
 for not having objected to the lottery more de- 
 cidedly, and by way of atoning for this fault 
 (as he foolishly thought), he tried to attend 
 with particular attention and reverence to the 
 service. This was no easy task, for the conduct 
 of many boys round him was anything but 
 reverent, or even attentive. It is a mistake to 
 think that boys acquire love or reverence for 
 religious services by being forced to attend 
 them every morning at seven o'clock. 
 
 Johnson, who sat next Charlie, amused him- 
 self for some time by cutting his initials on the 
 desk before him ; and having done this to his 
 satisfaction, he proceeded to tickle the ear of 
 the boy before him with a hair, and perform 
 sundry other ingenious tricks, to which he called 
 Charlie's attention several times. But Charlie 
 was bent on attending to the service, and would 
 neither join in nor look at Johnson's tricks. 
 Johnson noticed this, and, after chapel, said : 
 
 " I say. Campion, how very good and well- 
 behaved you were in chapel. Are you going to 
 turn serious, and buy a lot of hymn-books ? " 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 255 
 
 " Old Horsley was looking at us," said Char- 
 lie ; but no sooner had he said this, than his 
 conscience smote him for being so cowardly as 
 to resort to an equivocation to conceal his real 
 feelings. Then about the lottery, too, he was 
 much perplexed. His duty evidently was to 
 protest against it ; but, like many others who 
 have a hard duty to do, he racked his mind to 
 find some pretext for evading it, and to his 
 easy, obliging nature this for a moment ap- 
 peared a plausible one : 
 
 " Christ told us to be kind to others ; and, 
 after all, a lottery is no great harm, and I need 
 not disoblige the other fellows by refusing to 
 join in it." 
 
 But again conscience whispered : 
 
 " No; it would be wrong. Dr. Eden has for- 
 bidden lotteries in the school, and I must obey 
 him if I wish to obey Christ. God forbids us 
 to do wrong even to oblige our dearest friend." 
 
 At length he went to Cholmondeley, and put 
 the case to him, without however mentioning 
 names or particulars. He knew that Cholmon- 
 deley would have stopped the lottery at once, 
 
256 OUDENDALE: 
 
 if he had been told, but that it would not be 
 right of him to betray the confidence of the 
 other boys. 
 
 " Some one wants you to do something wrong, 
 and you wish to know whether you ought to do 
 it to oblige him," said Cholmondeley, when he 
 had finished. Charlie ! surely you don't mean 
 that. Can you serve two masters ? " 
 
 " But it is very difficult for me to refuse." 
 
 " If it is your duty, we must not think 
 whether it is difficult or not. What must be 
 done, must be done. Come, now, Charlie, do I 
 guess right when I say the difficulty is that you 
 are afraid to speak out, and say that it is wrong ? " 
 
 " Cholmondeley ! that's just it," burst out 
 Charlie. '' I know that it's wrong, but I can't 
 help it. Can you not help me ? " 
 
 " It is not to me that you should come for 
 help," said Cholmondeley, reproachfully ; and 
 Charlie understood his meaning. 
 
 " I must ask Him to help me," he said. " I 
 forgot that." 
 
 " I can quite understand how you feel," said 
 Cholmondeley. "I have known what it was 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LITE, 257 
 
 to be ashamed of Jesus, and I daresay I am still 
 often afraid to speak out for him ; but it is a 
 very great sin indeed. How ungrateful we are 
 to Jesus, who suffered so much for us, if wo 
 can't stand a little ridicule for his sake ! The 
 world can't treat us any worse than it treated 
 him." 
 
 That afternoon, just as the eleven were going 
 to begin to practise, Browne started the subject 
 of the lottery again, and Charlie mustered up 
 all his courage to oppose it. 
 
 " I don't think it would be right," he said, 
 rather nervously. " You know Dr. Eden doesn't 
 allow lotteries." 
 
 "• Who cares for him ? We'll take precious 
 good care he'll never know anything about it." 
 
 " But God will know, and he would not like 
 us to disobey the Master." 
 
 The rest of the boys looked rather astonished 
 at this unexpected speech ; and Harrison, having 
 first given utterance to a long whistle, cried : 
 
 " Hallo ! I declare ! Are you going to come 
 
 out as a saint. Campion ? " 
 
 " I don't know what you call a saint," said 
 17 
 
258 OUDEN-DALE: 
 
 Charlie, waxing bolder ; " but I know that I'm 
 going to try and do right, and obey God if I 
 can. I don't think there's anything to laugh 
 at in tli^t." 
 
 " What cant ! " exclaimed Browne, super- 
 ciliously. 
 
 " I suppose Cholmondeley has been putting 
 you up to all this," said Harrison. " You 
 didn't used to shine in the saint line. St. 
 Cholmondeley and St. Campion ! Don't that 
 sound fine ? We ought to have a half-holiday 
 on each of your saint's days." 
 
 " Shut up, Harrison, and don't talk stuif ! " 
 said one of the boys. 
 
 " I am going to be as quiet as a mouse. I'm 
 waiting for a sermon from St. Campion upon 
 the evil of lotteries and things in general." 
 
 " At all events, we're not going to have 
 anything to do with that lottery," said Gordon. 
 "It's all humbug!" 
 
 " When's the sermon going to begin ? " said 
 Harrison, looking with mock reverence at 
 Charlie, who stood quite silent. 
 
 " Shut up, Harrison, I tell you ! " cried Gor- 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 259 
 
 don ; " we've come here to play at cricket, and 
 not to talk stuff. Pitch the wickets, Winter- 
 bottom." 
 
 "Oh, but you must get some fellow instead 
 of Campion. Who ever heard of a saint play- 
 ing at cricket ? " 
 
 " You know you are talking nonsense, Har- 
 rison," said Charlie. " It's not wrong to play 
 at cricket ; but it's wrong to disobey the Mas- 
 ter. You know as well as I do what is wronir, 
 though you pretend that it is something very 
 queer of me to try and do right. I want to be 
 religious, or ' a saint,' or whatever you like to 
 call it. If you find that religion makes me a 
 sneak, or anything bad, you may laugh at me 
 as much as you like ; but don't laugh at me 
 when you know that I am only doing what you 
 ought to do." 
 
 " Now let us begin the game," said Gordon, 
 who had felt rather uncomfortable during this 
 discussion ; for, like most boys, he was not 
 accustomed to talk on siich matters. 
 
 It was soon known among all Charlie's com- 
 panions that he had turned " religious ; " and 
 
260 OUDENDALE: 
 
 at first tlicy were rather astonished at it, and 
 inclined, perhaps, to laugh him out of it. 
 However, it was soon evident that he was really 
 sincere, and nearly all of them took no more 
 notice of it. The consistent and upright con- 
 duct of Cholmondeley and some other boys in 
 the school, as much, perhaps, as the more indi- 
 rect influence of Dr. Eden and such masters as 
 Mr. Campion, had done much good in the school ; 
 and most of the boys felt at least a certain 
 respect for religion, even though they liad no 
 love for it. So Charlie was allowed to go his 
 own way in peace, with the exception of an 
 occasional sneer from such boys as Harrison ; 
 and he felt glad that he had taken this decided 
 step, and had shown to all that, let others do 
 what they liked, he would serve the Lord. 
 
 Charlie grew in grace every day. Not that he 
 never sinned, — for, alas! even the regenerated 
 heart is not perfect on earth, — but day by day 
 he seemed to gain more love for God, and more 
 heavenly strength. That very obstinate wilful- 
 ness which had once been, perhaps, the most 
 disagreeable feature in his character, now, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 261 
 
 when sanctified by the Holy Spirit, became a 
 steady perseverance in well-doing ; and the 
 purity which had once marked all his thoughts 
 and words was now increased by the same 
 mighty agency. His conscience shrunk from 
 evil as from a serpent. If he had any besetting 
 sin, it was in his too-great good-nature, and 
 unwillingness to offend others. We must try to 
 be kind and charitable to all men ; but if wo 
 wish to please Christ, we must give offence to 
 some, so long as the world remains what it is, 
 Charlie, Cholmondeley, and litl;le Stevenson, 
 and some other boys who wished to walk in the 
 right way, would sometimes meet together in 
 Mr. Campion's room to pray for one another. 
 This '' Methodist prayer-meeting," as Harrison 
 called it, was the means of doing much good 
 to them all. Why should we laugh at them ? 
 If we have a Father in heaven who is willing to 
 give us whatever we ask, why should we not ask ? 
 Boys are his people as well as men, and have the 
 same right and privilege to seek him in prayer ; 
 and luheresoever two or three are gathered to- 
 gether, there he will be in the midst of them. 
 
2G2 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Charlie also went twice a week to Dr. Eden's 
 confirmation class, which was very numerously 
 attended. Between forty and fifty boys had 
 come forward that year ; and there were only 
 one or two whom Dr. Eden rejected. Yet, 
 though there were no more who were mani- 
 festly unfit for the rite, he felt conscious that 
 many had no sense of its solemnity, — no real 
 wish to give themselves up to Christ, — but only 
 came forward because it was customary, or 
 because their parents wished it. 
 
 Charlie tried hard to persuade Lurn to be 
 confirmed, but Lurn steadily refused. 
 
 '' It's no use," he said. " I don't feel at all 
 religious. Now, when you are confirmed, you 
 promise and vow to leave off all that's wrong, 
 and to love God and keep his commandments, 
 don't you ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Well, then, I don't feel that I wish to do 
 all that ; and surely God wouldn't like me to 
 come and tell him a lie about it." 
 
 Charlie was silent, for he could not but feel 
 the truth of this. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 263 
 
 " It was just the same thing when they 
 wanted me to join the choir. It's such humbug 
 for fellows to sing about loving and praising 
 God, like so many parrots, when they never 
 think about God at all. I wouldn't join, be- 
 cause I know that fellows sing in church about 
 praising God, and didn't want to praise him. 
 I don't love God, that's the truth, and there's 
 no use of trying to pretend that I do." 
 
 " But God can make you love him. He can 
 give you a new heart by the Holy Spirit, if you 
 only ask for it. Frank ! will you pray to 
 him to change your heart ? " 
 
 Lurn was silent for a moment, and then said, 
 in a low voice : 
 
 « Yes, Charlie, I will." 
 
 But though he was sometimes touched in 
 this way by Charlie's earnestness, such serious 
 feelings would soon wear off, and Lurn would 
 be careless and indifferent as ever. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SLIPS. 
 
 " Ye who instruct the youth of various nations. 
 Of France and England, Portugal and Spain, 
 I pray you flog them upon all occasions; 
 It mends their morals — never mind the pain.'* 
 
 Btkon. 
 
 " What's that for, you brute ? " 
 
 This polite exclamation was uttered by Gor- 
 don, and addressed to Charlie, one morning as 
 the boys were dressing. These two were wash- 
 ing themselves at adjacent basin-stands, when 
 Charlie^ who was in high spirits at the prospect 
 of a splendid match which was to be played 
 that afternoon, gave Gordon a flick with his 
 towel, and roused that young gentleman's wrath 
 and displeasure. 
 
 " That hurts 1 " exclaimed Gordon, rubbing 
 his side, and making faces; and then, taking 
 up his own towel, "We'll see how you like that 
 kind of thing yourself." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 265 
 
 " Come on ! " laughed Charlie, defiantly, at 
 the same time dipping the end of his towel into 
 the water, to make it a more effectual weapon. 
 " Come on ! this basin-stand shall fly from its 
 firm base as soon as I." 
 
 But Gordon was far from taking the matter 
 as a joke, and would have made a most furious 
 onslaught on Charlie, if he had not been re- 
 minded that the chapel bell would begin almost 
 immediately. So he laid down the towel, and 
 began to huddle on his clothes ; but it was 
 evident that he was in a very bad humor. 
 Charlie had only flicked him for fun ; but now, 
 instead of trying to put him into better humor, 
 or at least to take no notice of his sulks, he 
 foolishly made matters worse by teasing him. 
 
 '' Don't go near Gordon this morning, Dale. 
 He's as sulky as a bear." 
 
 " I'll give you a thrashing presently, Cam- 
 pion, that'll make you sing out for a fortnight." 
 
 "Oh, surely you wouldn't ! Please don't ! 
 Let me get under your bed, Black. I'm so 
 frightened ! " 
 
 " I'll show you pretty soon that I'm not 
 
2GG OUDENDALE: 
 
 joking," cried Gordon, still more angrily, while 
 Charlie lingered at the door, making provoking 
 faces. 
 
 " Will you do it now, or will you wait till 
 you can catch — " 
 
 Gordon made a dash at the door ; but Char- 
 lie was off like a shot, — springing down three 
 or four stairs at a time, and when he had 
 reached the bottom, looking up, and mocking 
 with a merry laugh his baffled adversary. 
 
 Charlie was in such high spirits that he never 
 at the time thought how wrong it was to work 
 in this way upon another's angry feelings, and 
 soon forgot all about it ; but Gordon did not 
 forget so easily, and kept up a resentment 
 against Charlie all the morning. 
 
 Charlie had quite a turn for making poetry ; 
 and, about this time, Mr. Campion having told 
 the form a story of a little boy who is said to 
 have died of hunger on a rock in the middle of 
 the celebrated TroUhatta waterfall in Sweden, 
 Charlie turned it into verse. Perhaps some 
 readers would like to see it. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 26- 
 
 TROLLHATTA. 
 
 Wasted and wan, a little boy 
 
 On a rocky island stood ; 
 There he had been for seven long days, 
 
 And never tasted food. 
 
 In the midst of a torrent that island was, 
 
 And the river rushed on around, 
 With furious leap, and with dreadful roar, 
 
 Drowning all other sound. 
 
 Hither the current had borne hira safe 
 
 But now it rolled between 
 Himself and the land; he could not cross. 
 
 And hope fled from that lone scene. 
 
 " Oh, cease thy flow, one instant cease, 
 Thou torrent so rapid and wrath ! 
 Once upon yonder bank I am safe. 
 Oh, grant me hither a path! 
 
 A loving mother's and sister's tears 
 
 Are mourning for me at home." 
 Thus spoke the boy, and he clasped his bands. 
 
 And gazed on the river's foam. 
 
 Then the torrent seemed sadly to murmur forth. 
 As it poured its waters still : 
 " I would gladly stay, I would gladly cease, 
 But it is not my Maker's will." 
 
 " Oh, bend thy branches across the stream. 
 Thou fir tree so silent and still ! " 
 The fir tree looked pitying down, and sig^hed, 
 " It is not my Maker's will." 
 
 He looked around, he looked at the bank, 
 
 He looked at the clear blue sky, 
 And he, looked once more at the prisoning stream, 
 
 Then laid Iiira down to die. 
 
 He thought of his mother and sister dear. 
 As dying there he lay; 
 
268 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Till Death relieved the watch of Grief, 
 And laid his hands on the prey. 
 
 The breezes wailed to sing: his dirge; 
 
 The fir tree bowed its head : 
 And the river wept with its tear-like spray, 
 
 As if to mourn the dead. 
 
 Such verses, however trifling they may really 
 be, were thought a great deal of by Charlie's 
 companions, and he sometimes felt quite vain 
 at the praises which were bestowed on them. 
 
 Now, on this morning, the fourth form went, 
 after chapel, to the English schoolroom. Char- 
 lie had a copy of this poem in his pocket, and 
 at the request of some boys he brought it out, 
 and, instead of listening to the lesson, gi^atified 
 Ms vanity by seeing how desirous nearly all 
 the form were of reading it ; not that they were 
 all particularly fond of poetry, but many of 
 them, with real schoolboy perverseness, wished 
 to attend to anything rather than the lesson. 
 It was handed down the form, and one by one 
 the fellows looked at Charlie and nodded ap« 
 proval. But when it came to Gordon, who 
 was sitting on the bench immediately before 
 Charlie, he looked at a line or two, and then 
 flung it on the floor with a contemptuous look, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 269 
 
 and an undertone exclamation of '- Bosh ! " 
 This was rather mortifying to Charlie's vanity, 
 and provoked him to try and snatch one of 
 Gordon's books, by way of retaliation. Lurn 
 was sitting next Gordon, and he tried to pick 
 up the paper, but Gordon set his foot on it; 
 and when at length Lurn did get it and hand 
 it to Charlie, it was all dirty and torn. A sly 
 scuffle between Charlie and Gordon now com- 
 menced ; whenever Mr. Seymour's attention 
 was not fixed on them, kicks and blows were 
 exchanged, and the ill-humor of the combatants 
 increased. At length Mr. Seymour, turning 
 suddenly round, discovered Gordon in the act 
 of trying to catch Charlie's leg, and said, in his 
 cold, hard voice — 
 
 " Gordon, if you cannot conduct yourself 
 properly in my class, you must be taught to do 
 so. If I have spoken to you once, I must have 
 spoken to you twelve times this month, about 
 creating disturbances. You will go to Mr. 
 Horsley at twelve o'clock. In the meantime, 
 go down three places." 
 
 Gordon sulkily obeyed, without speaking. 
 
270 OUDENDALE: 
 
 But when the lesson was over, and they had 
 got out into the quadrangle, he rushed up to 
 Charlie, exclaiming — 
 
 " What did you get me into a row for ? " 
 
 " What did you get yourself into a row for, 
 you mean," retorted Charlie. 
 
 " I didn't. You begun. You kicked me." 
 
 "But you trampled on my piece of poetry 
 first." 
 
 " Piece of nonsense ! Who would read such 
 humbug ? " 
 
 " Everybody but fools, like you," said Charlie, 
 nettled by Gordon's contempt for his poetical 
 powers. 
 
 At this, Gordon fairly lost his temper, and 
 flying at Charlie, struck out at his face. Charlie 
 parried the blow, and returned it, to the great 
 delight of many of the spectators, who thought 
 that a regular fight was going to take place. 
 
 "Go it — the saint!" said Harrison, with a 
 sneer. " He's not such a saint after all, though ; 
 for dear little good boys never ought to let their 
 angry passions rise." 
 
 These words had a very different effect from 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 271 
 
 what Harrison intended. Charlie's arm dropped 
 to his side as he heard them, and he drew back. 
 Gordon also stood still, and for an instant they 
 stood looking at one another, hot, panting, and 
 excited. Then Charlie spoke, with an effort, 
 but firmly : 
 
 " I beg your pardon, Gordon. I was wrong 
 to provoke you. It was my fault." 
 
 Gordon looked rather surprised, but did not 
 immediately recover his good-humor, and only 
 answered this frank confession by turning away. 
 Charlie ran after him, and whispered — 
 
 " I am very sorry I got you into a row. I'll 
 go and ask Seymour to let me be caned instead 
 of you." 
 
 " You may spare yourself the trouble," said 
 Gordon, rather sulkily, and walked off. 
 
 But Charlie was resolved to get Gordon off if 
 he could. He waited for Mr. Seymour coming 
 across the quadrangle, and going up to him, said : 
 
 " Please, sir, will you let me be caned instead 
 of Gordon ? It wasn't his fault that he made a 
 row, for I kicked him first, and he was only 
 turning round to hit me back." 
 
272 OUDENDALE: 
 
 " Your accusing yourself by no means ex- 
 tenuates him," said Mr. Seymour, in his dry, 
 unsympathizing manner. " If you were both 
 concerned in creating the disturbance, 5^ou must 
 both go to Mr. Horsley and be caned." 
 
 "But—" 
 
 " Not another word. You must both be pun- 
 ished," — and Mr. Seymour strode on. 
 
 So, at twelve o'clock, Charlie and Gordon 
 both went to Mr. Horsley, and were caned. 
 That gentleman was in one of his worst humors 
 that day, and gave them a very severe caning ; 
 but being caned in company had the effect of 
 restoring better feeling between them. Com- 
 munity of suffering begets sympathy, whether 
 the suffering be caused by the rule of tyrants 
 or by the cane. So Charlie and Gordon made 
 it all up again ; and by that evening, after a 
 splendid and successful match, they had for- 
 gotten all about what had passed, and when 
 they were undressing for bed, triumphantly 
 exhibited to their companions certain blue marks 
 across their shoulders, more puerorum. 
 
 These incidents, trifling as they may seem. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 273 
 
 are recorded only to show that Charlie was by 
 no means perfect, and often slipped upon the 
 way of righteousness. But while once he had 
 sinned thoughtlessly and carelessly, he was now 
 sincerely sorry for all his faults, and remem- 
 bered that every time he had given way to an 
 angry thought or word, or had imperfectly pre- 
 pared his lessons, or had broken any of the 
 school rules, that he had displeased God. The 
 best of Christians often err, often fail in their 
 duty ; but, whether boys or men, there is no con- 
 demnation to those who truly repent, and trust 
 for forgiveness to Christ Jesus their Saviour. 
 18 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 "BETTER THAN" THE MIGHTY." 
 
 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he 
 that ruleth his spirit than he that talieth a city/' 
 
 Provekbs xvi. 32. 
 
 About this time, Edmonds, who we recently 
 read of as suffering a great humiliation, began 
 to lift up his head again, and to take to his old 
 practice of annoying other boys, though his 
 late misfortunes had taught him to be prudent 
 and cautious not to go too far. Among those 
 whom he took a delight in tormenting was 
 Charlie. He teased and annoyed him in every 
 possible way, either for the mere sake of an- 
 noying, or for the purpose of picking a quarrel 
 with him, that he might regain some part of 
 his credit by a victorious fight. 
 
 Charlie was now trying his very best to keep 
 up in the form, and please his masters, and his 
 efforts had not been without success. It may 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 275 
 
 be imagined, therefore, with what horror he one 
 day found Edmonds sitting beside him, doing 
 everything he could think of to tease him and 
 distract his attention. At one time he would 
 smudge his book with a pencil, then he would 
 pull his hair, then he would prick him with a 
 pin. Poor Charlie was very much distressed, 
 and at first felt angry at his tormentor. 
 
 " What a horrid brute that Edmonds is ! I 
 have a good mind to fight him, though he is so 
 big and strong. I'll pay him out for this some 
 day." 
 
 But these angry thoughts did not so fill his 
 heart that he, could not hear a small still voice 
 whispering within it, " Be ye kind to one an- 
 other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another." 
 
 " But I can't go on always forgiving people, 
 unless they stop teasing me," thought Charlie, 
 as Edmonds ran a pin into his leg. " I don't 
 wish to feel angry with him, if he would only 
 leave me alone now." And again the voice of 
 conscience whispered, " Not once, nor twice, 
 nor seven times, but seventy times seven." 
 
 " God, help me not to feel angry," sighed 
 
276 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Charlie, silently. At that moment Edmonds 
 jerked his book from his hand, and it fell on 
 the floor. Charlie stooped to pick it up, while 
 Edmonds tried to kick it away, and Mr. Cam- 
 pion, who had been attracted by the noise, 
 turned round and saw them struggling. 
 
 "Edmonds and Campion, down three places," 
 he said. He had a pretty strong suspicion that 
 Edmonds was in the wrong, but he made no 
 inquiry into it, so over-careful was he of ap- 
 pearing to favor his cousin. 
 
 Charlie went down three places ; and oh, how 
 hard it was for him not to feel angry with 
 Edmonds, who did not care a bit for losing 
 three places, and began to exult over Charlie's 
 misfortune the moment Mr. Campion looked 
 away. Then he commenced to tease him again ; 
 but this soon came to an end : for being called 
 on to construe, he of course made a frightful 
 mess of it, and presently found himself in his 
 proper element, at the bottom of the class. 
 
 When Charlie had got rid of this unpleasant 
 neighbor, he kept trying with all his might to 
 drive away from his heart every angry thought 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 277 
 
 about him. Ah ! there is no virtue more hard 
 to exercise than the long-suffering charity which 
 beareth all things, and thinketli no evil ; yet 
 there is none which our Saviour has more 
 strongly commended to us, both by precept and 
 example, and none which, when practised, gives 
 more joy and happiness to the heart. Charlie 
 tried to think on how much insult, ingratitude, 
 torture, agony, both of body and spirit, had 
 been undergone by Him who said, at the height 
 of all his sufferings, " Father, forgive them ; " 
 and before the lesson was over, felt that he also 
 had overcome his anger at Edmonds. 
 
 After morning school Charlie went down to 
 the cricket-field to practise with his eleven. 
 When his turn for going in came, he hit the 
 first ball away to leg for three, in splendid style. 
 
 " Well hit, indeed, Campion," cried Branlow, 
 who was looking at the game with a patronizing 
 manner, being one of the eleven of the school. 
 
 " Well hit," echoed some of the smaller boys, 
 who were looking on also. 
 
 Charlie felt gratified by this praise, and had the 
 agreeable foreknowledge which cricketers some- 
 
278 OUDENDALE: 
 
 times have, that he was going to make a splen- 
 did score. But the very next ball twisted about 
 four yards from the wicket, and struck his leg. 
 
 " How's that ? '' 
 
 " Not out," cried Charlie. " I don't think 
 my leg was before the wickets." 
 
 "Yes it was," cried Edmonds, who was 
 standing close by, though not one of the players. 
 
 " Did you see it ? " 
 
 " Yes, I did ; it was before the wickets as 
 plain as possible ; " and as Edmonds said this, 
 he gave a malicious look at Charlie. 
 
 " You're a liar," was rising to Charlie's lips ; 
 but suddenly checking himself, he swallowed 
 his anger with a great gulp, and threw down 
 the bat. 
 
 " If Edmonds says he saw it, I suppose I 
 must be out." 
 
 " What a bother ! " cried some of the boys 
 on his side; but no one disputed the matter, for 
 Edmonds was the only fellow who was standing 
 near in front of the wickets. 
 
 Charlie felt certain at first that Edmonds had 
 told an unscrupulous lie to put him out; but 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 279 
 
 when be had overcome his first angry feelings, 
 he remembered that be ought not to judge any 
 one so harshly, and that it was quite possible 
 that Edmonds did really think that bis leg was 
 before the wicket. So he tried to forget all 
 about it. 
 
 A little before dinner-time, as Charlie was 
 leaving the field to go back to the college, a 
 small stone struck him on the cheek, and turn- 
 ing round, he saw Edmonds running after him. 
 
 " Hallo ! " cried Edmonds, knocking off his 
 cap as he overtook him. " Why do you presume 
 to leave the field before your superiors? Don't 
 put on your hat again till I tell you, sir. You 
 should always take your hat off before me." 
 
 " Now, Edmonds," said Charlie, " I see quite 
 well what you want ; but I can tell that you are 
 not going to make me angry at you, nor to fight 
 you. I wish you would leave me alone ; but 
 if you will go on bothering me, I am not going 
 to get waxy at you." 
 
 " What a fine speech ! " said Edmonds, 
 turning away with a growl ; but it was quite 
 evident that he was rather disconcerted by it. 
 
280 OUDENDALE: 
 
 Fellows like him don't care about bullying 
 unless they can see that they are causing an- 
 noyance and useless anger in their victims. 
 
 That day was a half-holiday. As Charlie was 
 bounding off, about half an hour after dinner, 
 to the field, full of boyish spirits and light- 
 heartedness, he took a sudden fancy to look 
 into the English schoolroom, the door of which 
 was open. Here he found no one but Edmonds, 
 who was sitting writing an imposition. 
 
 " Get out of that ! " he growled, looking up 
 for a moment, and seeing Charlie. 
 
 But a thought came into Charlie's head, and 
 for a moment he lingered near the door, uncer- 
 tain whether to go or stay ; for he was thinking 
 of doing something that would invoke a great 
 deal of self-denial. In a little he had made up 
 his mind, and advanced to the desk where Ed- 
 monds was writing. 
 
 " Have you got a long impo', Edmonds ? " 
 
 " Yes ; two hundred lines of Milton, con- 
 found you ! What business is it of yours ? " 
 
 " If you like I'll stay and read the lines to 
 you, and so you can do it much quicker." 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 281 
 
 "You! " said Edmonds, looking up, quickly. 
 
 " Yes ; give me the book." 
 
 For a moment Edmonds felt ashamed to ac- 
 cept this offer from one whom he had treated 
 so ill, and then answered, though in a half- 
 doubting tone, " All right." • 
 
 So Charlie stayed in for an hour reading the 
 lines of Milton to Edmonds, while the June 
 sun shone brightly into the dusty room, and 
 the cool breeze came in at the open window, as 
 if to remind him what he was giving up ; and 
 while he was reading the words of the poem, 
 his thoughts were all the time far away in the 
 cricket-field, where he imagined he could almost 
 hear the shouts of his companions, who all the 
 while were wondering what had become of him. 
 At length the imposition was finished, and Ed- 
 monds threw down his pen with a sigh of relief. 
 
 "Now I must be off to the field," said Char- 
 lie. " I should have been there an hour ago." 
 
 Edmonds in an embarrassed manner mumbled 
 out something about being much obliged ; but 
 though he did not say much, yet this piece of 
 kindness on Charlie's part was not lost upon 
 
282 OUDENDALE. 
 
 him. Not that his disposition was changed, for 
 the leopard does not so easily change his spots; 
 but at all events he never tried again to an- 
 noy Charlie, and even showed a sort of rough 
 friendship for him after this. 
 
 As for Charlie, he felt as happy as only those 
 who know what it is to obey God's command- 
 ments can understand, and could pray without 
 his conscience reproaching him, " And forgive 
 us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tres- 
 pass against us." And when, that afternoon, 
 he carried out his bat with a score of fifty-three, 
 he felt an additional satisfaction in hearing 
 Edmonds's voice one of the loudest among those 
 applauding and congratulating him. 
 
 Oh that we all tried only to overcome evil by 
 good ! It seems hard ; but it will be found by 
 far the best and the easiest way in the end ; for 
 if God's Holy Spirit is with us, our own evil 
 inclinations can have no power against us. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE CONFIRMATION. 
 
 ** Knee against knee, they knitted a wreatli round tlie altar's 
 enclosure. 
 Kneeling, be read them the prayers of the consecration; and, 
 
 softly, 
 With him the children read; at the close, -with tremulous 
 
 accents, 
 Asked he the peace of heaven, a benediction upon them." 
 Tegner, translated by Longfellow. 
 
 At length the day of the confirmation came. 
 The college chapel was crowded both with the 
 boys themselves and also with other spectators. 
 Those who were about to be confirmed sat in 
 front by themselves. 
 
 Alas, though there was a general impression 
 of seriousness among them, many did not feel 
 the importance and sacredness of the vow which 
 they were going to make, and there were even 
 one or two who dared to behave with levity. 
 
 At all events, Charlie deeply felt the solem- 
 nity of the occasion, and it was with a spirit of 
 
284 OUDENDALE: 
 
 real fervor and supplication that he joined in 
 the hymn — 
 
 " Beset ■«'ith snares on every hand, 
 In life's uncertain path I stand; 
 Saviour divine, diffuse thy light 
 To y;uide my doubtful footsteps right. 
 
 * Engage this roving, treacherous heart, 
 Great God, to choose the better part; 
 To scorn the trifles of a day 
 For joys that none can take away." 
 
 Charlie felt indeed that the Light of the 
 World was diffused through his soul; and when 
 he advanced to the altar-rails, his whole heart 
 was given up to God. And then the bishop 
 laid his hands upon his head, and prayed that 
 he migl^t continue God's forever, defended by 
 heavenly grace, and might increase in the Holy 
 Spirit more and more, till he came at length 
 into the everlasting kingdom of heaven. 
 
 Charlie made his way back to his seat, scarcely 
 knowing where he went ; for his mind was all 
 filled with the thought that his sins were for- 
 given for the sake of Jesus Christ, who would 
 lead and guide him through life into eternity. 
 As he bent his head in silent prayer, his full 
 heart overflowed, and he wept tears of joy. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. '285 
 
 Call not such tears mere sentiment. The love 
 of God has power to move the penitent heart, 
 which the scoffer and the worldly man can 
 neither know nor understand. 
 
 It was indeed a solemn scene. There are 
 many who would call the mere rite of confirma- 
 tion unnecessary, or even unscriptural ; but can 
 it be wrong for young souls to offer themselves 
 publicly to the Lord, renouncing sin and prom- 
 ising to endeavor by Christ's help to do his 
 will ? Ah, that such solemn vows should be so 
 often broken, and that such good resolutions 
 should be in too many cases so soon forgotten ! 
 
 Then came the bishop's sermon, containing 
 both a solemn warning and a powerful encour- 
 agement. 
 
 " If any of you have taken upon you these 
 sacred vows without duly considering their 
 importance, and without intending earnestly 
 and prayerfully to regard them, oh, remember 
 that you have not lied unto men, but unto God, 
 and that to sucli as offend against him our God 
 is a consuming fire. Yet, though terrible to 
 impenitent sinners, to those who truly, humbly 
 
286 OUDENDALE: 
 
 seek him, however great their past sins and 
 their present weakness, he will show himself a 
 God of infinite love and mercy. Even while 
 he proclaims his displeasure at our sins — the 
 awful wages which they will at length procure 
 us — the Father's heart yearns for us lost, 
 blind, ignorant sinners. The return of one of 
 us to the right path will fill all heaven with 
 angelic joy. If we come in the name of Christ, 
 sin and Satan cannot prevent us ; for he be- 
 fore us has fought the good fight, and has ob- 
 tained the victory. Oh, leave all the vain, 
 deadly works of the world, the flesh, and the 
 devil, and seek the God who has created and 
 redeemed you ; for he is love." 
 
 That evening Cholmondeley and Charlie took 
 a walk up the Ouden. They were often together 
 now ; and some boys in the school, such as 
 Handyside, did not hesitate to hint that Charlie 
 pretended to be religious in order to gain Chol- 
 mondeley's favor. They could not account 
 otherwise for the cliange which had come over 
 him during the last few weeks. It is possible 
 that some of those who read this story may bo 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 287 
 
 inclined to sneer also, not knowing the power 
 wliicli the Spirit of God has to change the hu- 
 man heart. Charlie's heart was now filled with 
 that Spirit, and every day he was growing in 
 grace, and his eyes were becoming more and 
 more opened to see the boundless and wonder- 
 ful love of God. 
 
 The sun was just sinking in a bed of golden 
 and purple clouds as they turned to go back to 
 the college, and they stood still for a moment 
 to look at it. 
 
 " There, Charlie, my boy! " exclaimed Chol- 
 mondeley, pointing to it. "What a beautiful 
 sky ! You are a bit of a poet, aren't you ? 
 Couldn't you say something poetical about 
 that ? " 
 
 Charlie smiled, and after gazing at the sun- 
 set for a moment, drew his arm within Cliol- 
 mondeley's, saying: 
 
 " When I see a beautiful sunset, I feel in- 
 clined to think of death. Do you know, Chol- 
 mondeley, I feel as if I should like to die ? 
 And thinking about heaven makes me think 
 about my mother too. I recollect when I used 
 
288 OUDENDALE: 
 
 to sit on her knee, when I was a small fellow 
 with long curls, and sing ' There is a happy- 
 land, far, far away.' It seems just like yester- 
 day. And I do wish that mamma was alive 
 to-day, and saw me being confirmed : she would 
 have been so glad ! But I daresay it's wrong 
 for me to be wishing after what God hasn't 
 wished to happen. He knows best." 
 
 " Yes ; I am afraid we often forget that," 
 said Cholmondeley, musingly. 
 
 " Look at the sunset now ! " said Charlie, 
 after a short pause. '' I could stay here for- 
 ever looking at these splendid clouds." 
 
 " But we must not spend our lives looking 
 at beautiful clouds," said Cholmondeley, laugh- 
 ing. " We must attend to sterner duties ; and 
 one of these said duties is to be inside the 
 college gates before the bell has stopped, which 
 we won't be if we stay here much longer." 
 
 " How unpoetic you are ! " laughed Charlie, 
 and they turned and went back towards the 
 coUeore. 
 
 Charlie often felt as if he would like to die 
 at once, and go into the arms of his Saviour, 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 289 
 
 where his mother had gone before him. His 
 greatest trouble now was the fear of sinning 
 and falling asleep on the narrow path, for he 
 felt that he was weak and sinful ; but he tried 
 to trust in the help and grace of a mightier One 
 than himself, — One who, having suffered, being 
 tempted, is able to succor them that are tempted. 
 " Try, like Paul, to give yourself entirely up 
 to the will of God," said Mr. Campion, to whom 
 in his open-heartedness Charlie one day com- 
 municated tliese feelings. " Perhaps in his 
 infinite wisdom he may see fit to glorify himself 
 in your early death, or perhaps he may wish 
 you to fight a long and difficult battle for him 
 on earth, before he gives you rest in heaven. 
 But whatever be his will, trust in him, and let 
 your prayer be — 
 
 * Teach me to live, that I may dread 
 The grave as little as ray hed; 
 Teach me to die, that so I may 
 Rise glorious at the awful day.' " 
 
 19 
 
CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 WISE AND FOOLISH. 
 
 "The furthest from the fear 
 Are often nearest to the stroke of fate." 
 
 Young. 
 
 It was the last Sunday before the long holi- 
 days, and that morning Charhe had, for the 
 first time, with deep reverence and gratitude, 
 partaken of the holy symbols of the Body and 
 Blood, given for him to preserve his soul to 
 everlasting life. It was now late in the after- 
 noon, and he was lying by himself on the top 
 of a cliff, looking down upon the bed of the 
 Ouden. It was a precipitous cliff, on the face 
 of which grew a few stunted shrubs ; but on 
 the top was a small platform covered with long 
 grass and buttercups, and here Charlie liked 
 to lie and gaze down on the river, and then 
 away over the dale towards Meadenburgh, and 
 on till the blue sky met a distant range of hills. 
 
 But to-day Charlie was not looking at the 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 291 
 
 landscape. He was thinking of all that God 
 had done for him. Young as he was, he now 
 saw clearly how, in the midst of his own wick- 
 edness and folly, God's* goodness had been 
 leading him to repentance. He was indeed 
 happy — happier than many of us can under- 
 stand — for his heart was filled with peace. 
 
 All the beauties of nature, which his rather 
 poetical mind had formerly taken pleasure in 
 for their own sake alone, now shone with a far 
 greater loveliness, for they told him of the love 
 and bounty of God. And with the thought of 
 God's goodness came that of his own sinfulness 
 and unworthiness, and his imagination was lost 
 in endeavoring to contemplate such a pure and 
 merciful Being as he who so loved the world 
 that he gave himself to die for its sins, and in 
 spite of all our boundless wickedness and in- 
 gratitude still is waiting to hear and forgive. 
 All who have experienced the fervor of a Chris- 
 tian's first love, will understand his feelings. 
 Do not say that it is impossible for boys to have 
 such feelings. Boys do have them sometimes, 
 but ah ! far too seldom. 
 
 Charlie was interrupted in his reveries by the 
 
292 OUDENDALE: 
 
 approaching sound of voices, and starting up, he 
 saw Lurn and Handyside walking together, and 
 coming towards him. Lurn and Handyside 
 were cousins, but they were not very intimate, 
 and so it was but seldom that they might be 
 seen walking together. 
 
 " Hallo, Charlie !" exclaimed Lurn, as they 
 came up, " are you here ? I was looking for 
 you after chapel, to go a walk -wjith you, but I 
 couldn't find you." 
 
 "That's as much as to say that you only 
 went with me for want of anybody better. Yery 
 polite ! " growled Handyside. " But if you are 
 intending to do your exercise to-night, as you 
 said, you had better come back now with me, 
 and I'll lend you my key." 
 
 Lurn winked and frowned at Handyside all 
 the time he was saying this, for he had just 
 enough respect for Charlie's religious feelings 
 not to wish him to know that he intended doing 
 his exercise out of a crib on Sunday ; but Han- 
 dyside either did not see, or pretended not to 
 see, and so Charlie heard it all. 
 
 " Lurn ! surely you are not going to do 
 your exercise on Sunday," he said. 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 293 
 
 " I hadn't any time for it yesterday." 1 
 
 " But it's not right —" 
 
 " Confound you, Campion, you're always cant- 
 ing away like an old woman," broke in Han- 
 dyside. 
 
 " Handyside, don't you know that God — " 
 
 " I know that that religion of yours is all 
 stuff. Of course I believe about Christ dying, 
 and all that sort of thing, and that Dissenters 
 are booked for the wrong place, because it's all 
 stuck down in the Prayer-book ; but as for pray- 
 ing and talking about doing right, it's all non- 
 sense, and just fit for old women. Religion 
 only keeps you from having fun, and doing 
 things that you like to do. " 
 
 " Religion only keeps you from doing what's 
 wrong, but it does not make you unhappy. 
 You can never be really happy without reli- 
 gion, — that is, without trusting in Christ, and 
 trying to do right." 
 
 " Stuff ! I know I would much rather be 
 bagging apples out of an orchard than reading 
 great dry books that you don't understand." 
 
 " I'm sure I never read great dry books that 
 
294 OUDENDALE: 
 
 I don't understand. But I don't call the Bible 
 a dry book. I think it is the most beautiful 
 book that was ever written." 
 
 " And I suppose you think Sunday's the jol- 
 liest day in all the week? " 
 
 " Yes, I do." 
 
 " Some people have queer tastes," said Han- 
 dyside, with a sneer. 
 
 " I must confess I do not like Sunday," said 
 Lurn, who had not joined the discussion till 
 now. " You see, when I was a small boy, my 
 governor and my mater kept me awfully quiet 
 and good on Sunday, and made me go to church, 
 and listen, or pretend to listen, to sermons that 
 I didn't understand a word of, and learn cat- 
 echisms and hymns all day long. So Sunday 
 used to be the most wearisome of the whole 
 week to me, and I still rather dislike it. The 
 same way I have taken a sort of disgust at the 
 Bible, because I used to get lots of it to learn 
 when I was naughty. You see they are very 
 religious themselves, and they really tried to 
 make me good, but I don't think they set the 
 right way about it. Anyhow, I know that I 
 
A Ti\XE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 295 
 
 don't love God, and don't want to think about 
 religion. Perhaps I shall after a wliile, but not 
 just now." 
 
 " Oh, I hate all these strict people," said Han- 
 djside. " I hate going to church, and oh, I 
 detest and abominate chapel, though one bless- 
 ing is, that it does not last long. What is the 
 use of making us turn out at seven every morn- 
 ing to go and sit wliile a fellow drones away 
 out of the reading-desk, with nobody listening 
 to him ? ' I shall never go to church at all when 
 I cut school." 
 
 " Till the school cuts you — till you are ex- 
 pelled, you mean," lauglied Lurn, the half-seri- 
 ous thoughts which had for a moment occu- 
 pied his mind giving way to his natiiral levity. 
 
 " The school's a devilish deal too much 
 honored by my presence to cut me. What are 
 you looking glum at, Campion ? — at me saying 
 ' devilish ' ? If you like, I'll say it again, and 
 something stronger too, if you wish it." 
 
 " I wish you wouldn't talk that way. Handy- 
 side," said Charlie. " Think what would hap- 
 pen to you if you were to die." 
 
296 OtJDENDALE: 
 
 " But I'm not going to die so easily, my 
 young cock of a parson ; so don't you be afraid. 
 I shan't interfere with your religion, Campion, 
 so long as you keep it to yourself; but I can't 
 stand having it continually thrown at my head. 
 One would think we were all going to kick the 
 bucket right off, by the way you speak. I say, 
 Frank, let us jump over the cliff and get 
 smashed, to please Campion." 
 
 " Hang it, don't talk about kicking the buck- 
 et," said Lurn, uneasily, for the voice of con- 
 science was not altogether silent within him. 
 " Let us shut up the whole affair, and talk 
 about something else." 
 
 Charlie's heart sunk as he heard Lurn speak 
 thus, for he was very anxious that Lurn should 
 think more seriously. But he thought of all 
 the reproach and ridicule which Christ had 
 suffered, and scarcely even noticed the remark 
 which Handy side made with a sneer. 
 
 " So the sermon is over, is it ? Hadn't you 
 better hand round the plate now, Frank ? " 
 
 For a minute they all stood silent, and Han- 
 dyside amused himself by throwing stones over 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 297 
 
 the cliff into the Ouden, and watching the splash 
 which they made. 
 
 "Are you coming back to the college, then, 
 Handyside ? " asked Lurn, after a little. He felt 
 uncomfortable staying with Charlie after what 
 he had said, as he had a consciousness that Char- 
 lie was too good to be his friend any longer. 
 
 " Hold hard a moment," exclaimed Handy- 
 side, peering over the cliff at something half- 
 way down it, which caught his attention. " I 
 declare, there is a kingfisher's nest — upon my 
 word it is: my brother saw a kingfisher here 
 the other day." 
 
 " No more a kingfisher's nest than I am," 
 observed Lurn, after looking at the object which 
 Handyside pointed out. " No kingfisher would 
 be such a fool as to build its nest in such an 
 open place." 
 
 " I wonder if a fellow could get down there," 
 said Handyside, kneeling by the edge of the 
 cliff, and stretching himself over it. 
 
 " Oh ! take care, Handyside, you'll be over," 
 cried Charlie ; but before the words were well 
 out of his lips, Handyside lost his balance, and 
 fell headlong over the cliff. 
 
298 OUDENDALE: 
 
 For a moment Charlie and Lurn stared at 
 one another in terror, and then both sprang to 
 the edge, and looked down with a vague dread. 
 But they were relieved to see that Handyside 
 had caught a projecting point of rock about 
 half-way down, and was clinging to it. 
 
 Charlie's was one of those unexcitable char- 
 acters to which sudden emergencies often bring 
 coolness and courage. Without a moment's 
 irresolution, he said, hurriedly : 
 
 " I shall climb down to that ledge there, and 
 try to haul him up to it." 
 
 " Charlie, you will be killed ! Let me 
 go — I am lighter than you," cried Lurn. 
 
 " Don't put off time talking. Hear him cry- 
 ing for help. Here goes. God help me. His 
 arms will soon get tired, and then he will drop." 
 
 While he had been saying this, Charlie had 
 been letting himself down over the edge of the 
 cliff, and now began to make his way down as 
 fast as possible, while Lurn looked after him 
 with a beating heart. Handyside was suspend- 
 ed shrieking upon the small point of rock, but 
 he had a very slight hold of it, and no place to 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 299 
 
 put liis feet on, so that he seemed likely to let 
 go unless speedily relieved. Charlie's hastily- 
 formed plan was to reach a ledge of rock im- 
 mediately above him, and to try and help him 
 up to it. 
 
 Lurn's presence of mind had quite deserted 
 him, and instead of staying at the top of the 
 cliff, where he might have been of use in help- 
 ing them up, he ran along it, and down a path 
 which would take him to the bottom of it, keep- 
 ing his eye fixed on Handyside all the while, 
 though he could not see the path where Charlie 
 was coming down. 
 
 Handyside could now no longer hold on, and 
 summoning up all his strength for a grand 
 effort, he endeavored to struggle upwards to 
 the ledge just above, but failed. He slipped 
 down again, and the shock loosened his grasp 
 on the rock. For a moment he hung by one 
 arm, casting a look of despair upon Charlie, 
 who was now close by him, then his hold re- 
 laxed, and with a wild cry he fell to the bottom, 
 just as Lurn came beneath him, his head strik- 
 ing upon a large stone, and the blood spurting 
 
300 OUDENDALE: 
 
 out over Lurn's trousers. Lurn raised him up 
 immediately, but lie let the body fall again with 
 a shudder, for it was quite motionless, and the 
 head was almost crushed ; and then looked up 
 at Charlie, who had stopped, and was apparently 
 unable to go any further. 
 
 " Go back, Charlie, go back ! " he cried loudly. 
 " It's no use." 
 
 " All right," shouted Charlie, trying to gain 
 a small shelf a little higher up the rock. But 
 he was unsuccessful, and to save himself from 
 falling, caught hold of a small bush which grew 
 out of a cleft. Lurn's heart gave a great leap as 
 he saw him hanging by it, and that it was being 
 gradually pulled from its roots by his weight. 
 
 ^^Oh, take care ! " he shouted, in an agony of 
 terror. 
 
 Lurn dare look no longer, but he knew that 
 a body was spinning headlong through the air, 
 and in another moment it fell with a dull thud 
 on the stony ground, a few yards before him. 
 
 To rush up to Charlie, to wipe away the 
 blood which oozed from his mouth, to assure 
 himself that he still breathed, to run down to 
 
A TALE OF SCHOOLBOY LIFE. 301 
 
 the Ouden, and bring some water in his cap, 
 was the work of a minute to Lurn. He had 
 lost all his nervousness now, and the events of 
 the last few minutes seemed to him like a hor- 
 rible dream. 
 
 When the cold water was poured on his face, 
 Charlie began to show signs of returning to 
 consciousness, and in a minute he opened his 
 eyes, and looked at Lurn. 
 
 " Charlie ! shall I fetch some one ? Where 
 are you hurt ? Shall I go for a doctor ? " 
 
 " No — stay with me, please," answered Char- 
 lie, with an effort. " I can't get better — I feel as 
 if my inside was all smashed." 
 
 " Charlie ! " 
 
 A gentle breeze arose just then, playing with 
 Charlie's light hair, now clotted in many places 
 with blood, and it seemed partially to revive 
 him. He raised himself a little from the ground, 
 and looking at Lurn said, earnestly, though with 
 great difficulty and pain : 
 
 " I am going to die now, I think, but I am 
 very happy. I lay all my sins on Jesus — he 
 has suffered for them all. Frank, do try 
 
302 OUDENDALE. 
 
 and be good. Yoii don't know what a happy 
 thing it is to love Jesus, nor how much he loves 
 you. Do ask God to give you a new heart." 
 
 " I will try. I will indeed. But 0, Charlie, 
 are you sure you can't get better ? " 
 
 "I am very happy — and so will you be if you 
 are good. You will get into the first eleven 
 *liow, and you may have my new bat. My Bible 
 is in my pocket — keep it — and read it — do read 
 it. Give some — my books — Cholmondeley — 
 Mr. Campion. See that Stevenson — isn't bul- 
 lied. I feel — very weak — and sleepy — happy." 
 
 Lurn could not speak, but gazed with wild 
 despair on Charlie's face, now turned up to the 
 blue sky, and covered with radiant joy. For a 
 moment he continued thus, and then looking 
 earnestly at Lurn, grasped his hand with a 
 convulsive effort. 
 
 " Good-by, Frank — be good — see you in 
 heaven — with Christ — mamma — the angels — 
 no sin there — God is love — love — /ove." 
 
 As he was saying this, his voice sank into an 
 inaudible whisper, and he fell back with a 
 happy smile on his face — dead. 
 
CHAPTER XXY. 
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 " I can scarcely believe that I am leaving 
 dear old Oudendale forever. It seems just like 
 yesterday, when I was trembling at the door of 
 the lower schoolroom, and looking upon Dr. 
 Eden as the most awful and important being in 
 the world. I am sure I shall always look back 
 to my school-days as the happiest time of my 
 life, though I wish that I had employed them 
 better. Then it is hard to leave all my friends 
 here, of whom I have a great pack. There is 
 none of them, though, whom I like half so well 
 as I liked one who would have most likely been 
 leaving Oudendale just now too if he had lived. 
 Poor Charlie ! it is just three years since that 
 terrible Sunday, when I lost my best earthly 
 friend, and first began to think seriously of my 
 heavenly one. But I should not talk about 
 
304 OUDENDALE. 
 
 ' poor ' Charlie, for he must be happier far than 
 we are. I have his Bible yet, which he gave 
 me when he was dying, and I value it now both 
 for his sake and its own. It has these lines — I 
 suppose they must have been composed by him- 
 self — written on the fly-leaf: 
 
 " * Teach me how to keep Thy precepts. 
 Teach me how to read Thy word; 
 Teach me how my tongue can praise Thee 
 As my heart, O gracious Lord! * 
 
 I recollect just before it happened we were 
 talking about the Bible, and I couldn't help 
 confessing that I didn't like reading it, and in 
 fact rather disliked it. I never thought that 
 God was about to rouse my attention to my 
 soul by such a terrible event. It is wonderful 
 how many different ways he has of leading us 
 to him, but certainly this was the means of 
 showing me how dangerous it was to be living 
 without God in the world. 
 
 " I shall not make this letter any longer, as I 
 am to see you so soon at Oxford, so 
 
 I remain, my dear Cholmondeley, 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 Francis H. Lurn." 
 

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