"Nor I," exclaimed Charlie Stone, another intimate a.s.sociate of Nat"s, and a good scholar too.
Nat was sensitive to ridicule when it proceeded from certain persons, but he did not care much for it when its author was Sam Drake, a boy whom every teacher found dull and troublesome. He replied, however, in a pleasant though sarcastic manner, addressing his remark to Frank and Charlie,
"Sam is so brilliant that he expects to get along without study. He will be governor yet."
Sam did not relish this thrust very much, but before he had a chance to reply, Frank added, "I suppose you will make a speech, Sam, when you present your pet.i.tion." All laughed heartily at this point, and turned away, leaving Sam to bite his lips and cogitate.
Sam was certainly in a predicament. He had several signers to his pet.i.tion, but they were all the lazy, backward scholars, and he knew it.
To send a pet.i.tion to the teacher with these signatures alone, he knew would be little less than an insult. If Nat, Frank, and Charlie, would have signed it, he would not have hesitated. As it was, he did not dare to present it, so the pet.i.tion movement died because it couldn"t live.
The teacher, however, heard of the movement, and some days thereafter, thinking that his dull scholars might need a word of encouragement, he embraced a favorable opportunity to make the following remarks:--
"It is not always the case that the brightest scholars in boyhood make the most useful or learned men. There are many examples of distinguished men, who were very backward scholars in youth. The great philosopher Newton was one of the dullest scholars in school when he was twelve years old. Doctor Isaac Barrow was such a dull, pugnacious, stupid fellow, that his father was heard to say, if it pleased G.o.d to remove any one of his children by death, he hoped it would be Isaac. The father of Doctor Adam Clarke, the commentator, called his boy "a grievous dunce." Cortina, a renowned painter, was nicknamed, by his a.s.sociates, "a.s.s" Head," on account of his stupidity, when a boy. When the mother of Sheridan once went with him to the school-room, she told the teacher that he was "an incorrigible dunce," and the latter was soon compelled to believe her. One teacher sent Chatterton home to his mother as "a fool of whom nothing could be made." Napoleon and Wellington were both backward scholars. And Sir Walter Scott was named the "The Great Blockhead" at school. But some of these men, at a certain period of youth, changed their course of living, and began to apply themselves with great earnestness and a.s.siduity to the acquisition of knowledge, while others, though naturally dull, improved their opportunities from the beginning, and all became renowned. No one of them advanced without close application. It was by their own persevering efforts that they finally triumphed over all difficulties. So it must be with yourselves.
The dullest scholar in this room may distinguish himself by application and dint of perseverance, while the brightest may fail of success, by wasting his time and trusting to his genius. The motto of every youth should be "UPWARD AND ONWARD.""
CHAPTER III.
SAt.u.r.dAY AFTERNOON.
The bright summer-time had come again, when the sweet-scented blossoms beautified the gardens, and the forming fruits gave promise of a rich golden harvest. The school-bell sent out its merry call to the laughing children, and scores of them daily went up to the temple of knowledge for improvement. Sat.u.r.day afternoon was a season of recreation, when the pupils, released from school, engaged in various sports, or performed some light labor for their parents.
On a certain Sat.u.r.day afternoon, Nat, Charlie, Frank, and one or two other boys, arranged for a "good time" at the house of one of the number. They were all there promptly at the appointed time, together with Frank"s little dog Trip--a genuine favorite with all the boys who had any regard for dog-brightness and amiability.
"Look here, Frank, has Trip forgot how to play hy-spy?" asked Charlie.
"No; he will play it about as well as _you_ can. Let us try it."
"You can"t learn him to touch the goal, can you?" inquired another boy.
"No," replied Frank; "but I expect he will before he takes his degree.
He is nothing but a Freshman now."
"Did he ever pet.i.tion you for shorter lessons?" asked Nat.
Charlie and Frank laughed; for they thought of Sam Drake"s pet.i.tion at the winter school.
"Never," answered Frank; "but he has asked me for longer ones a great many times. He never gets enough at any sport. He will play "hide and seek" or "ball" as long as you will want to have him, and then wag his tail for more."
Trip sat by looking wistfully up into his little master"s face as if he perfectly understood the praise that was lavished upon him, and was patiently waiting to give an exhibition of his skill in athletic games.
"Let us try his skill," said Charlie. "Come, Frank, give him his post."
"Here, Trip," said Frank, "come here; nice fellow,--does want to play "hide and seek;" so he shall;" and he patted him on his head, for which kindness Trip voted him thanks as well as he could.
"Now, boys, we"ll all run and hide, and Trip will find us in short metre."
Off they started, some round the barn and house, and some over the wall, while Trip stood wagging his tail, in the spot a.s.signed him. At length a loud shrill "whoop," "whoop," "whoop," one after another, saluted Trip"s ears, and off he ran to find them. Bounding over the wall, he came right upon Charlie, who laughed heartily at the result, while Trip extended his researches round the barn, where he discovered Nat under a pile of boards, and one or two of the other boys. When they all returned to the goal, Trip perceived that his master was not found, and off he bounded a second time.
"Sure enough," exclaimed Charlie, "he knows that Frank is not here, and he has gone to find him. Isn"t he a knowing dog?"
"I don"t believe he will find him," said Nat, "for he is up on a beam in the shed."
Nat had scarcely uttered these words, before a shout from Frank and a bark from Trip announced that the former was discovered.
"There," said Frank, as he came up to the goal with Trip skipping and jumping at his side, "wasn"t that well done? I told you he would find you, and none of us could do it quicker."
"Let us try it again," said one of the boys, "I guess I"ll puzzle him this time."
Again they all sought hiding-places, while Trip waited at the goal for the well-known signal--"whoop;" "whoop;" "whoop." None of the boys knew the meaning of this better than he, although he was only a dog.
Soon the signal was given, and away went Trip in high glee. Over the wall--around the barn--into the shed--back of the house--behind the woodpile--under the boards--here and there--he ran until every boy was found. Again and again the experiment was tried, and Trip won fresh laurels every time.
"You"ve torn your pants, Nat," said Frank.
"I know it. I did it getting over the fence. I haven"t done such a thing before, I don"t know when."
While exhausting "hy-spy" of its fun, Sylvester Jones came along with a bit of news.
"Going to court, Nat?" he inquired.
"Going where?" replied Nat, not understanding him.
"_To court_! They have taken up Harry Gould and Tom Ryder, and the court is coming off at the hall."
"What have they taken Harry and Tom for?" asked Nat, becoming deeply interested in the event.
"I don"t know exactly; but it is something about disturbing the exhibition."
The facts in the case were these. There was an exhibition in the hall owned by the manufacturing company, and these two boys climbed up on the piazza and looked into the window, thereby disturbing the exercises. An action was brought against them, and they were to be tried before a justice of the town.
"It is too bad," replied Nat, "to take up such little boys for _that_--they didn"t know any better. What will be done with them, do you expect?"
"Perhaps they will send them to jail. Father says it is a serious matter to disturb a meeting of any kind."
"Yes," replied Nat, "it is a mean act in anybody, but I don"t believe that Harry and Tom understood it. It will be too bad to send them to prison for that. Perhaps they would never do such a thing again."
"Come," added Sylvester, "let us go to the trial and see. They have begun before this time."
Nat"s sympathies were intensely wrought upon by these tidings; for Harry and Tom were among his school-fellows. The idea of trying such little boys in a court of justice excited him very much. He forgot all about the games projected and the rent in his pantaloons, and seizing his cap, he said to Frank,
"Will _you_ go?"
"Yes, I"ve played about enough," answered Frank. "I would like to go to a court."