No More Learning

Mary was pleased by his good-nature,
and he helped her to build her favourite
transparent round tower, which is easily
b3
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? 6
FRANK.
constructed, merely by leaving the thick-
ness of one brick between each that is
laid on. This tower was raised to a
height above that of any edifice which
these little architects had ever before
erected; and when it was accom-
plished, Frank's mother turned to look
at it, and admired it as much as could
be reasonably expected. Mary next
assisted Frank in building his triumphal
Roman arch, which he endeavoured to
form by making one brick project be-
yond another till they met over the
open space, so that the inside of the
curve or arch resembled a flight of
steps upside down; but, before it
could be finished, bricks were want-
ing, and no resource remained but
to pull down Mary's tower. To this,
with good-humour, she consented, and
supplied him with bricks from its ruins
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? FRANK.
7
so fast, that he said that she was now
an excellent strawman.
" My dear Frank," said Mary, " how
happy we always are now; we play to-
gether without the disputes we used to
have. Do you remember that melan-
choly month, when we were separated
every time we quarrelled? Oh that
was a miserable time ! "
"It was indeed," said Frank; "but
it was well for us, because it cured us
at last of disputing; and now, when
. ? 0u' feel a little impatient, you stop
yourself in time, Mary my dear. "
" Yes," said Mary; " and Frank,
my dear, whenever you are going to
be angry you stop yourself too. Now
you give up a little and I give up a
little. '*
. "'Hush ! my dear," said Frank, "for
I am just going to join together the two
sides of my arch, you see. "
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? 8 FRANK.
" Very well indeed," said Mary,
who had remained quite still atrd
silent until the last brick was placed.
" And now, Frank, you will acknow-
ledge, that I have done more for you
than you did for me this morning:
because, when you bid me hush, I
hushed; but when I was in my great
difficulties, trying to make out' that
plan of Kenilworth Castle, you went
on talking so fast to me, that I could
not mind what I was about, and that
was the cause of all -- no, I don't say
all, but of a great many of the mis-
takes that I made. "
" But why did not you ask me not
to speak," said Frank? "How could
I imagine that you did not like to
hear me talk when you did not tell
me so? "
" I was afraid you would be angry
if I said, hush," replied Mary.
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? FRANK.
9
" Bat that was foolish of you ; I am
sure I am never angry now, am I ? "
said Frank.
" Not often," replied Mary; " but I
cannot say that you are never angry,
my dear Frank. "
" When was I angry last ? I do not
remember," said Frank.
* I do," said Mary; " but I do not
like to put you in mind of it. "
" I recollect, Mary, the last time
when you were angry, and that was
yesterday," said Frank.
" Oh no, I was not angry, I was only
a little, a very little impatient," said
Mary.
" Well, but if I allow that for you,
Mary," said Frank, " you must allow
the same for me. You must not say
that I was angry. "
" Perhaps I should not say angry
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? 10
FRANK.
quite, but very near being angry,'' re-
plied Mary.
" That is quite a different affair,"
said Frank; "no matter how near I
am; if I command myself I have the
greater merit. "
" May be so," said Mary; " but I
do not know what good, or merit, as
you call it, there is in being very nearly
angry. Now let us ask mamma. "
" Mamma, which do you think is
most apt to be angry 1" cried . they both
together, going before the table at which
she was writing; their eyes sparkling
and their cheeks crimson.
" My dear children," said Frank's
mother, " I have heard the word angry
too often within these last five minutes.
Compare yourselves with what you
have been, and observe as much as you
please whether you improve, or not;
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? FRANK.
11
that will be better than disputing about
which is the most or the least apt to be
impatient -- a point which neither of
you can decide, because you cannot see
into each other's minds ; but you may
both observe what passes in your own. "
" Yes, and I can govern my own
too," said Frank, proudly.
"And so can I," said Mary. "Well,
what shall we do next, Frank 1"
Frank proposed building, with what
remained of the bricks of Mary's tower,
a flight of winding stairs, like one of
which they had a print. At this they
worked very happily ; but, before they
had finished it, a carriage drove to the
door.
" Who is it ? " said Frank and Mary,
looking out of the window.
. It was a lady whom they had
never before seen, who had but lately
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? 12
FRANK.
come to live in the vneighbourhood.
Upon the barouche seat of the car-
riage, by the side of the coachman,
there sat a little boy, who looked rather
taller and older than Frank. This boy
did not get down, though it rained. He
sat still, kicking his heels against the
foot-board, and playing with the coach-
man's whip, while the coachman held
an umbrella over his head.
After the lady had been a little while
in the room, Frank, watching for a time
when neither she nor his mother were talk-
ing, went to his motherland whispered,
" There is a little boy sitting on the
barouche seat of that carriage : it is rain-
ing very hard, mamma, shall I go and
ask him to come in? "
The lady heard what Frank whispered,
and she thanked him; but said her
son was so shy, that she often could not
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? FRANK.
13
prevail upon him to come into a room
where he expected to see strangers.
*. And besides," said she, " Tom is so
fond of being with the coachman and
the horses, and of having a whip in his
hand, making believe to drive, that I as-
sure you he would rather sit there in
the rain, from morning till night, than
do any thing else in the world; and,
as these are his holidays, I let him have
his own way, and do just what he
pleases. You know boys, ma'am, are
kept strictly enough at school with their
lessons and their masters. "
Soon afterwards the boy touched the
horses with the coachman's whip, which
made one of them start and rear; upon
wh,ich the lady, alarmed, ran to the win-
dow, beckoned to her son, and desired
him to get down, and come in immedi-
ately. Very unwillingly he obeyed.
vol. i. c
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? 14
FRANK.
He came into the room, looking asha-
med or sulky, and setting his back
against one side of the chimney-piece,
he scarcely answered any thing that
was said to him.
However, when something to eat was
brought into the room, he recovered
a little. Frank's mother desired him to
help the stranger to whatever he liked;
and Frank did so, without giving
him the trouble to say more than yes
or no. After they had finished eating,
the boy let Frank lead him away
to the bow-window, where Mary and
he had been playing; and Frank,
pointing to his little bricks, asked if he
had any such as those 1
" Not I," answered Tom ; " at school
we have other fish to fry. "
" Fish to fry ! " thought Mary, "what
can that mean ? "
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? FRANK.
15
" But in the holidays," said Frank,
" should not you like such bricks ? "
"Not I," said Tom, "they're baby
bricks, fit for girl's play. "
Frank, colouring a little, said, his
father thought they were very useful,
and he began to explain the uses that
could be made of them. But the boy,
knotting a whip which he held in his
hand, said he knew nothing of such
things, and he did not like them.
11 Perhaps you like prints," said
Mary, " here are some very pretty
prints in this port-folio; will you look
at them ? "
"No," Tom said, he thought prints
were great bores.
"Great bores! " repeated Mary.
" Yes, especially in the holidays,"
said Tom, " horrid bores. "
" What can he mean by horrid
bores," said Mary to Frank.
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? 16
FRANK.
" Hush ! my dear," said Frank.
" Not know what a bore means;
why what quizzes you would be thought
at school! "
Mary, ashamed to ask what was
meant by quizzes, of to confess that
she did not know, was silent for some
moments, but then said, " I shall never
go to school, I believe, but Frank will,
some time or other. "
" Do you like going to school ? "
said Frank to the boy.
" No," said Tom, " who does ? ':
"Why don't you like it? " said
Frank.
" I don't know," said Tom, turning
half away; "because I don't. "
Another silence: but Mary, who
was curious to hear more, asked Tom
how old he was when he first went to
school ?
" About nine years old," said Tom.
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? PRANK. 17
" And how old are you now? "
" I shall be eleven next October,"
said Tom.
" And Frank will be ten next July;"
said Mary, " and I suppose he will go
to school then. "
" Then let him take care he gets the
Latin grammar well first, or he'll get
finely flogged. "
Mary and Frank looked at each
other. Frank looked very serious, and
Mary rather dismal.
" How glad you must be when you
come home at the holidays! " said
Frank.
" Only I have no horse yet," said
Tom.
"Have you books at your home? "
said Frank.
"No," replied Tom, looking very
grave in his turn.
c3
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? 18 FRANK.
" Then," said Mary, " we can lend
you some of ours. "
She and Frank ran to their little
book-case, beckoning to him to follow;
but, as he did not stir, they brought
several of what they thought their most
entertaining books, and spread them on
the table before him, asking him if he
had read this, or that, and expressing
some surprise when he answered " No"
to every book they showed him, or of
which they read the title. After every
"No," Mary repeated -- " Not read
that! Frank has read that. " And
Frank always added, " We will lend it
to you, if you wish for it. " To which
Tom made no answer till a pile of
these offered volumes was built up op-
posite to him, and Mary prepared to
wrap them up for him, in brown pa-
per. He then looked frightened, and
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? FRANK.
19
pushing them from him, muttered,
" Thank you for nothing, said the gal-
lipot. "
Mary, with the brown paper half-
unrolled, and Frank, with the pack-
thread in his hand, stood surprised and
puzzled. Mary at last repeated the
words " said the gallipot. "
" There's no talking to you -- you
don't understand a word one says,"
said Tom; " but that's not surprising
for a girl; and boys that have never
been at school know no better. "
" Do you mean that you do not like
to have these books ? " said Frank.
" No, I have enough of books at
school," replied Tom.
"Then we will put ours by again,"
said Mary; and she did so.
"What do you read at school? "
asked Frank.
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? 20 FRANK.
" Latin," said Tom.
" What, Latin books ? " said Frank-
" I am in Virgil," said Tom.
Frank looked up at him with a re-
spectful air. " And what else ? " said
he, timidly.
" Virgil's enough," replied Tom; " I
read but one book at a time. "
" But what English books do you
read? '.
" English ! --our class don't read
English. We read nothing but Latin. "
" Do you read nothing but Latin,"
said Frank and Mary, looking at
him with a mixture of astonishment
and admiration; " nothing but La-
tin ! "
"And enough, and too much too,"
said Tom, " as you'll know," added he,
nodding at Frank, " next year, when
you go to school. "
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? FRANK.
21
Frank and Mary continued silent,
pondering upon this for some minutes.
Frank began to think again very se-
riously about school, and the Latin
grammar, and about reading nothing
but Latin. Mary was tired of the si-
lence of her two companions, and be-
gan to listen to what the lady and
Frank's mamma were saying. They
were talking of some new book, or story,
called " The Vampyre. "
"After all, ma'am," said the lady,
" what shocking stories they do tell of
those vampyre bats, sucking the blood of
people when they are asleep! But," add-
ed she, looking at Mary, and observing
that she was listening; " little pitchers
have long ears; one should not mention
such things before children. But that
little lady of yours need not be fright-
ened about the vampyre, as so many
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? 22 FRANK.
silly children have been by this tale,
beeause I am clear, you know, ma'am,
there's not any truth in these stories. "
" Yes, so I think," said Mary, look-
ing and speaking so composedly, that
the lady could not help smiling at her
" quiet decision," as she called it, and
added, " One would imagine she knew
a great deal about vampyre bats. What
do you know about them, my dear ? "
" I only know -- I know only
what Frank told me;--what you
read to me, Frank, in this book,"
said Mary, taking up one of the little
volumes which lay upon the table,
" Here it is -- I know the place --
I have it. Frank, will you read it? "
said she, putting the book into his
hand, and pointing to the passage.
Frank looked as if he waited to know
whether the lady wished to hear or not.
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? FRANK.
"Oh yes, pray do read it Master
Frank," said the lady; " I am sure I
shall like to hear it of all things. "
Frank began with the description of
this bat, and then read as follows: --
" ' In the autumn of 1810, I had for
a short time a living vampyre bat, of a
large size, from the East Indies ; and,
contrary to what has been asserted,
found it a most inoffensive, harmless,
entertaining creature ; it refused animal
food, but fed plentifully on succulent'
(or nourishing) ' fruits, preferring figs
and pears; it licked the hand that pre-
sented them, seeming delighted with
the caresses of the persons who fed it,
playing with them in the manner of a
young kitten: it was fond of white
wine, of which it took half a glass at
a time, lapping it like a cat. This
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? 24 FEANK.
had an evident effect on its spirits; it
then became extremely frolicsome and
diverting, but never once attempted to
bite. It slept suspended, with its head
downwards, wrapping its satin-like
wings round its body, in the form of
a mantle. I several times permitted
it to enclose the end of my finger in
its mouth, for the purpose of observing
if it would attempt to draw blood, but
not the slightest indication' (or sign)
' of such intention appeared; and I
have strong reason to doubt the stories
related so greatly to its disadvantage. '"
" Thank you, sir," said the lady,
when Frank finished reading. " A
charming anecdote, and charmingly
read. "
Mary looked delighted as the lady
said these words, but Frank looked
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? FRANK.
25
down and seemed ashamed: perhaps
he had some recollection of the flatter-
ing lady, who, when he was a very
little boy, had first praised him for his
reading, and laughed at him after-
wards.
** I am sure," continued the lady,
" I wish my Tom, there, could read half
a quarter as well; and he is, I dare say,
a year older than master Frank. Tom
stumbles at every word of four sylla-
bles, even in the common newspaper.
Really, ma'am, English reading, and
writing, and spelling, altogether, are
shamefully neglected at his school
here in the country: I must speak
about it. "
" If you speak ever so much,
mother," cried Tom, suddenly burst-
ing. out with a loud voice, "the masters
cannot do it now, because of getting
vol. i. n
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? 26 PRANK.
me on with Latin. English, and tkem
things, should be taught at home, they
say, before one goes to school, for
there's no time after, when one's get-
ting from form to form, and fitting for
Westminster or Eton; and then we
must get on to Oxford or Cambridge,"
added he, nodding his head and slash-
ing his whip.
Frank and Mary held their breath
from astonishment at this speech, and
at the manner in which it was spoken.
Tom's mother seemed a little ashamed
of the manner, and perhaps to turn off
attention from her son, she addressed
herself to Mary. " Pray, my dear
little lady," said she, " what is that
entertaining book, in which you found
that charming vampyre bat? " i '
Mary said she believed it was an
account of the curiosities in a museum.
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? FRANK.
The little book bad a long title, but
Frank could write it.
Frank wrote it, and took care to
spell every word rightly, and some
were rather difficult.
" The Catalogue of Bullock's Mu-
seum," said the lady, reading the title.
" Tom, you have seen Bullock's Mu-
seum. "
" Yes," said Tom, " and might have
got the catalogue at the door if I'd
wanted it. " .
" Oh, Frank! " cried Mary, " he has
seen Bullock's Museum. Do you think
he has seen the bird of Paradise, and
the beautiful little humming bird, which
feeds its young with honey from its own
tongue? "
" And the great snake, the boa,"
said Frank; " did you see the boai? "
To these and many other questions,
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? FRANK.
which Frank and Mary askedi as. it
must be owned, very rapidly, Tom
made no answer. He was quite dumb,
not even vouchsafing his usual mono-
syllables, yes or no. Frank and Mary
began to describe the animals for which
they inquired, but he turned away ab-
ruptly; . . " " . i . "
" I don't remember any thing about
it, but that we paid a shilling at the
door," said he; and he added, muttering,
as he went off to the window, " I wetttito
Bullock's for my diversion, and not to get
them by heart. I wonder when they'll
bring the carriage to the door;'' . if. . m
"Oh Tom! that is very silly--this
is quite rude," said his mother; " but
school-boys do grow such shy, strange
creatures sometimes; the masters at
those schools should pay more attention
to the manners. "
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? FRANK.
29
The lady endeavoured to make
amends for her son's rudeness, by her
admiration of Frank and Mary.