No More Learning

What is this about a parrot? "
He turned over the book from one
thing to another, reading bits here and
there. " Oh, Mary ! look at these lines
On the receipt of my mother's picture. "
"But what is this in prose? " said
Mary, peeping between the leaves in
another place, while Frank read on
about my mother's picture.
"What is this, Frank, about three
hares; Puss, Tiney, and Bess? "
Frank turned to it, and began to read
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? FRANK.
67
it with great delight. He had just
come to the introduction of a hare to a
spaniel that had never seen a spaniel,
and of a spaniel to a hare that had
never seen a hare, when his mother re-
turned. She had come in on purpose
to hear him his lesson. But his head
was so full of the hares, the parrot, the
bullfinch, and " My Mother's Picture,"
that he could not get beyond the im-
perative mood. Ashamed, he took
back the book, which his mother re-
turned to him.
"What can you have been doing,
Frank, all this time ? " said she.
He told her what they had been
reading; and indeed had a great mind
to read the lines about " My Mother"
over again to her. He assured her,
that if she would only just let him
read them, it would put them out of
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FRANK.
his head, and then he should be able
to mind better his verb. She refused,
however, to listen to his reading, and
advised him to go away from these
books and from Mary, and to learn his
verb in his own room, where there was
nothing to distract his attention.
"No, mamma, I think I had better
learn it in the room with you, because
you know it is right to be able to do
things in the room with other people. "
" If you can, Frank," said his mother.
She desired Mary to go out. Mary
went out; and his mother sat down to
write a letter, telling Frank, that when
she had finished it she would hear his
lesson again. He looked it over, and,
in a feW minutes, his book came across
the paper on which she was writing.
" Be so good, mammai as to hear tne
now. "
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? FRANK.
" Frank, you cannot have learned it
well in this time. Look it over again ;
remember, this is the third and last time
of my hearing it for you. "
" Yes, ma'am, but I am sure I have
it perfectly. "
No such thing: he could not
recollect the future tense. He grew
very red ; he was much provoked with
himself and with his grammar. He
looked out of the window, to see
what Mary was doing. She was lin-
gering near the house, waiting for him.
Soon he knocked at the window, and
beckoned to her, and begged her to
come in and hear him his verb once
more. The future tense was right this
time; but he could not get through
the imperative mood without many
mistakes.
"Well, well, Mary," cried he, "that
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FRANK.
does not signify; I have it perfect all
but that, and I shall remember it, I am
sure, when I have been out and refreshed
my memory. "
" You had better look it over once
more," argued Mary.
His mother gave him the same ad-
vice.
" And I will stay and hear you
again," said Mary.
No; Frank now declared he was
sure that saying it over and over so'
often to his mother and Mary, only
puzzled him, and that he could not
learn it any better till after he had
been out. As Mary was also eager' tS
go to finish their bower, she did hot
urge her good advice farther, and 'ritft
they went.
"Now, my dear," said Frank, "1
will tell you my grand scheme, which
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? FRANK. 71
has been running in my head all morn-
ing. --We must remove your bower to
my Robinson Crusoe's island. "
Mary in vain objected, that it would
take a great deal of time to remove the
bower, and that she thought it was bet-
ter where it was, in her garden, than in
a desart island. Frank's heart was
fixed upon this scheme. He assured
her that it would soon be accomplished,
if she would help him, and work hard.
She helped him, and they worked hard ;
and in two hours' time, the branches
of hawthorn were dragged to Robinson
Crusoe's island. The new bower was
completed. Frank then returned to the
house, intending to look over his verb
again. But a new project occurred; he
must have Robinson Crusoe's parrot
in Robinson Crusoe's bower.
With some difficulty, and after a
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FRANK.
quarter of an hour spent in entreaty,
he prevailed on the housekeeper to lend
him her parrot, and to let him carry
Poll, in its cage, out to his desart
island. And when, after many times
changing its place, Poll was fixed in
the best situation in the bower, Frank
wanted to teach her to cry Robinson
Crusoe, while Poll would say nothing
but, " Good boy, Frank;" a phrase
which Frank had formerly taught her,
with the help of many lumps of sugar.
Many more were now spent in try-
ing to make her change " Good boy,
Frank" into " Robinson Crusoe"--in
vain.
" Poll will say it to-morrow, per-
haps," said Mary.
But Frank persisted, that she must
say it to-day, because it would surprise
papa and mamma, and delight them
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? FRANK.
73
so much when they came to drink tea
here, in Robinson Crusoe's island.
" There ! there ! " exclaimed Mary,
"did you hear that? "
" What? " said Frank.
" The dressing bell. "
" Impossible, my dear; it was only
a bell in your ears. "
Mary ran home to inquire whether
she was right or wrong, and presently
returned, with the assurance that she
was quite right. It was the dressing
bell; and she earnestly begged Frank
would come in now and look over his
lesson. >. i. tf. iO wVA. . o. . ;
"This instant; only let me stay till
Poll has said her lesson. She is just
going to say it, I know by the look of
her heady all on one side. "
> Poll sat mute; Frank presented his
last bit of sugar, and commanded her
VOL. I. H
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? 74 FRANK.
to say Robinson Crusoe, she answered
with her tiresome " Good boy, Frank. "
He suddenly withdrew the sugar, and
she, pursuing it with her beak, sharply
bit his finger. Provoked with the par-
rot, and not well pleased with himself,
he slowly followed Mary homewards.
He was longer than usual dressing, be-
cause the finger which Poll had bitten
was disabled, so that he could hardly
button his clothes ; and, when he came
to look over his verb, the pain dis-
tracted his attention--at least so Mary
supposed, for he could not say it when
she heard him.
" You always make the same mis-
take," said she. " You say essunt, in-
stead of essent. "
"Well, let me go on; you put me
out, Mary. Don't tell me next time
-- don't tell me. "
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? FRANK.
75
She did not tell him, and he could
not go on. He desired to be told.
And -- Oh, how hard it is to satisfy a
person, who is not satisfied with himself!
--he then declared he was just going to
have said it, if she had not told him;
and the next time she corrected a mis-
take, that he made in the participles,
he was sure she was wrong, and told
her so rather roughly.
" Nay, Frank, when I have the book
before my eyes: do you think I cannot
read? " said Mary.
He snatched the book from her hand,
and saw that he was wrong. He could
not go on: in a passion, he threw him-
self on the ground, and rolled on the
carpet, declaring he could not and
would not learn this horribly difficult
verb.
But at this instant the sound of
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FRANK.
horses' feet was heard. Frank started
up, forgot his passion and the parrot's
bite, seized the grammar, which he had
thrown far from him, and would have
given up parrot and arbour, and island
and all, for five minutes more time.
" Perhaps," thought he, " my father
may not hear me before dinner;"--but
his father's voice called--" Frank! "--
He went into his father's room, and
Mary waited in the passage; she was
afraid for him.
He staid much longer than usual.
At last, when he came out, Mary
saw by his face that something was
very much the matter.
" Oh," said she, " I knew the day
of disgrace would come. "
He passed by her quickly, and, sit-
ting down upon the stairs, burst out
crying--
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? FRANK. 77
' " Day of disgrace, indeed! Oh
Mary ! Mary ! my father is very -- very
--very much--"
Displeased was the word he could
not say, but Mary understood it too
well.
" What did he say, Frank, my
dear r"
" He said, that I am spoilt--that I
am grown idle and good for nothing :
and it is very true; -- and he will not
teach me any more. I am to go to
school directly, on Monday.
Oh,
Mary, to leave home in disgrace ! "
Frank sobbed, as if his heart would
break, and Mary stood quite silent.
The dinner bell rang, and it was ne-
cessary to go to dinner, and there was
to be that stranger gentleman. Frank
suddenly rubbed away his tears, and
Mary, standing on the step above him,
H3
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? 78 FRANK.
smoothed down his hair on his fore-
head. Frank took his place at table,
and, as he happened to sit with his
back to the light, his red eye-brows
were not much seen," and the stranger
did not immediately perceive that he
was in woe or disgrace.
" Young gentleman," said he, "you
shortened our ride this morning; and
I can tell you, there are very few fathers
who would shorten their morning's
ride for the sake of hearing their son's
Latin lesson. "
Frank, in much confusion, eat his
bread as fast as he could, without at-
tempting to speak.
" It is very well for boys," conti-
nued the gentleman, who was helping
the soup, and who had not yet attended
to Frank s countenance, " very happy
indeed, for boys who can be got through
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79
the Latin grammar without my assist-
ance. Perhaps you do not know that
my name is Birch"
Still there was silence. Frank could
not speak, but Mary answered for him,
"No, sir. "
"And perhaps," continued he, " you
are such happy children, that you do
not even know why the name of Birch
should make you tremble. "
The gentleman paused, for now for
the first time he observed Frank's coun-
tenance, and he saw that he was strug-
gling hard to prevent himself from cry-
ing. He was a good-natured man, and
immediately he changed the subject of
his conversation; and, no longer ad-
verting to Frank, talked to his father
and mother.
Colonel Birch, for that was the gen-
tleman's name, was an old friend of his
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FRANK.
father's; he had just returned from the
army oh* the Continent, and he told
many entertaining stories of the siege of
Badajos, and of the battle of Waterloo;
but nothing could entertain Frank. He
watched his father's countenance, and
scarcely heard or understood any thing
that was said, till Colonel Birch related
an anecdote of a dog he had with him,
who had saved his master's life when
he had been left, wounded and helpless,
lying among the dead after a battle.
Frank remembered just such another
story, and he began to tell it.
" Oh, papa, you know the dog" . . . .
But his father did not listen to him;
and Frank, recollecting that he was in
disgrace, stopped short, and, to hide
his confusion, leaned down upon the
Colonel's dog. The good creature
stood quite still, though Frank's arm
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81
round his neck was rather inconvenient
to him, and though he felt Frank's tears
falling upon his head.
Frank, as soon as he could recover
himself again sufficiently to let his face
appear above the tablecloth, began to
feed the dog with all that remained on
his plate. This, with good manage-
ment, was an employment that lasted
till dinner ended, and the very moment
after grace was said, Frank slid down
from his chair, and made his escape
out of the room, Mary following him
quickly.
She sat quite silent beside him for a
little while; but then, starting up, she
ran for his Latin grammar, and brought
it to him, as he sat with his hands
covering his face, and with his elbows
leaning on his knees--
" Frank! my dear Frank, sitting this
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FRANK.
way will do us no good," said Mary.
" Look up; had not you better learn it
now r
" No, my dear Mary, even that will
do us no good now. Papa will never
hear it again--he said so. "
" Did he . say so ? You must have
made a mistake. "
" No, Mary, it is too true. "
" Tell me the very words he said. "
" He said, ' Frank, I will never hear
you say that verb again. Frank, I
warned you, and now--' it is all over! "
Here Frank's voice failed.
" Well, do not tell me any more. I
am sorry I asked you," said Mary.
" What shall we do ? What can we
do? "
" Nothing can be done now," replied
Frank, resuming his former posture.
" Oh ! miserable May-day ! " said
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? FRANK.
83
Mary. " So happy too as we expected
to be this evening. And our arbour,
Frank! There," continued she, look-
ing out of the window, " there I see
papa and mamma, and the good-na-
tured man, and the dog and all, going
out to walk; and the birds singing so
happily, and the flowers so sweet and
gay; everybody and every thing happy
but ourselves ! "
" And 1 keep you here, poor Mary !
Oh! go out--run after them, and leave
me," said Frank.
But Mary would not leave him in his
day of disgrace.
At sun-set they went out to their
island, and to their bower, to bring
home poor Poll, who, as Frank recol-
lected, must be hungry, and should not
be left there to suffer for a fault of
his. Poll was sitting silent and mop-
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FRANK.
ing, but the moment she saw Frank,
she screamed out something like . " Ro-
binson ! Robinson Crusoe! "
" Ah! all in vain now ! "
The cage was lifted down from its
happy place, and the garlands- in the
bower were left to fade unseen. Poll
was carried home and restored to the
housekeeper.
" So soon! How is this, my dear
master Frank? " the good old house-
keeper began -- " What; running away
from me without a word ! What is the
reason of this ? "
Mary, turning back, shook her head
sorrowfully, and put her finger on her
lips. The good housekeeper was too
discreet to inquire farther; but, with-
out speaking, she made with her
tongue against the roof of her mouth
certain well-known sounds of sorrow,
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85
surprise, and commiseration. Then
following Frank and Mary, she called
after them to tell them that tea was
ready, and that their mother had asked
where they were.
It was dusk when they went into the
drawing-room, and Frank's father and
mother and Colonel Birch were so
eagerly engaged in conversation, that
their entrance at the green door was
unnoticed. They sat down at their
own little table, at the farthest end of
the room, and began to eat their bread
and milk, making no noise with jug,
cup, or plate. And in this their un-
usual silence at their end of the room,
Frank and Mary heard all that was
said at the other end. The conversa-
tion, as it was about themselves, was
interesting, though they did not under-
stand it all.
vol. i. r
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FRANK.
Colonel Birch was speaking when
they first came in, but what he said
was never known clearly. It was lost
during the getting upon their chairs,
and pouring out the milk. Their
mother's voice they heard distinctly,
though she sat with her back towards
them, and spoke in a very gentle
tone.
" I am convinced," said she, " that
going to a public school will be of use
to him; but I wish only that he should
be better prepared before he leaves
home. "
" My dear madam," replied Colonel
Birch, " take my word for it, he will
never learn the Latin grammar till he
goes to school, and if he do not learn
it early he will never know it well. *
I am, or at least I have been, half my
life a sad example of this truth. From
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? FRANK.
87
mistaken kindness of my poor mother,
God bless and forgive her, I was allowed
to be idle at home when I ought to
have been working at school: the end
of it was, that I never learned Latin at
home, was disgraced at college, lost
many opportunities of getting forward
in life, went into the army, because it
was the only profession I could go into;
thought I could do without Latin and
Greek; found I was mistaken; was
obliged to learn late what I would not
learn early -- in short, I cannot tell you
how much I have suffered, nor what
difficulty and toil it has been to me,
since I became a man, to make up
for what I might have been made to
learn with ease in the first ten or twelve
years of my life. Oh how often I have
wished that my Latin grammar had
been well flogged into me! "
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FRANK.
"But why flogged into you? " said
Frank's mother.
" Because, my dear madam, nothing
else you see will do. I was willing to
make an exception in favour of home
teaching, in the hands of my friend here;
but when he, even he, a father comme
ily en a pen, with a son comme il ny en
a point, confesses that he cannot get
through the conjugation of the verb to
be, without the aid of Birch, I say the
sooner you send the boy to school the
better. "
Frank and Mary were very sorry
they could not make out the meaning
of the French words in what Colonel
Birch had just said, but they went
on listening to what their father an-
swered.
" As to the Latin verb, that is but a
trifle in itself, and it appears to me of
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? FRANK.
89
little consequence whether Frank learn
the Latin grammar this year or next;
but it is of the greatest consequence to
my boy, that he should early learn
habits of attention and application. If
he have not resolution enough to ap-
ply to what is disagreeable as well
as to what is entertaining to him,
he will never be a great or good
man. "
" True," said Colonel Birch ; " and
many clever boys are spoiled for
want of their parents knowing this
truth. A man must work hard to be
any thing in this world. If a boy is
fondled and praised at home, and cried
up for every pretty thing he says and
does, he will never be able to go through
the rough of life afterwards, amongst
his fellows, either at school or in the
world. However, your boy, certainly,
i3
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