No More Learning

Some days afterwards, FrarS^heaM
&ftfcw and true anecdote of the c6urfcg%
*f a boy. It was told W'hrmHy'HKe
ltotfrW of the boy, and it hatd UMf
"happened, so that every' parti^IaiK was
fresh ih her recollection. ttis father was
one day walking in a field, where a'bWll
was grazing; the bull, he thought, was
tfttfte tame, and he had ofteto been
fcecustbtried to carets him. This day,
gentleman saw the bull following
ttW/W^ thought in play r Bttt^lfe
? 4& &^a*? ? %>me^ne took tfp^&ift
"flFgfetatf' an* thr^w iHt the buff to
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? FRANK. 4f|
^peJtep ; *#i tbeb^fpiii^dq
il^s genflpraaij threw anol^r ^fu^d
}afger soc}, but still the bull foljbwffid,
gn/J came. . . <juffe cjose behind hifflj
T^e, genfj^nan. took hold of his horn
to turn. him ^side ; but the bqll, instead
of giving way, tried to toss him up in
t&g^ajjr. ,. , The gentleman, however,
^19. was a very strong, large man, kept
$rm hold of the horn, and walked on
f? Mi MPX^ manner, ithpv^uj^
bMhd>>Am4 keeping dowjii^
mm^li^. ^1^ tort nstft^r i/te^s
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? ther stir nor speak: at this instant,
bjs son, iwbo was about nine years
old, playing before the door; looked
up and saw his father struggling
with the bull. Never thinking ofnth*
danger for himself, he ran . to hire. :
mean time, his father's strength being
exhausted, he gave up his hold o? . *ihe
animal, and ran towards a tree to shelter
bim^elf. from. him hibutK^^t. mub$
fti^h^USt ft 'hiflfc w^>iftae htm
i^y^ against hjs wateh, which sfcved
j^aafpf time. y%t $h;e foujl rbM
iSe^me^l just meditating another thrust,
$he^flison- came up. The boy/bad
. flft! iflUfOSrfi^d deface, bap^t^ itt>
^? fe-t BP&im to throwi ati;thei bulk
^o|ieq#9fttck4l ifrom . . hi^. ihea^. iibis
leather-cap, and threw it with such
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? ^0e>>nfci<<ijfitB<<. JlBi%ft &e Btifi 'fdk
mbts fta*<<ey<<0&i Be'stc^d^^a^
fa&fc&r timkt : the Animal, frigh ued,
jwigdi. 8iMe? ^iThe ddgs came up. the
<<^ni followed, the bull was driven
away, dnd the father's life was-thus
saved by the courage and presence of
wtlPifedf illked this raoreGittitefIliflfe
*iul# eltpfcs^ he stood quite^^S! ! ^
fts^adtth-ation. Some one suggested,
. ftaHfl perhaps? ti&lbtiy W^dt awSfffc
fotiL ? tie stc%, '^e'wat
Wire he was itilly^aWlire,W the time,
Wtiit da*gte-r,. which'she' thdught was
iprovfed by' hbiue<<tfWft)i)r0'afterwards.
'He was so exhausted by^^feSJSrtioW,
ibtf by^h^t#re^he1h8a'4&e fdFtffc
^heti ien^ld^^lp 94u^tlV
rioua dtiw Jr waidl bm^ $J33-Iarfteai
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? lV4 MAtffc.
88? wto1^fi^fterWardsi m**(R)*
tinuaUy wakened, crying,1an* sayifig,
that he saw the bull before him, gfcfaig
to toss his father: '; '" noiialm adT
This last part of the sto? f <<F? anS? &a
not quite approve;! he looked ashamed
of the boy's crying; and sftfti/^hk^^
thought in his place he should tifeV**
have cried when it was all-*>vie? ^ he
should have rejoiced, and' shouldi! ha**
been too happy, and, 'perhap^ifgg
proud of himself to cry': noma o<< raid
Frank's mother, however,' ''assail
him, that he'could not tefl; beforehand*
what his own feelings might be in sueH
a new situa! ftoti. Frank was glad? &
hear his rtibtner '"&ay W&f aiS* 4i>>
agreed ,wiitlli11ie. r,"lthat it w*s' ^certainty
a pr^^1frn^'flie^bdy^wai i*br
of%m msiiaoM'^? &w'ti#
"*dJ<<1 rifod babnoit? oHw . 0003103 aHT
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? $BM? vmid 9iotad (fud oih wsa srf taift
The relation of this, iapfi. . pf inpp^i
fothes. iWStances of courage, . an^j. pre-
sence of mind in young people, assisted
Frank in forming his judgment on the
Wto>>**h. . oi"i oil l ii ,J? . t;. uIi
, Among the various instances, . whicjj
^. 'fth^ . course of a few dayft0,hjs
<<kother found for him,. npn^OJs1j^? |
him so much as the accQunt^c^tfye
behaviour of a father and sop^^no
wefle. ; . both dangerously. wpuuded, ina^
same < time, on bpard^ th^j^np^e
ship,, in an? vengagement . $ii&ea. v/. Jhg
son was a*e>>y young. m^p, igftab^gg
sixteen year* . pld j'belq^i^ b%gxv
body who knew him,? eer^ltyj${jng
admiral oa. boari. wh^ shjp h^ri wa^
The surgeon, who attended both father
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? FBANKi
^i|d "Aon? agave tie/folloroipgi heowwkt ad
thei ieii-Qfamtaitees,. ! which vFraak'4 fad
tker bega>>. ;t(C)-i rtfed! ton Mraqvbat iwhtah
lie said, if she pleased, be 'would . ratker
finish to himself. ' ' -'il 'iol iud tnwo
;, " When admiral Watson hickntW
unhappiness tp see both father ahdisDB
fall in the same instant, . /foeK imrae+
diately went up ito( <them,,fi[nd/llbyi/tbi
most tender and pathetic expressed
fcried to alleviate thejr distoess,iwi5ili
captain, who h&du ob^esyed ihisirfeapfe
leg toi ib^/ha^iingn<<nJy &f thfenskam,
#aid tQ,tbe admiral, ' Indeed^iJsirprtkiB
wa^,. a c^neioshofe to. . kn<<iCk. . dQwniJqjith
&h,e; father andiithe$tm ! ''kuoihnloa &d
ion" Mr-ia^tsW? 's hewfe wai tae^ftU
t0! m. alped tfeea less* iceply; he ifqnly
(C)Bdered ithera ifeptk tftibfei immediately
S&ftie$ nfyi^hej fiurigepn*i, i Jhterreaptaih
vvas fij^nfeflWg^^WQ t9i<<Hs^ihentoM
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? FRANK.
177
aae how dangerously his poor Willy
had been wounded. Presently after,
the brave youth himself appeared; his
eyes overflowing with tears, not for his
own, but for his father's fate. I la-
boured to assure him, that his father's
wound was not dangerous, and this
assertion Was confirmed by the captain
himself. He seemed not to believe
either of TiSj until he asked me upon my
hbtiour+ and I had repeated to him
my first assurance, in the most positive
manner. He then. immediately be-
came calm; but on my attempting to
^inquire into the condition of his wound,
he solicitously asked mey^ lfi11 had
dressed his father, for he could not
think of my touching him, before his
father's wound had been taken care of.
I assured him, that the captain had
been already properly -attended to:
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? 178 FRANK.
' Then,' replied the generous . ypu%
pointing to a fellow sufferer, ' pray*^
look to and dress this poor man, whci
is groaning so sadly beside nie l'. J
told him, that he already had b^ep
taken care of, and begged of hin>f, fi^fo
some importunity, that I might now
have liberty to examine his wound. ;
he submitted to it, and calmly oh?
served, ' Sir, I fear you must ampu-
tate above the joint:' I replied,]Vfy(
dear, I must! ' Upon which he clasp^l
both his hands together, and lifting lus
eyes in the most devout and fervent
manner towards heaven, he offered
the following short, but earnest. . pe^t
tion: ' Good God! do thou enabh^njg
to behave in my present circums^apcfcs
worthy my father's son. '. . ^ ^#mo
" When he had ended this iejaciila^
hS, ^. ^i^rMrf^
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? FRANK. 179
aR 'Wbmissidn; I then performed the
operation above the joint of the knee ;
but, during the whole time, the intrepid
youth never spoke a word, or uttered
a groan, that could be heard at a yard
distance.
" ' '
K You may imagine, what in this
interval the captain felt, who lay just
by his darling son; but whatever were
If! &1if|jelings, there was no expression
tbein, but silent trickling tears.
The' bare recollection of this scene,
even at this distant time, is too painful
for me.
" The son remained with me at the
hospital: the father was lodged at the
house of a friend. For the first eight
or nine days I gave the father great
comfort, by carrying him joyful tidings
iff*'his1 boy; and in the same manner
I' gratified the son with regard to the
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? 180 FKANK.
father. But, alas! from that time all
the good symptoms, which had hither-
to attended this unparalleled youth, be-
gan to disappear ! The captain easily
guessed, by my silence and counte-
nance, the true state his boy was in;
nor did he ever ask me more than two
questions concerning him; so tender
was the subject to us both, and so
unwilling was his generous mind to
add to my distress. The first was, on
the tenth day, in these words: ? How
long, my friend, do you think my
Billy may remain in a state of uncer-
tainty ;' I replied, that if he lived to
the fifteenth day after the operation
there would be the strongest hopes of
his recovery! On the thirteenth, how-
ever, he died; and on the sixteenth,
the brave man, looking me stedfastly
in the face, said, ' Well, sir, how fares
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? FRANJt.
18)
Ife litfei w&wfr hm^^^m
iia. ireply4. iand he immediately attri. .
byte^|? m? silence fp. the real cause.
ffe^ifid^ifierly, squeezed me by the
hp)4, and. pegged me to leave him for
me again; and assured me, that I
should find him with a different coun-
tenance. I punctually complied with
his desire; and when I returned to
fcjm . he appeared perfectly calm and
** >>. * i i** i . *i * * *
to eaq' 'I 5 ~TT~iT~T; i . ! <<
^fiPili. Frank's " day of dangers,"
aff^ary called it, he had many rides
$$|\ hjs father, without any dangers or
resigned. "
VOL. I.
R
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? 182 FRANK.
difficulties; but though he had no
adventures, he generally saw or heard
something, with which he entertained
Mary at his return.
One day, in autumn, as he was
riding with his father near the banks
of a river, he saw, in some low marshy
ground, a large plantation of tall thin
trees: Frank asked his father, why
people planted such ugly thin trees,
or rather switches. (t1,,
Because, answered his father, ugly
as they are, they are very useful; those
switches, as you call them, are sallows,
or osiers, and a plantation of them is
called an osiery.
While they stopped to look at it,
a man came from the osiery, with a
bill hook and a large iron hoop in his
hand. Frank saw that this man was
the gardener, whom he used to call the
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? FRANK.
183
gardener of the green gate. This gar-
dener smiled, and was glad to see
Frank; his liking for him had not
only lasted, but had increased; be-
cause Frank had continued to take care
not to be troublesome, and whenever
he went to see his garden was eager
to observe, and to learn, what was
going forward. The gardener now
had with him some boys, who were
cutting long twigs of osiers, and laying
them in heaps. Some of these were
very thin, some thicker; and they had
different coloured barks. The gar-
dener told Frank, that some were to be
used for making large coarse baskets,
others for smaller and finer baskets,
some for making hurdles, and others,
which were very slight and pliant,
were serviceable to him for tying
branches of fruit trees. Of all these
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? 184 FRANK.
and many more uses for willows, which
the gardener mentioned, the making
of baskets most interested Frank: he
should like very much, he said, to see
how they were made. The gardener
told him, that he had a son who was
expert in basket making; that the boy
was now at work in a field near his
house, by which they would pass in
their road home; and that if they could
call on him, the boy could easily show
Frank how to . set about the work.
Frank gladly accepted this offer, and
the gardener, who was going home,
took a short way across the fields, so
that he arrived before Frank and his
father.
They saw the boy at work in a new
mown meadow; they alighted, and
went to him. He began a new basket,
to show them the work from the ber
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? FKANK. 185
ginning. He stuck a number of sallows
in a circle, at equal distances, in the
grass : the circle was the size which he
wished the basket to be. He then began
to weave other sallows between these, in
a manner which Frank easily learned
to imitate; and the boy shewed him
how the bottom of the basket was
made firm, and how the top and the
handle were finished.
While Frank was at work, the gar-
dener went with his father to see hisi
nursery.
" You see, papa," said Frank to his
father, as he returned with the gar-
dener, and as he showed him the basket,
of which he had made the greater part
himself; " you see, that I shall not be
tmr idle gentleman, but the basket-
maker; and if ever I am cast away
* upon a desert island, I shall make
a3
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? 186 FRANK.
b$au? j#4 . cjQjqns for the kingdioCstfefe
them. " . booub
gardener smiled, iand. 80idffl'b. is
900, who had read, in SandfowJjflwdi
Merton, the story of the basket-maker
to which Frank alluded. The gar-
dener, who was an intelligent ScotehH
man, observed, " that it would scarcely
be worth any one's while to learn bas-
ket making, merely for the chance of
being called upon to make crowns for
kings of the savages. " - ,i r-i. , [ijitusq.
0if'. Bttt," continued he, "ii%bm adt
bad thing for a young gentleman, iwjjei
is^not obliged to live by ffoohworkiOf'
his hands, to learn the use of his hands,
as I may call it. Even the koqwiflg/
such a simple thing as how to make
a . i? iaskiet, may be of service toobiro
ait. ,some. odd itime a* life. ' Ini these
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? ****** 187
d^s? othf#8^isaib 1sto#Hg? tt wft* the
tix&m gettlleteaW tiofti k>>fy'%e. re-
duced.
eiri'JBfatofcofew . years agO^'Yefciember
i^bfet^btff&o^French, oftitbe'ia'ighest
qnalityy *tidi who :had bad'tthe finest
fortunes'in their own country, when
thley were banished from France, and
their'fortunes taken from them', were
supported by the work of their owni
hands, or that of their servants1. inOfK*
old count and countess, I recollefctnitt'
particular, were kept from starviftg-by*
thfe industry of a servant boyi,''who
had formerly been in their faraify^afofd*
who1' understood basket makihg,'uttnd'
worked with 1 th& iibaSk4tii'nftlke1<i ttti
whom I sold my osiers1. ' Ii'used. Jto We
hife'ifrequently: and the'ittle colint,
a'11boy,' 'nbt' above 1master iFrank's
agei,! iihad the sense to leariV'tooy and
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? 188 FRANK.
worked hard for his father and mo-
ther. "
" And this did really happen," said
Frank; " and but a few years ago!
I am afraid that I should not be able
to do any thing for my father and
mother, if they were reduced to
want. "
" But it was not those who laboured
by their hands, only, that could do
the most for themselves or their friends.
Some of them could do what 1 call
head work, some spoke and wrote their
own language, and had learned their
French grammar; and they earned
bread for themselves and their families,
by teaching French grammatically.
Others, who knew music and dancing,
if they knew even those things well,
could earn their bread. But I did not
think so much of them, being not such
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? FRANK.
189
manly trades. But gentlemen, when
in distress, must make the most of the
little they know. I had great respect
for a poor French nobleman's son, who
turned drawing-master, and was obliged
to work hard, to my knowledge, to
learn perspective, before he could get
himself employed in a school in our
neighbourhood. He did succeed at
last, and right glad he was, and we
were for him; for he had two sisters
and an old mother, who had no other
means of living, but what he earned.
They had sold all, and were come to
the last distress. They were lodged
in a garret in Litchfield, at the house
of an uncle of mine: that is the reason
I know so much about them. I often
caught a glimpse of one or other of.
them on the stairs, when they came
out to peep if their brother was
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? 190
FRANK.
coming up. And what joy I've seen
in their faces when it was he! And
what disappointment when it was
only me! Oh, he was a good and
hard-working young man and gentle-
man! "
" How happy he must have been
to be able to do this for his sisters and
mother ! " repeated Frank.
" And for himself, or he must have
starved," said the gardener. " And
starving is no joke, when it comes to
the pinch. However, as you have
never felt that pinch, this notion can-
not touch you much, master Frank,"
added the gardener, laughing.
" Do you know any more stories
of these poor French people? " said
Frank : " I should like to hear more. "
The gardener said, that he had heard
hundreds of stories of them; but that
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