No More Learning

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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? FRANK.
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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? 82
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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? 84
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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? FRANK.
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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? 86
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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? 88
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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? 90 FRANK.
is not spoiled yet; he does not seem to
me at all conceited. "
" I am afraid, that Frank," said his
mother, " has lately become a little
vain. "
" Not a little vain, not a little," said
his father.
" Mary," said Frank, in a low voice
across their supper table, " papa does
not know that I am here. Do you
think I ought to go out of the room 1"
" No, my dear, why should you ?
Papa would say the same if he knew
you were here. "
During this interruption, part of the
conversation at the tea-table was lost;
but when Frank's conscience again
permitted him to attend, he heard his
father say --
" It was very well while Frank was
a little child to indulge him in reading
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? FRANK.
9J
only entertaining things, to give him a
taste for literature. This point is
gained; Frank has more knowledge
than boys usually have at his age, and
is, I confess, a very promising, clever
boy. "
" Father," cried Frank, coming for-
ward, " I believe you do not know
that I am here? "
" An honest boy is here," said his
father, putting his hand upon Frank's
head ; " and we will not spoil him. "
" No, it would be a sin such a boy
should be spoiled," said Colonel Birch,
stroking Franks head.
Frank slipped from under his hand,
and ran out of the room. Mary would
have followed him, but he shut the
green door too quickly, and bolted it
on the other side.
In a quarter of an hour he re-ap-
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? 92
FRANK.
peared, with his Latin grammar in one
hand, and a lighted bougie in the other;
and marching up to Colonel Birch,
with a firm step, and head erect --
" Colonel Birch," said he, " will you
be so good as to hear me say this
lesson; and will you be so kind as to
come with me into another room, be-
cause my father said, that he would
never hear me say this verb again. "
Colonel Birch complied with his re-
quest, and returning presently reported,
that Frank had gone through the verb
without missing one word.
Mary clapped
her hands: and Frank's father was
pleased at seeing that he had conquered
this the first difficulty he had ever had.
"I think, papa," resumed Frank,
who now felt that he might again join
in the conversation, " I think, papa,
that a great deal of what you said about
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? FRANK.
93
me is quite true, especially what you
said about my idleness ; and I dare say
it will be best that I should go to school;
but, papa, do not send me away from
home in disgrace. Let me try a little
longer at home, as mamma said, till I
am better prepared. You shall see,
that now I can do what is ever so
disagreeable to me; and I will get
through the Latin grammar, now I am
convinced it is so necessary. "
" I thought, Frank, that you were
convinced before. How shall I be
secure," said his father, " that you
have more resolution now than you had
the last time I made the trial ? "
" I was thinking of that, papa," said
Frank, " and I will tell you how I will
make sure of myself. Mary, here is the
key of our book-case; I have put all
our entertaining books in it; and I will
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? 94
FRANK.
never read any of them, I will never
open that book-case, till I have said
my lesson for the day, and learned the
next days lesson too, till mamma says
I have it perfectly; and if I should af-
terwards miss saying it well to you, papa,
I will not read any entertaining book
that day; not even Robinson Crusoe,
which I long to finish; and I will never
go out to play with Mary till I have
my lesson; and I will never speak to
her while I am learning it. Now,
papa, you shall see I know how to
punish myself, and how to manage
myself, if you will but let me try. "
His father consented.
" You shall make trial of yourself,
Frank, for one week longer," said he,
" and, if you keep your resolution, and
say your lesson rightly every day that
week, I will allow you another week's
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? FRANI^. 95
trial, and so on till the time comes,
which I had originally fixed for send-
ing you to school. "
Frank joyfully thanked his father.
And we have the pleasure to assure all
those, who are interested about him,
that during this week and the next,
and the next, and the next, he steadily
kept his resolution; and at the end of
a month his father was so well satisfied,
that he said, " He had no longer any
fear that his son should be sent to
school in disgrace. He rejoiced that
Frank had so far acquired the habit of
application, and the power of doing
that which is necessary to be done,
even though it be a little difficult or
disagreeable. "
Colonel Birch, who spent this sum-
mer in the neighbourhood, was pleased
with Frank's resolution.
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? 96
FRANK.
" I acknowledge," said be, one day,
" this is better, madam, than having
the Latin grammar flogged into him.
A boy, who has acquired this power
over himself, may turn it to whatever
he pleases to learn; and he will, I do
believe, get on without Dr. Birch. " \
" I hope you see," said Frank, turn-
ing to his mother, " that you did not
quite spoil me, mamma. "
"After all," said Mary, "that one
day's disgrace of ours has turned
out happily for us, Oh! my dear
Frank," cried she, changing her tone,
" look what comes here ! "
It was a bright black horse, with a
long tail, just such a horse as Frank
had wished to possess.
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? FRANK. 97
" Now Frank," said his father, "that
I see you can apply to what it is
disagreeable to you to do, I will
assist you in what I know will be
agreeable to you. I will teach you to
ride. " -
Frank clapped his hands. " Happy !
happy ! " cried he. .
" Every day that your Latin les-
son is well said," continued his
father, " I will give you a lesson in
riding. "
" Thank you, thank you, papa, and
I will call my horse Felix. "
" Gently, Frank, I am not. yet sure
that I shall buy this horse for you; he
is to be left with me for a month on
trial, and we shall see whether he is too
spirited for you, or you too spirited for
him. "
" What a pretty creature he is," said
VOL. I. K
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? 98 FRANK.
Mary. " I hope he will not be too
spirited for Frank. "
" I hope I shall be too spirited for
him," said Frank. " May I get upon
him now, papa? "
" No, my dear; you must begin with
the old pony your brothers used to
ride. "
His mother observed, that Frank
was, she thought, so young, that he
was scarcely yet strong enough to
manage even the old pony; or, as
Frank would call it, the tame pony.
" But it is not strength that always
wins, mamma," said Frank; " as our
copybook says, ' Wisdom doth strength
excel. '"
" You are wisdom itself, no doubt,"
answered his mother, smiling. " But,"
continued she, addressing herself to his
father, " I remember that my brother,
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? FRANK.
99
who rides very well now he is a man,
never was upon a horse till he was
almost twice as old as Frank. My
father used to be afraid of his acquiring
too strong a taste for riding, and of his
wanting to go out scampering, as he
said, and fox hunting, with all the young
and old idlers of the country. He
thought that teaching a boy to ride, when
he is very young, usually leads him into
mischief. Is it necessary that Frank
should ride so very early? "
"It is not necessary--not essen-
tial," replied his father; "but I think
it will be useful to Frank, who has not
now the advantage of being with his
brothers, or with any other boys with
whom he might learn those exercises
that make boys active and courageous;
when he goes to school, and mixes
with companions of his own age, he
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? 100 FRANK.
should be equal to them in body
as well as in mind. Boys, who have
been carefully brought up at home,
have often something effeminate or
precise about them; perhaps they do
not know how to leap, or to run, or to
ride; for this they are laughed at by
their school-fellows, and they often get
into mischief, merely to show that they
are manly. Many a one has turned
out a mere fox-hunter, because he was
not allowed to ride when he was a boy,
and because he was laughed at by his
companions for being subject to some
prohibition against horses. Frank's first
pleasure in riding shall be with his father,
and not with some vulgar groom or
gamekeeper. Then as he grows older
he will feel the advantage of having
acquired a good seat early upon a horse.
And he will not be liable to be either
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? FRANK.
101
ridiculed or flattered about his riding.
He will enjoy the real pleasure, I hope,
as much as I do; but he will not over-
value the accomplishment, or think it
necessary to leap seven-barred gates
every day of his life, to prove that he
is a man, or that he is what boys call
manly. "
Frank, who had been patting and
stroking the black horse all the time
his father had been speaking, looked
anxiously at his mother, to see whether
she was convinced; and though he did
not hear what she answered, he knew
by her countenance, that she was quite
satisfied, and so was he.
The old pony was now ordered out,
and Frank was mounted upon him,
and the reins were put into his hands.
Frank's father led him about, and he liked
it very much; but the next day he was
k3
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? 102
FRANK.
to go by himself; and, before he had
gone an hundred yards, he was thrown
off, or rather he slipped off. He was
not hurt, but he was frightened, and
seemed rather unwilling to mount the
pony again.
" Up again, my boy," said his father.
Frank scrambled up again upon the
pony, and rode two or three times
round the field with his fatherr much
to his own delight and to Mary's, who
stood watching him. After he had
learned to sit tolerably well in walk,
trot, and canter, his father put him upon
the pony without a saddle, with only
a piece of cloth tied round the horse,
and without stirrups. And now he was
to sit him while the horse was rung.
That is, while a man held the horse
by a long bridle, and made him go
round and round in a circle; at first
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? FRANK.
103
slow, then faster and faster, then as fast
as he could go.
The first day at the ring, Frank
was off and up again continually; but,
by degrees, he conquered this dif-
ficulty ; and he soon sat so well in the
ring, that he allowed Mary to come
and look at him.
At first she used to hide her face in
her hands, and would call to the man
to beg of him not to make the horse go
so fast. But Frank laughed, for he
could now laugh on horseback, and
he felt that habit had made that easy
to him, which had appeared alarming
at first.
And now he was ambitious to mount
the little black horse.
" Mary, now you may run to the
window; Felix is brought out; I am
just going to try him," said Frank.
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? 104
FRANK.
Frank got up, but scarcely was he
in his saddle set, when Mary, too has-
tily opening the window, the horse
gave a little start. Frank, frightened,
pulled, by mistake, the curb rein
very tight: immediately the horse rear-
ed, and Frank slipped off behind.
Mary foolishly screamed, and the
horse set out, on full gallop, across
the lawn.
Frank stood upon his legs again un-
hurt, but looking rather embarrassed.
Mary was exceedingly sorry for what
she had done. She was warned, that
she must never open a window sud-
denly when anybody on horseback is
near it. And she was blamed for her
want of presence of mind in scream-
ing, which Frank's father told her was
the most foolish thing she could pos-
sibly do in any danger. His father
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? FRANK.
105
observed, that if Frank would have -
waited a minute to listen to his instruc-
tions about the bridles, when first he
mounted the horse, he would probably
not have made the mistake which
caused the accident.
" But," said he, " upon the whole,
I am glad it has happened, because 1
now see that the horse did not kick
when you were upon the ground, and
I shall have confidence in him for the
future. "
Frank's confidence in Felix, how-
ever, seemed a little diminished; and
when the servant, who had now caught
the horse, brought him to the door,
Frank looked doubtfully at him. Mary,
who was standing on the steps, ex-
claimed --
"Oh, papa, do not let Frank get
upon that horse again, pray! pray!
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