Louis School Days | Page 2

sense of the great responsibility dependent on me in
my present capacity, that this little effort has been made. Should it be
the instrument of strengthening in one young one the best lessons he
has received, it will, indeed, not have been in vain. To the service of
Him who is the strength and help of all His people, it is dedicated.

"Be Thou alone exalted: If there's a thought of favor placed on me--
THINE be it all! Forgive its evil and accept its good-- I cast it at Thy
feet."
E.J.M.
CHAPTER I.
Doleful were the accounts received from time to time of Louis
Mortimer's life with his tutor at Dashwood Rectory; and, if implicit
credence might be yielded to them, it would be supposed that no poor
mortal was ever so persecuted by Latin verses, early rising, and
difficult problems, as our hero. His eldest brother, to whom these
pathetic relations were made, failed not to stimulate him with exciting
passages of school life--and these, at last, had the desired effect,
drawing from Louis the following epistle:
"My dear Reginald,
"Your letter was as welcome as usual. You cannot imagine what a treat
it is to hear from you. Mr. Phillips is kind, but so very different from
dear Mr. Daunton. What I dislike most is, that he says so often, 'What
did Mr. Daunton teach you? I never saw a boy so ignorant in my life!' I
do not care how much he says of me, but I cannot bear to hear him
accuse dear Mr. Daunton of not teaching me properly. I believe I am
really idle often, but sometimes, when I try most, it seems to give least
satisfaction. The other day I was busy two hours at some Latin verses,
and I took so much pains with them--I had written an 'Ode to the Rising
Sun,' and felt quite interested, and thought Mr. Phillips would be
pleased; but when I took it to him, he just looked at it, and taking a pen
dashed out word after word, and said, so disagreeably, 'Shocking!
Shocking, Louis! Disgraceful, after all that I said yesterday--the pains
that I took with you,' 'Indeed, sir,' I said, 'I tried a great deal,' 'Fine ideas!
fine ideas! no doubt,' he said, 'but I have told you dozens of times that I
do not want ideas--I want feet.' I wish those same feet would run away
to Clifton with me, Reginald; I hope I have not been saying any thing
wrong about Mr. Phillips--I should be very sorry to do so, for he is very

kind in his way: he tells me I do not know what I am wishing for, and
that school will not suit me, and a great deal about my having to fag
much harder and getting into disgrace; but never mind, I should like to
make the experiment, for I shall be with you; and, dear as Dashwood is,
it is so dull without papa and mamma--I can hardly bear to go into the
Priory now they are away. I seem to want Freddy's baby-voice in the
nursery; and sober Neville and Mary are quite a part of home--how
long it seems since I saw them! Well, I hope I shall come to you at
Easter. Do you not wish it were here? I had a nice letter from mamma
yesterday--she was at Florence when she wrote, and is getting quite
strong, and so is little Mary. I have now no more time; mamma said
papa had written to you, or I would have told you all the news. I
wanted to tell you very much how our pigeons are, and the rabbits, and
Mary's hen, which I shall give in Mrs. Colthrop's care when I leave
Dashwood. But good bye, in a great hurry. With much love, I remain
your very affectionate brother,
"LOUIS FRANCIS MORTIMER.
"P.S. Do you remember cousin Vernon's laughing at our embrace at
Heronhurst? I wonder when I shall have another--I am longing so to see
you."
It would not concern my readers much were I to describe the precise
locality of the renowned Dr. Wilkinson's establishment for young
gentlemen--suffice it to say, that somewhere near Durdham Down,
within a short walk of Clifton, stood Ashfield House, a large rambling
building, part of which looked gray and timeworn when compared with
the modern school-room, and sundry dormitories, that had been added
at different periods as the school grew out of its original domains.
Attached to the house was a considerable extent of park land, which
was constituted the general play-ground.
At the time of which I am writing, Dr. Wilkinson's school consisted of
nearly eighty pupils, all of whom were boarders, and who were sent
from different parts of the kingdom; for