The Crofton Boys | Page 8

to help him to conquer his inattention, she advised him to say nothing to her, or to any one else, on the subject; but this need not prevent him from praying to God to give him strength to overcome his great fault.
"Oh, mother! mother!" cried Hugh, in an agony, "you give me up! What shall I do if you will not help me any more?"
His mother smiled, and told him he need not fear any such thing. It would be very cruel to leave off providing him with food and clothes, because it gave trouble to do so; and it would be far more cruel to abandon him to his faults, for such a reason. She would never cease to help him till they were cured: but, as all means yet tried had failed, she must plan some others; and meantime she did not wish him to become hardened to his faults, by talking about them every night, when there was no amendment during the day.
Though she spoke very kindly, and kissed him before she went away, Hugh felt that he was punished. He felt more unhappy than if his mother had told him all she thought of his idleness. Though his mother had told him to go to sleep, and blessed him, he could not help crying a little, and wishing that he was a Crofton boy. He supposed the Crofton boys all got their lessons done somehow, as a matter of course; and then they could go to sleep without any uncomfortable feelings or any tears.
In the morning all these thoughts were gone. He had something else to think about; for he had to play with Harry, and take care of him, while Susan swept and dusted the parlour: and Harry was bent upon going into the shop--a place where, according to the rule of the house, no child of the family was ever to set foot, till it was old enough to be trusted: nor to taste anything there, asked or unasked. There were some poisonous things in the shop, and some few nice syrups and gums; and no child could be safe and well there who could not let alone whatever might be left on the counter, or refuse any nice taste that a good-natured shopman might offer. Harry was, as yet, far too young; but, as often as the cook washed the floor-cloth in the passage, so that the inner shop door had to be opened, Master Harry was seized with an unconquerable desire to go and see the blue and red glass bowls which he was permitted to admire from the street, as he went out and came in from his walks. Mr. Proctor came down this morning as Hugh was catching Harry in the passage. He snatched up his boys, packed one under each arm, and ran with them into the yard, where he rolled Harry up in a new mat, which the cook was going to lay at the house-door.
"There!" said he. "Keep him fast, Hugh, till the passage-door is shut. What shall we do with the rogue when you are at Crofton, I wonder?"
"Why, papa! he will be big enough to take care of himself by that time."
"Bless me! I forgot again," exclaimed Mr. Proctor, as he made haste away into the shop.
Before long, Harry was safe under the attraction of his basin of bread and milk; and Hugh fell into a reverie at the breakfast-table, keeping his spoon suspended in his hand as he looked up at the windows, without seeing anything. Jane asked him twice to hand the butter before he heard.
"He is thinking how much four times seven is," observed Mr. Proctor: and Hugh started at the words.
"I tell you what, Hugh," continued his father; "if the Crofton people do not teach you how much four times seven is when you come within four weeks of next Christmas day, I shall give you up, and them too, for dunces all."
All the eyes round the table were fixed on Mr. Proctor in an instant.
"There now!" said he, "I have let the cat out of the bag. Look at Agnes!" and he pinched her crimson cheek.
Everybody then looked at Agnes, except Harry, who was busy looking for the cat which papa said had come out of mamma's work-bag. Agnes could not bear the gaze, and burst into tears.
"Agnes has taken more pains to keep the secret than her papa," said Mrs. Proctor. "The secret is, that Hugh is going to Crofton next month."
"Am I ten, then?" asked Hugh, in his hurry and surprise.
"Scarcely; since you were only eight and a quarter yesterday afternoon," replied his father.
"I will tell you all about it by-and-by, my dear," said his mother. Her glance towards Agnes made all the rest understand that they had