Through the Fray | Page 3

boys; he had lost his leg at
the battle of Assaye, and had been obliged to leave the army, and
having but small means beyond his pension, had settled near the quiet
little Yorkshire town as a place where he could live more cheaply than
in more bustling localities. He had, when he first came, no
acquaintances whatever in the place, and therefore would not be given
to discuss with the parents of other boys the doings in the school. Not
that Mr. Hathorn was afraid of discussion, for he regarded his school as

almost perfect of its kind. Still it was his fixed opinion that discussion
was, as a general rule, unadvisable. Therefore, when Captain Sankey, a
few weeks after taking up his residence in the locality, made a proposal
to him that his son should attend his school as a home boarder, Mr.
Hathorn acceded to the proposition, stating frankly his objections, as a
rule, to boys of that class.
"I shall not interfere," Captain Sankey said. "Of course boys must be
thrashed, and provided that the punishment is not excessive, and that it
is justly administered, I have nothing to say against it. Boys must be
punished, and if you don't flog you have to confine them, and in my
opinion that is far worse for a boy's temper, spirit, and health."
So Ned Sankey went to Hathorn's, and was soon a great favorite there.
Just at first he was regarded as a disobliging fellow because he adhered
strictly to a stipulation which Mr. Hathorn had made, that he should not
bring things in from the town for his school fellows. Only once a week,
on the Saturday half holiday, were the boys allowed outside the bounds
of the wall round the playground, and although on Wednesday an old
woman was allowed to come into those precincts to sell fruit, cakes,
and sweets, many articles were wanted in the course of the week, and
the boys took it much amiss for a time that Ned refused to act as their
messenger; but he was firm in his refusals. His father had told him not
to do so, and his father's word was law to him; but when the boys saw
that in all other respects he was a thoroughly good fellow, they soon
forgave him what they considered his undue punctiliousness, and he
became a prime favorite in the school.
It is due to Mr. Hathorn to say that no fear of interference induced him
to mitigate his rule to thrash when he considered that punishment was
necessary, and that Ned received his full share of the general discipline.
He was never known to utter a cry under punishment, for he was, as his
school fellows said admiringly, as hard as nails; and he was, moreover,
of a dogged disposition which would have enabled him, when he had
once determined upon a thing, to carry it through even if it killed him.
Mr. Hathorn regarded this quality as obstinacy, the boys as iron
resolution; and while the former did his best to conquer what he
regarded as a fault, the boys encouraged by their admiration what they
viewed as a virtue.
At home Ned never spoke of his punishments; and if his father

observed a sudden movement which told of a hidden pain, and would
say cheerfully, "What! have you been getting it again, Ned?" the boy
would smile grimly and nod, but no complaint ever passed his lips.
There was no disgrace in being flogged--it was the natural lot of
schoolboys; why should he make a fuss about it? So he held his tongue.
But Mr. Hathorn was not altogether wrong. Ned Sankey was obstinate,
but though obstinate he was by no means sulky. When he made up his
mind to do a thing he did it, whether it was to be at the top of his class
in order to please his father, or to set his teeth like iron and let no sound
issue from them as Mr. Hathorn's cane descended on his back.
Ned Sankey was about fourteen years of age. He had a brother and a
sister, but between them and himself was a gap of four years, as some
sisters who had been born after him had died in infancy. Ned adored his
father, who was a most kind and genial man, and would have suffered
anything in silence rather than have caused him any troubles or
annoyance by complaining to him.
For his mother his feelings were altogether different. She was a kindly
and well intentioned woman, but weak and silly. On leaving school she
had gone out to join her father in India. Captain Sankey had sailed in
the same ship and, taken by her pretty face and helpless, dependent
manner,