DICK AND THE DEACON.
THE next winter the teacher of the advanced school did not prove
satisfactory. Mrs. Stuart urged that Dick ought to be sent to an
Academy, where he could attend to the higher branches. Her husband
agreed with her; but where was the money to come from to pay his
expenses?
"It does seem best," the minister said one evening when they had
together asked God to lead them in the path of duty; "and if it is best
the means will be provided."
"I can wear my cloak another winter," said the mother, cheerfully.
"That will save ten dollars towards it."
Mr. Stuart rose and walked the room, his hands joined behind him as was
his habit when meditating. At last he said:
"By a little extra effort, I can finish a series of articles for our
religious paper. One of the Editors pressed me for them when I was in
the city."
"Dick is such a good boy and has done so much for us I want to give him
an education. That is all I expect to give my children."
In consequence of these plans, Richard was sent to an Academy in a
neighboring state where he remained a year. He boarded in the family
of a deacon, who had a large farm, but whose health did not permit
him to work upon it. He was often in the habit of hiring the young
men connected with the Academy to pick apples; husk corn, or do other
chores not interfering with their lessons.
The Deacon was very strict in his religious opinions. At home Richard
had always been in the habit of joining with the family in singing a
hymn at morning and evening devotions, and on Sabbath evening each one
selected his or her favorite hymn and tune, which were sung in turn.
Richard had a very fine treble voice, which had been carefully trained.
He greatly missed the singing at prayers, and suggested to his roommate
that they should sing on Sunday night in their chamber.
They commenced with the hymn:
"Jesus lover of my soul."
And then proceeded to another:
"Salvation, oh the joyful sound."
When they were interrupted by a loud voice at the foot of the stairs.
"Boys, boys! What are you doing up there?"
"We're singing the praises of God," answered Richard opening the door.
"Well, you must stop. I can't have any such noise in my house. It's
Sunday; and I'm not used to it."
After this unusual strictness, Richard looked of course for a
corresponding uprightness of character. Brought up as he had been,
and with his eyes wide open to what passed around him he noticed some
traits which in his opinion were not exactly consistent. For instance,
in the fall when the immense orchard was stripped of its apples, the
boy observed that there was one basket kept for measuring those to sell
and another to send to the store when there was any thing to be bought.
Soon alter the corn was gathered into immense heaps and carried into
the barn floor.
"Would you like the job of husking, Richard?" the deacon asked.
"Yes, sir. How much will you give a bushel?"
"The usual price is three cents."
"I'll do it, sir. I'll begin now. I have ten minutes before school."
"Score the number of bushels on the barn door," added the deacon.
Catching up the small basket, Dick ran to the barn, and filled it half
full of ears. When he came home he went to finish the bushel before
dinner. It was only by improving his odd minutes that he could do the
work without neglecting his lessons. He smiled when he saw that the
small basket had been taken away and a large one substituted.
He filled it and said nothing. Then he went on husking as fast as he
could, waiting for the dinner bell, throwing the ears into a pile. He
did the same after school at night,—until he had accumulated a good
many bushels. Then with, a curious smile, which his mother would have
well understood, he walked into the kitchen where the Deacon sat tipped
back in his chair, talking with a neighbor, and asked:
"Have you done with that bushel basket, sir? I want it to carry away my
corn."
"Why don't you use the one I put there?" inquired the Deacon, his face
growing red. "It's exactly the size of the other."
"Yes, sir, but 'tisn't half so handy to carry; besides it doesn't fill
up near so quick. You say, sir, they're exactly alike in measure; so I
suppose you'd just as lief I'd use one as the other."
Richard looked straight into the Deacon's eye; but there was a comical
smile playing around his mouth which told the other that his trick had
been discovered. He hemmed a little, before he answered:
"Certainly! certainly!" and then turned the subject at once. So Richard
husked two hundred bushels: of corn, and made, as nearly as he could
calculate, about two dollars by a change of baskets.
While in New Hampshire Dick sung regularly with the choir, as he had
done at home. He also took a class in Sunday school, though he would
have preferred being a pupil. But as there was a want of competent
teachers he reluctantly consented, if his mates would join him to act
as teacher, though it soon became by his management a class for mutual
instruction. The preparation for this exercise, aided as it was by
books from the Pastor's library, freely offered for the benefit of the
young men, was perhaps his favorite employment of the week. First he
read the passage with some commentary; then he looked out in the Bible
atlas, any place mentioned and found whatever he could in relation to
it; and last of all, he examined Robinson's researches in the holy land
in search of any thing in connection with the subject.
From the very first evening of his arrival, he had maintained the habit
of secret devotion in his room; a habit which his chum though not a
professor of religion always respected. Soon after his connection with
the school, he invited the boys to form a meeting for social worship.
For weeks six young men, all professors of religion, met in the Academy
out of school hours, and sung, and read, and prayed together. One day
Richard was on his way to the room when he overtook a gay youth, and
invited him to the meeting. Out of curiosity he consented, another and
another followed, until these were so many, that they adjourned to the
vestry by the advice of the Pastor, where he took charge of it.