"We were late because I had a header, and that's the reason I don't like
to come to the table: I've got a lot of court-plaster on my head."
Mr. and Mrs. Le Bras immediately rose from the table, and went into the
sitting-room to examine into the extent of Felix's injuries; but when he
told them he felt pretty well, and had no objection to eating dinner
except concern for his personal appearance, their minds were much
relieved. His aunt bound a handkerchief over the wound; and his uncle
led him out, and seated him in his usual place, beside Johnny.
"Johnny must entertain us with an account of your adventures," said Mr.
Le Bras; "but you had better keep pretty still yourself, this afternoon,
Felix."
Felix kept quiet while Johnny was telling the story, but more because
Pierre was present, and he was quite busy observing this new member of
the family, than from any disinclination to talk. He was a little
afraid, too, that his uncle might be displeased with his trying to cheat
Johnny about the blindfolding. Johnny did not refer to that deception,
however. But when Mr. Le Bras said, "How could you do such a foolish
thing, as to attempt riding with a bandage over your eyes?" Felix
stated exactly how it was, rather than have it supposed he was so very
foolish as appeared.
"Very well: I will not say any thing about the deceptive part of the
performance," said Mr. Le Bras; "when one has had the kind of lesson you
have, words don't add much to it. But it seems a very astonishing good
fortune that there were no bones broken, and no worse bruises or
wounds."
"I think that was on account of the bushes," replied Johnny; "he fell
right into a whole lot of stout bushes: but there happened to be quite a
high stone, and so his head hit against it."
"I hadn't but just got over my lame ankle," said Felix, "and now I was
awfully afraid I should be laid up again. But I don't feel badly at
all: I guess I'll go up to the carpet-mill with you this afternoon,
Johnny."
"No, young man," replied his uncle: "no more bicycling for you to-day.
Amuse yourself around home this afternoon, and we will see how you feel
to-morrow. In fact, I shall veto more than half a day's riding at a
time, either on your part or Johnny's; that is enough for any boy; and
always take the cool of the morning for it too."
Felix would have liked to remonstrate, but there was a decision about
his uncle's manner which prevented his objecting at that time.
*CHAPTER VII.*
*PIERRE'S STORY.*
The evening reading had continued as usual: it was a practice that had
been instituted when Johnny was a little boy, and was never omitted
unless Mr. and Mrs. Le Bras had company or were away from home at that
hour in the evening. Felix had so much trouble in reading distinctly,
and pronouncing words, that he had finally declined taking part
altogether: he saw that even Sue could read far better than he could,
and he began to be ashamed of his own deficiency in this line. But he
had become quite interested in hearing the others, and was glad when the
reading-hour came.
Mr. Le Bras had insisted upon Felix's going to bed early the evening
after the header, and he had obeyed quite willingly: indeed, he owned
that his head did not feel quite right. When the time for reading came,
Mr. Le Bras said,--
"I feel badly about Felix's poor scholarship. It would be a great thing
for him if he could learn to read while he is here. I wonder how my
brother could allow him to grow up so deficient as this!"
"He says he never read much in any books except the readers at school,
either aloud or to himself," remarked Johnny, "and that no one ever read
to him, except his nurse when he was a little boy, and she always read
fairy-stories: I suppose that is the reason he says he don't like to
read any thing but fairy-stories. He thinks he could get through a
fairy-story now, better than any other. I guess that is because the
fairy-story books are generally written for young children, and so have
easy words in them."
"Very likely," replied Mr. Le Bras. "Pierre, do you think you could
contrive any way to get Felix to read to you, and so teach him how to
enunciate and pronounce a great deal better than he does?"
"Possibly," replied Pierre; "but I may need a little help to begin with.
Suppose you offer him something you think he would like very much, if he
will learn to read one story well, I being the teacher, and you the
judge, who are to hear the final reading after I pronounce him ready for
the test?"
"That is a good idea. Do you know of any thing in particular that Felix
would like, Johnny?"
"He has money to buy about every thing he wants; but I did hear him say
once he would like to visit Boston, now he is so near, because he never
was in Boston."
"That will answer nicely. I am going to Boston on business before we
start for the seaside; and if Felix will learn to read the story well, I
will take him and you with me."
The next morning, Mr. Le Bras took Felix aside, and told him he was very
anxious he should learn to read, as that was the first step toward a
good education, and a very essential one, as well as something which
could be learned out of school, and could be made a recreation instead
of a task; also that by devoting a little time each day to reading aloud
from some interesting book, to a person competent to give advice and
corrections, the deficiency could be soon remedied. He then made the
proposal that Felix should at once make a beginning, by learning to read
some short story well, and said Pierre would teach him, and that he
himself would offer the trip to Boston as an inducement.
Felix was quite well pleased with the plan: he thought it would be
rather fine to have a young man like Pierre to teach him, and he was
exceedingly pleased with the idea of going to Boston. He had secretly
been wishing he could read as well as Johnny, or at least as well as
Sue; but he did not own this.
After the bargain was made, Mr. Le Bras took Felix by the hand, and led
him up to Pierre, who was sitting in the piazza, reading the morning
paper.
"Here is a scholar for you, Pierre," said he: "you can look him up a
story to learn as soon as you please; and the sooner he reads it
correctly, the sooner we will visit the famous city of Boston."
Mr. Le Bras then left Felix and Pierre alone together.
"What kind of a story shall we select?" inquired Pierre.
"I don't want any thing very hard. I think fairy-stories are always the
easiest to read. I've never read aloud except at school: and the teacher
don't say any thing to you, if you only get through a paragraph somehow;
at least, she never says any thing to me. My mother told her she didn't
want me pushed; she was afraid it would make me sick: and my father said
he didn't care how long I was getting my education."
"But you might be so long getting it, that it would be very unpleasant
for you: I think it is generally unpleasant for a boy to be in school
with children a good deal younger than himself. And then, you won't
want to be so long getting an education that you will be a man before
you have learned all that is necessary; for a man don't want to keep on
going to school, even if he has ever so much money."
"No," said Felix: "you won't catch me going to school when I'm a man."
"So I am to find you a fairy-story?" continued Pierre. "Well, I will be
looking up one that I think will suit you. It may take me several days;
but, after I've found it, we'll make up for lost time by beginning to
learn to read it nicely as soon as possible, in order that your Boston
trip may not be unnecessarily delayed."
Since Pierre was helping Mr. Le Bras at his office at present, Felix saw
him only at meal-times, and had almost forgotten about the fairy-story,
except when the reading-hour came at night, at which time Pierre was
usually out calling on some of his friends, until one afternoon several
days afterwards, when Pierre came home with a book in his hand.
"Is my story in that book?" inquired Felix.
"No," replied Pierre; "but I think I can have the story ready for you by
to-morrow. And now the question is, what time of day will you give to
it, and how long will you read each day?"
"I couldn't read more than a half an hour at a time, possibly; and I
think I'll have it over right after breakfast before I go off on my
bicycle; then it will be off my mind for the rest of the day."
"That is a good plan, and the time will suit me very well. So we will
say to-morrow morning, and so on, until you have earned your trip.
Should you like to hear the story first to see if you like it?"
"No: I don't believe I care any thing about hearing it."
"Oh, yes!" said Sue. "Do let's hear it. Read it to us all, this
evening, Pierre; 'cause we got through with our other story last night,
and I do like fairy-tales so much!"
"I don't," said Johnny, "because there isn't ever hardly any kind of
truth in them at all."
"Then, the one I have is an exception," remarked Pierre. "I flatter
myself that there is considerable truth in the fairy-story I have
found."
"I am sure, since Pierre has been so long finding it, it must be an
unusually good fairy-tale," remarked Mr. Le Bras, smiling: "I should
like to hear it myself very much, and so, I am sure, would Mrs. Le
Bras."
"Certainly," replied Mrs. Le Bras: "I want to hear it very much indeed,
Pierre. Do read it to us to-night, if you have no engagement out at
that hour."
"Very well, then, since you all insist, and I shall be in early this
evening, I will read the story to you; but you must not expect any thing
wonderful, for you know Felix wanted an easy story to begin with. This
is a regular paper-covered one-story book, in large print."
"I am glad it is large print," said Felix: "I can always read that sort
of books better."
Pierre came home early, as he had promised; and when the family were all
ready for the reading,--even Kate having come in to hear the
fairy-story,--Pierre took out of his pocket a large, thin book, in a
plain green paper cover, and seated himself in the arm-chair which
Johnny had placed near the drop-light on the table. Johnny, upon
glancing over Pierre's shoulder, was astonished to see that the story
had been printed upon a typewriter, and was about to make some remark
regarding that circumstance when his father caught his eye, and shook
his head at him. Johnny knew by this, that there was some secret about
it, which was not to be divulged, at present at least. Felix also
glanced over Pierre's shoulder; but as he had never seen a typewriter,
not having yet visited his uncle's office, he supposed the story was
printed like any ordinary book. As for Sue, she was sitting by her
mother, waiting impatiently for Pierre to begin, which he did, after Mr.
Le Bras had said,--
"We are all ready now, Pierre. Go ahead."