TOM TOBY'S SECRET SOCIETY.
Plans for the Journey.--The Boys' Letters to Master Lewis.--Tom
Toby's Plans.--The New Society.--Master Lewis arranges a Cheap
Tour for George and Leander.--What may be seen for $100.
From Frank Gray, Master Lewis received the following letter early in
vacation-week:--
Cambridge, Mass., March 20.
My Dear Friend and Teacher:
My good father has consented for me to go.
He thinks that the tour, to be a really profitable one,
should be short, and that it would be better to attempt
to visit only a portion of a single country.
I have decided what country I would most like to visit.
It is "fair Normandy," the scene of the most romantic
events of both English and French history.
I would go from Boston to London; from London to Dieppe;
and then I would make partly on foot a zigzag journey to
the places indicated on the enclosed map of Normandy,
and such others, including Paris, as you may suggest.
The old towns on the coast of Normandy are especially
beautiful in summer, with their cool harbors, fine
landscapes, and historic ruins. I am told that they are
favorite places of resort of both the English and French
people, and that they give one delightful insights of
the best social life.
In this journey, we would have views of London and
Paris, and would be able to study that part of France
whose history is associated with old English wars, and
that is most famous in romance and song.
I make the suggestion at your own request. You are the
better judge in the whole matter, and it will give my
father pleasure to adopt any plan for me you may think
advisable.
I thank you again for the invitation, and father wishes
me to express to you his sense of your kindness.
I wish you a most pleasant vacation, and am
Affectionately yours,
Frank Gray.
"Fan me with a feather!" Tom Toby used sometimes to say after reading
one of Frank's letters; and we are not sure but this careful note
would have tempted a light remark, had he ever seen it.
[Illustration: NORMAN FISHER-GIRL.]
Soon after Frank's note, came a note from the Wynns:--
Concord, Mass., March 22.
Dear Teacher:
Father thinks so favorably of your kind invitation that
we venture to express our preference for a route of
travel.
It is a very simple one. We would go from Boston to
Liverpool, and walk from Liverpool to London, _en
zigzag_.
This would take us through the heart of England, and
enable us to visit such historic places as Boscobel,
where Charles II. was concealed after the battle of
Worcester, old Nottingham, Kenilworth, Oxford, and
Godstowe Nunnery, Stratford-on-Avon, White Horse Hill,
and a great number of old English villages and ruins.
Or we would go to Glasgow, thence to Edinburgh, and then
make short journeys towards London, visiting Abbotsford,
Melrose, and the ruins on the Border.
We are reading Walter Scott's "Kenilworth." The book,
as you may have guessed, has caused us to set our
affections strongly on the middle of England as the
scene of our proposed tour.
With kind remembrances of all your kindness to us.
Ernest Wynn.
Wyllys Wynn.
[Illustration: KING CHARLES'S HIDING-PLACE.]
Later came a characteristic note from two of the other boys.
Dear Teacher,--Our parents are desirous for us to go,
but can hardly afford the expense. We have permission to
accept your invitation, if we will travel so cheaply
that the cost to each will not be more than $100. Can
this be done? We are willing to go and return in the
steerage, travel third-class, and take shilling
lodgings, and eat plain food. We would prefer a tour
through the great manufacturing towns of Scotland and
England.
Respectfully,
George Howe.
Leander Towle.
On Saturday of vacation-week, Master Lewis opened a much-blotted
envelope, and read the following rather surprising communication:--
Master Lewis,--Father's answer to me is, "You may go
anywhere that promises any improvement."
I have been thinking of it. One should see their own
country first. This journey would about suit me: they
are very interesting places,--Newport, Old Orchard
Beach, White Mountains, Franconia Mountains,
Adirondacks, Saratoga, Niagara.
Mother has been crying. She is afraid, if I go to
Europe, I will never come back again.
Father thinks that there is no danger of that.
If I must go across the sea, I would prefer to
go--anywhere _you_ like, only take the shortest route
and fastest steamer over the water.
Were you ever sick on the ocean?
I am going to organize a society of travellers in the
school,--a secret society that will pledge each other
never-ending friendship and assistance.
I may need assistance myself in my life. Father thinks I
shall.
I am trying to think of a secret for the society. I can
think of hardly any thing that the rest of the world do
not know.
Hope you are well.
Tommy.
[Illustration: WHITE HORSE HILL.]
The spring and summer term--the session lasted through April, May,
and June--opened under unusually promising circumstances. The prospect
of the journey of the first class seemed to stimulate the whole
school: in fact, little else was talked of out of school-hours.
Master Lewis's customary address at the close of the first day of the
term was waited with impatient interest. When the time came for it,
there was almost a painful silence in the school-room.
[Illustration: STREET SCENE IN NORMANDY.]
"I shall speak first," said Master Lewis, "on the subject about which
your conduct tells me you are most eager to hear. I have decided to
make the journey abroad with the first class _this_ year"--
There was suppressed applause by the class.
"_Next_ year I hope to visit Switzerland and Italy, with all the
members of the school who can go, if this proposed journey should
prove a success. I say this, so that the second and third classes may
feel that they, too, have an interest in this general plan."
There was a burst of applause by the whole school.
[Illustration: COLONNADE OF THE LOUVRE.]
"I thank the boys of the first class for their letters and suggestions
about the route to be decided upon. I think I have a plan that will be
acceptable to you all. We will go first to Glasgow, will journey _en
zigzag_ to London; will there take the steamer for Antwerp, and will
make a zigzag tour from Ghent to St. Malo, taking a glance at Belgium,
a view of the whole of Normandy and the picturesque part of Brittany,
including a visit to Paris and a view of its beautiful palaces and
parks.
"As a preparation for this tour, I shall require the class to give
special attention to the French language and to English and French
history during the term."
Every thing that Master Lewis said or did was popular with the boys,
but no decision ever received more emphatic applause.
Tom Toby was busy at once, forming his secret society. He called a
meeting of the boys on the evening of the very first schoolday, in his
room. The Wynns entered willingly into his plan, and George Howe and
Leander Towle warmly supported it. Frank Gray, however, treated the
matter rather indifferently, a circumstance that Tommy quickly
observed.
"The first question to be decided," said Tommy, when the boys had met
in his room, "is, Shall we organize a secret society?"
The Wynns asked Frank Gray his opinion.
"I should prefer to hold my opinion in reserve, until I understand
what the object of the society is to be."
"It is to have a grip just like _that_," said Tommy, seizing Frank by
the hand, "one that takes the conceit all out of you, and makes you
remember who are your friends for ever."
"Then I do not think I shall care to join," said Frank, rubbing his
crushed hand on his knee. "I shall probably remember you as long as I
shall care to, without making any such arrangement."
"I think a school society is a good thing," said Ernest Wynn, mildly.
"It promotes lasting friendships"--
"Good for you!" said Tommy. "That's just what I wanted to say. 'It
promotes lasting friendship,' and, like a salve, it takes the
conceit"--
"It stimulates one to do his best, and"--
"That's it exactly," said Tommy. "I hope you all hear."
"Let's quit joking," said George Howe, in a matter-of-fact way. "A
society for the purpose of reading and studying about the places we
are to visit and for correspondence with each other, when a part of us
are abroad, would be an excellent thing. I hope we may have such a
society, and shall make our very best boy President of it."
"Who may that be?" said Frank.
"I," said Tommy, teasingly. "I thought you knew."
"I believe it is decided to call the society the Zigzag Travellers,"
said George.
"A promising name," said Frank, who was decidedly out of humor. "I
would suggest the Zigzag Club."
"I would nominate for President Wyllys Wynn."
"I agree to the nomination," said Frank.
"And so do I," said Tommy Toby: "at last, Frank and I are agreed."
"Who will prepare the rules for the society?" asked Frank.
"George Howe," said Ernest.
To this all the boys agreed.
"Who shall decide upon a secret?" asked Wyllys.
"I would nominate Tommy Toby," said Frank.
Tom was unanimously elected.
The next evening a second meeting of the society was held, to which
all the boys in the school were invited. It was decided to call the
society "The Zigzag Club." Charles Wyman, one of the second-class
boys, was appointed its Secretary, and general rules were adopted for
the conduct of its meetings. All of the boys, sixteen in number,
became members.
It was decided that the first formal meeting of the club for literary
exercises should be held in a fortnight, and that on that occasion
each boy of the first class should relate some historic story
associated with one of the places he expected to visit, and it was
suggested that the stories of the first meeting be confined to
_Normandy_. Wyllys Wynn was asked to sing some French or Norman song
on the occasion, and the Secretary was instructed to invite Master
Lewis to be present, and to deliver an address.
Tommy Toby had been very reserved since the first meeting of the club.
He had been quite ignored, and his feelings were hurt.
"Are you sure you treated Tommy quite right at the first meeting?"
asked Ernest Wynn of Frank Gray, quietly, as he observed Tom's injured
look at the second meeting of the club.
"I fear I was not quite gentlemanly," said Frank. "But I had no wish
to join a society gotten up merely for fun."
"Tommy's suggestion was the beginning of the club," said Ernest.
"Let's give him a vote of thanks."
"I will offer the resolution," said Frank.
"Let us close this meeting," said Frank, "by recognizing the debt we
owe to one of our members. Thomas Toby is the real founder of this
club. I did not feel much interested in it at first. I do now. Let us
give Thomas a vote of thanks."
Every boy applauded the motion, which was passed enthusiastically.
Tommy's face brightened, and his eyes filled with tears.
"O Frank," he said, "how could you? Ernest Wynn was at the bottom of
this, wasn't he?"
"Yes," said Frank.
"Well, Ernest _is_ a better fellow than I."
"Or I."
"We both are all right now!"
"Yes."
"Have you decided upon a secret?" continued Frank.
"I have thought much about it," answered Tom.
"And what is the result?"
Tommy turned to the blackboard, and wrote,--
"ALL O!"
The boys looked at the characters mysteriously.
"Is that the secret?" asked Frank.
"Yes, and I myself am going to keep it for the club."
Master Lewis had a private talk with George Howe and Leander Towle
immediately on their return.
"I wish you to go," he said; "and I think a most profitable tour can
be made in the way you propose for $100. You can at least visit
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, London, and Paris, and spend three
days each in the three great capital cities. The information you would
thus gain would be of great value to you. I thus estimate the probable
expense to each:--
Steerage passage to go and return $50.00
Glasgow to Edinburgh, 2_s._ 6_d._, or 60
Edinburgh to London, and London to Paris by way
of Dieppe, about £3, or 14.40
Shilling lodgings and meals for fourteen days 14.00
Miscellaneous expenses 11.00
______
$90.00
"I will do my best to make your expenses as light as possible. I am
told that one can live comfortably on four shillings a day in Scotland
and England, and for five francs a day in Paris. You will not be able
to enjoy our walks in historic places outside of the great cities, and
you will probably be obliged to return before the rest of the party;
but the very restraint you will have to use will be a good experience
for you. As Franklin once said, 'A good kick out of doors is worth all
the rich uncles in the world.' It is good for one to bear the yoke in
his youth. You see what I mean,--self-reliance, independence! I am not
altogether sorry that you will be compelled to make the journey in
this way."
The boys thanked their teacher.
When they had left him, George Howe said decidedly,--
"I never respected any teacher as much as I do Master Lewis. How nobly
he has treated us!"