Adapted from "School Days at Rugby," by Thomas Hughes, an English writer
well known through this book, and its sequel, "Tom Brown at Oxford." The
author was born in 1823, and died in 1896.
1. The little schoolboys went quietly to their own beds, and began
undressing and talking to one another in whispers: while the elder,
amongst whom was Tom, sat chatting about on one another's beds, with their
jackets and waistcoats off.
2. Poor little Arthur was overwhelmed with the novelty of his position.
The idea of sleeping in the room with strange boys had clearly never
crossed his mind before, and was as painful as it was strange to him. He
could hardly bear to take his jacket off; however, presently, with an
effort, off it came, and then he paused and looked at Tom, who was sitting
at the bottom of his bed, talking and laughing.
3. "Please, Brown," he whispered, "may I wash my face and hands?" "Of
course, if you like," said Tom, staring: "that's your wash-hand stand
under the window, second from your bed. You'll have to go down for more
water in the morning if you use it all."
4. And on he went with his talk, while Arthur stole timidly from between
the beds out to his wash-hand stand, and began his ablutions, thereby
drawing for a moment on himself the attention of the room.
5. On went the talk and laughter. Arthur finished his washing and
undressing, and put on his nightgown. He then looked round more nervously
than ever. Two or three of the little boys were already in bed, sitting up
with their chins on their knees. The light burned clear, the noise went
on.
6. It was a trying moment for the poor, little, lonely boy; however, this
time he did not ask Tom what he might or might not do, but dropped all his
knees by his bedside, as he had done every day from his childhood, to open
his heart to Him who heareth the cry and beareth the sorrows of the tender
child, and the strong man in agony.
7. Tom was sitting at the bottom of his bed unlacing his boots, so that
his back was towards Arthur, and he did not see what had happened, and
looked up in wonder at the sudden silence. Then two or three boys laughed
and sneered, and a big, brutal fellow, who was standing in the middle of
the room, picked up a slipper and shied it at the kneeling boy, calling
him a sniveling young shaver.
8. Then Tom saw the whole, and the next moment the boot he had just pulled
off flew straight at the head of the bully, who had just time to throw up
his arm and catch it on his elbow. "Confound you, Brown; what's that for?"
roared he, stamping with pain. "Never mind what I mean," said Tom,
stepping on to the floor, every drop of blood in his body tingling: "if
any fellow wants the other boot, he knows how to get it."
9. What would have been the result is doubtful, for at this moment the
sixth-form boy came in, and not another word could be said. Tom and the
rest rushed into bed and finished their unrobing there, and the old
janitor had put out the candle in another minute, and toddled on to the
next room, shutting the door with his usual, "Good night, gen'l'm'n."
10. There were many boys in the room by whom that little scene was taken
to heart before they slept. But sleep seemed to have deserted the pillow
of poor Tom. For some time his excitement and the flood of memories which
chased one another though his brain, kept him from thinking or resolving.
His head throbbed, his heart leapt, and he could hardly keep himself from
springing out of bed and rushing about the room.
11. Then the thought of his own mother came across him, and the promise he
had made at her knee, years ago, never to forget to kneel by his bedside
and give himself up to his Father before he laid his head on the pillow,
from which it might never rise; and he lay down gently, and cried as if
his heart would break. He was only fourteen years old.
DEFINITIONS.--l. Waist'coat, a vest. 2. O-ver-whelmed', over-come, cast
down. 3. Nov'el-ty, newness. 4. Ab-lu'tion, the act of washing. 7.
Sneered, showed contempt. 8. Bul'ly, a noisy, blustering fellow, more
insolent than courageous. Tin'gling, having a thrilling feeling.
NOTES.--"Rugby," the scene of this story, is a celebrated grammar school
which was established at the town of Rugby, England, in 1567.
9. Sixth-form boy. The school was graded into six classes or "forms," and
the boys of the highest, or sixth, form were expected to keep the smaller
boys under them in order. EXERCISES.--What were Arthur's feelings the
first night at Rugby? Relate what happened when he said his prayers. What
do you think of the boy who threw the slipper? Was Tom right in defending
Arthur from insult?