A Final Reckoning

y in the village, Reuben Whitney

n Sussex; and the words were elicited, in no small degree, by the vexation of the speaker at his inability to wring a cry from the boy whom h

efiantly. "It won't be my fault,

rn easier than anyone here, and could always be at the top of your class, if you chose. I had hoped be

ed, and a lady with two girls, one of about fou

ked, seeing the schoolmaster, cane in

le again, Reuben? I am afraid y

That is, I wouldn't be if they would let me alone; but

you been doin

me," and he pointed to the master, "and when they are alw

en doing now, Mr. Wh

all smashed, and the squire had all the b

it done,

caught the frame where they j

, Mrs. Ellison,

was Reuben?" Mrs. Ell

Jones and making him call out; and he had only just gone out of the gate when I heard the smash;

o run home. I hadn't gone not twenty yards when I heard a smash; but I wasn't going for to

homson's child, and as I was coming down the road I saw a boy come out of the gate of the school and run away; and then I heard a noise of broken g

it was, Kate?" Mr

a. It was

re?" Mrs. Ellison as

o the point where a boy, somewhat bigger than the rest, ha

m Thorne," Mrs

hed up with a

ter says, Tom. What hav

replied. "I chucked it at a sparrow, and it weren'

rd without taking care to see what it may hit. But that is nothing to your fault in letting another boy be punished for wh

will speak t

e giving a little nod, in reply to the grateful look

you,

llison said. "I will overta

of your thrashing so much, and now it is proved that you punish without any sufficient cause, and upon suspicion only. I s

ten I use the cane, now. If it had been anyone else, I might

aring, for all the misdeeds of others. Well, I shall leave the matter in the squire's h

ne day, found floating in the mill dam. No one knew whether it was the result of intention or accident, but the jury of his neighbours who sat upon the inquest gave him the benefit of t

toys, sweets, and cakes for the children. The profits were small, but the squire, who had known her husband, charged but a nominal rent for the cottage; and this was mor

home had not been a comfortable one, before her marriage; for her father had taken a second wife, and she did not get on well with her stepmother. She

the habit of helping Reuben with his lessons, and trying to correct the broadness of dialect which he picked up from the other boys.

widow. But lately there had been an estrangement between the squire's wife and the village shopkeeper. Mrs. Ellison, whose husband owned all the houses in the village, as well as the land surrounding it, was accustomed to speak her mind very freely to the wives of the villagers

ore, having spoken sharply to Mrs. Whitney as to the alleged delinquencies of

tever is done, they throw it on to him. The boy is not a bad boy, ma'm-not in any way a bad boy. He may get into mischief, like the rest;

Whitney's independent manner of speaking came upon her almost as an act of rebellion, in her own kingdom. She

pound against bad times; but she did not see what she was to do with the boy. Almost all the other lads of the village, of the same age, were already in the fields; and Mrs. Whitney felt that she could not much longer keep him idle. The que

. Ellison told the squire of

nted a younger man, more abreast of the times than White is; but I don't like turning hi

he, too, disliked the thought of anyone in t

ve, if he's a day, and his voice quavers so that it makes the boys laugh. We will pension him off. He can have his cottage rent free, and three o

peaking to me, about Peters being past his work, f

iam," Mrs. Ellison replied, "and will

ainst him too readily. The boy's a bit of a pickle, no doubt; and I very near gave him a thrashing, myself, a fortnight

d, greatly shocked. "I never heard of such an impu

o well that I could not find it in my heart to call out. He was really doing me a service. The pony had never been ridden, and was as wild as a w

ame on the scene, was trying its best to get rid of him; but it couldn't do it, and I could see, by the way he rode

should never stop to think whether he was breaking

a boy; and I have, and can make allowances. Many a pony and horse have I broken in, in my ti

rses, William," Mrs. Ellison persist

I was too fond of horse flesh, even from a boy, to be particular whose horse it was I got acr

," Mrs. Ellison said; "and as likely

aid pleasantly, "that a shilling did f

his boy, who is notoriously a scapegrace, has the impertinence to ride yo

see, I saved two pounds ni

ave sat many a time on horseback chatting to him, at the door of his mill; and drank more than one glass of good ale, which his wife has brought out to me. I am not altogether easy in my conscience about them.

and he added, as a sort of excuse, that he used from a child to ride the horses at the mill down to the ford for water; and that his father generally had a young one or two, in that paddock of his by the mill, and he used oft

ot one when I saw him. I told him, of course, that he knew he ought not to have done it; but that, as he had taken it in hand, he might finish it. I said that I intended to have it broken in for Kate, and that he had best get a

ook her head in

e villagers as to the ways of their boys, i

with my dog whip to Thorne's; and I shall offer him the choice of giving that boy of his the soundest t

idle fellows in the village. I have a strong suspicion that he is in league with the poachers, if

just at the end of the village, with the basket containing some jelly and medi

d to come here, to thank

ing you, Reuben, for you s

ind, all the same; and I a

t be suspected of other things. Mamma said, the other day, you got into more

e I don't go into the fields, like most of the other boys; and haven't got much to

ally bad things?

ss, I h

't tell stor

am asked, I always own it. I wouldn't t

," the girl s

bout with her to the cottages; and it seemed quite natur

, and I don't like to hear people say you are the worst boy in the village,

entertain the same feeling of respect, mingled with fear, for the squire's family which was felt by the village in general. Instead of being two y

e should talk like her mother. But Mrs. Ellison means well, too, mother says; and as fo

e pony. One more lesson, and

uct in allowing him to be flogged for the offence which he himself had committed, others had not been so reticent, and he had had a hard time of it in the village. Secondly, he had been severely thrashed by his father, in the presence of the squire; the former laying on the lash with a vigour which satisfied Mr. Ellison, the heartiness of the thrashing being due, not to any

tting on a gate,

ellow, Reuben, but I will

ow," Reuben said, "if you

ng to do any fighting now. Feyther says if I get into any more rows, he will

you don't say nothing to me. You played me a dirty trick the other day, and you got well larrupped for it, so I don't owe you any grudge; but mind you, I don't want any m

the various contests among the boys of the village, Reuben had proved himself so tough an adversary that, although Tom

muttered, "I will be even with you some day,

n. The latter had been expecting his dismissal, since Mrs. Ellison had spoken to him on the previous day; and the news which the squire gave him was a relief to him. His emoluments, as clerk, would be smaller than those he received as schoolmaster; but while he would not be able to discharge the duties of the latter for very much longer, for he felt the boys were getting too muc

verything else they put their hands to; and whose sole qualification for the office was that they were able to read and write. Instead of advertising, how

urers, and the girls to be their wives; and if they can read really well, and write fairly, it's about as much as they want in the way of learning; but I think that a really earnest sort of man might do them good, otherwise. A s

a wife so much the better. She might teach the girls to sew, which would be, to nine out of ten, a deal more use than reading and writing; and if she could use her needle, and make up dres

rom his friend, saying that he had chosen a

He said that he might, under favourable circumstances, get better in time; but that he was delicate, and absolutely needed change of air and a country life. I have seen him several times, and

her. She has supported them both ever since he was hurt, months ago. She is delighted at the idea of the change for, although the money will be very much less than

accept the post; and at any rate, if the man was not satisfactory his wife was likely to be so. He accordingly ordered his groom to take the light

ent with the house, and had been provided by the squire. Mrs. Ellison went over it, and ordered a few more things to be sent down from the house

age, which contrasted strongly with the room in a crowded street w

re that I am convinced you will soon get strong and well again. What is money to health? I am sure I sh

ning of the school; and after a chat with the new schoolmaster and

ouble, and I can tell you it will be the worse for you, if you do. I am going to look into matters myself; and I shall have a report sent me in, regularly, as to how

an unusual quiet reigned in the school, after he

th the cane, no pulling of ears or cuffing of heads. Everything was explained quietly and clearly; and when they went out of the school, all agreed th