A Great Man

ted and eaten the buttered toast, and would have enjoyed it; and his father, mother, and aunt would have enjoyed the spectacle of his bliss; and all four of them would have success

t's natural but too solicitous endeavours towards keeping up the strength of her crescent son. Mrs. Knight and Aunt Annie regarded it as a misfortune simply, inexplicable, unjust, and cruel. But even Mrs. Knight and Aunt Annie had perceived that there was at least an apparent connection between hot buttered toast and the recurrence of the malady. Hence, though th

once!' Mrs. Kn

ht,'said Tom. 'It

e effort all the spiritual courage which he had doubtless inherit

r breakfast had no moral right to preach abstinence to a growing boy, especially on his bir

' Tom imperturbably remarked, 'I'll eat i

soul round the table did the impossible and blamed

aults flourished and multiplied. There can be no question that he was idle, untruthful, and unreliable. In earliest youth he had been a merry prank; he was still a prank, but not often merry. His spirit seemed to be overcast; and the terrible fact came out gradually that he was not 'nicely disposed.' His relatives failed to understand him, and they gave him up like a puzzle. He was self-contradictory. For instance, though a shocking liar, he was lavish of truth whenever truth happened to be disconcerting and inopportune. He it was who told the forewoman of his uncle's millinery department, in front of a customer, that she had a moustache. His uncle threshed him. 'She has a moustache, anyhow!' said this Galileo when his uncle had finished. Mr. Knight wished Tom to go into the drapery, but Tom would not. Tom wanted to be an artist; he was always drawing. Mr. Knight had only heard of artists; he had never seen one. He thought Tom's desire for art was mere wa

nor his uncle could ever be quite sure that he was not enjoying some joke which they were not enjoying. Once he had painted Aunt Annie's portrait. 'Never let me see that thing again!' she exclaimed when she beheld it complete. She deemed it an insult, and she was not alone in her opinion. 'Do you call this art?' said Mr. Knight. 'If this is art, then all I can say is I'm glad I wasn't brought up to understand art, as

xample to Henry. Henry worshipped him, and the

Tom,' Mrs. Knight ventured

nded into the shop,

e, my bold buccaneer, you've got nothing to do just now, have you? You can stroll along

t from the doctor with the black bag twelve years ago. Henry had his cap on in two s

twards instead of to the Cit

o work to-day?' Hen

ht that it was your birthday to-day, and I asked whether

ask them,'

s. And they requested me to wish you, on behal

ot,' sai

hum. After a time Henry perceived that Tom was humming the same phrase again and

, Tom,' He

ead the essay and pronounced it excellent, and till this very moment on the pavement of Oxfor

are straight.... But we read in the Bible of the street which is called Straight.... Oxford S

ssay. The worst of Tom was that he could make anything look si

ments ... e.g., they were all road.... It was no infrequent occurrence for people to be maime

ughty,"' Henry cr

innocence. 'But you put "o

aid Henry

nt occurrence." Where did you st

t,' Henry asserte

ou, I should send a telegram to Tennyson, and tell him to

ved to be the entrance to a large and magnificen

rrons glacés,'

Henry whispered

a sample from the scales while

mbled through the delicious bro

ike chestnuts, are

box was wrapped in paper of one colour, and then further wrapp

r Tom had put down a large silver co

, Henry carry

any harm?' the boy

ying on the grass, and Tom had invited Henry to b

tution. Not like sweets at all. Doctors often give them to patients wh

e contents had disappeared within twenty minutes, a

nry, perhaps enigmatically. 'I c

eighteen or so wa

stuff, that!' Tom re

at

Tom explained, pointing w

thought you said a nic

ain. By slow and still slower d

s,' he in

'Don't want it

t eat any more,

him. 'You've shifted about fifty

vivor to his lips

u what I'll do: I'll put

about for the sake of one c

put it in

y the side of the watch

' said Tom. 'It's just occurred to me t

irl was reading on a seat. His b