The Iron Rule

sad, hopeless, yet with a sense of indignation in his heart

ght," he murmured to himself. "If I

is mind, a feeling of recklessness

care wh

you,

voice of his father, who had left his room soon after the expulsion

standing in front of the lad, and looking him ster

rows, scowling upon the half-frightened child. He then

a perverse mind-one predestinated, to evil from his birth. Ah me! Have I not done, and am I not still doing everything to restrain him and save him! But precept, admonition, and punishment, all seem, thrown

r, although expressly forbidden to go away from home after his return from school. For some time he stood leaning agai

iers around in the Square. Hark! Don't

, he knew, to ask the permission of his father, who usually said "No," to almost every request for a l

ining the first impulse to bound away at the word sol

ger to control himself, sprung away with his companion. For half an hou

was the sharp question tha

e, to see the soldie

you permis

t I'd just go and look at them a little whi

ol without my permission? Say! You don't care what you do! That's it! Go off up stairs with you, to your own

ong and outrage upon him as a child. For the time his spirit was broken, and he wept bitterly

her little family gathered at the supper

have anything but bread and water to-nig

one, now?" inquired the mo

he had been expressly forbidden to leave

something wrong-what will bec

n the end, it will be a mercy. I never saw so

o-day," said Mrs. Howla

eplied the father,

time. Won't you allow him some

gry, that will ta

up stairs. But, ere she reached the chamber, her heart plead so strongly for the lad, that she paused, stood musing for a few moments, and then returned to the dining-room. A few sli

ice of surprise, seeing the articles

. Howland said this, her eyes drooped, abashed b

land. "Didn't I say that Andrew must have n

dinner," murm

bread and water, and I meant what I said. Esther! I am surprised at you. Of

ear her down with an imperious will. She was weak, and he was her strong tyrant. Not a word more did she spea

to the no small risk of breaking that slender frame work, and injuring himself severely by a fall. Soon the compass of the room became too narrow, and the elevation of the bed-posts too trifling for his expanding ideas. He went to the window, and, opening it, looked forth. Here was a new temptation. The roof of a piazza, built out from a second story, came up to within a foot of the window-sill. He had often ventured upon this roof, and he sprung out upon it again without a moment's hesitation or reflection, and running along, with the lightness of a

and perilous for him to think of securing his wish. This was the first impression. Then he fixed his eye on the nest, and watched the old bird, as she sat on a ledge that projected from the box, while she distributed to her younglings the food she had broug

session. Over and over again he measured the height and thickness of the pole with his eyes, calcu

mly and drew his body a few inches, upward. Clinging tightly with his legs to retain the slight elevation he had acquired, he moved his hands farther along the pole, and then drew himself higher up. Thus he progressed until he had reached a point some five or six feet above the roof, when his strength became exhausted, and, unable to retain even the position he had acquired, his body slowly descended the pole, swinging around to the side opposite the roof. On reaching the bottom it was as much as he could do to get himself once more in a position of safety, where he stood for

that it was better for him to have this, even though in gaining it for him she acted in violation of her husband's wishes and command-yea, even though her child knew that such was the case. Sadly was she aware of the fact, that the father's iron-handed severity had nearly crushed affection out of the heart of his child; and that all obedience to him was extorted

there, debating with herself whether she should stealthily convey something more than the bread and water to Andrew, or take him the meager supply of food his father ha

caning of one of them was a large hole. The wash-bowl and pitcher were on the floor, and a good deal of water spilled around. The bed-clothes were nearly all dragged off; and it was plain, from t

. "He seems possessed with a spirit

d's name, but the

at supported the pigeon-box. He was just about reaching the object of his perilous adventure. A wild scream of terror came from the mother's lips, ere she had time to think of self-control. The scream, as it pierced suddenly the ears of Andrew, startled and unnerved him. A quick muscular exhaustion

the yard, when his son fell, crushe

, as he lifted one hand with a feeble effort toward his parent. The

h he lapsed after the fall, until the work of setting the broken bones and reducing the dislocation was nearly over. His first utterance was to ask for his mother. She was not present, however. Her cries, at seeing the peril and fall of her child, brought a domestic to the room, who f

irst words. She spoke in a low v

on which lay his pale exhausted wife, just

is not dead," wa

badly

ld her breath

answered Mr. Howland,

?" almost gas

en glancing his eyes upward piously, he a

at!" quickly exclaimed th

a steady voice. "If it be His good pleasure to remove h

ome to this? Oh, it was wrong to send him off as he was sent! to punish him so severely for

med Mr. Howland,

nce to her feelings, with scarce a thought as to who was her audito

Esther," continued Mr. Howland,

ained fixed upon her form, saw that it was agitated by slight convulsions, and he knew that she was striving to suppress the sobs in which her heart was seeking an utterance. For a little while he stood looking at her, and t

said, opening his eyes, and glancing from face

owland, expressing, without reflection, the feeling

ndrew; a change that caused the physician to turn sud

wish to murde

sink for a moment beneath the steady gaze of the p

e. It may be as much as his life is worth. If he have done wrong, hi

ered from her faintnes

, looking pale and agitated. The physician raised his finger to enj

our mother

de. As she bent over to kiss the white

er!-dear

tense feeling, and she was on the eve of losing all

life of your child

h a hand laid gently on his clammy forehead, she spoke to him words of comfort and encourag

what he called weakness in his pity. The idea that Andrew was suffering a just retribution for his wrong conduct, was distinctly present to his mind. And he even

as the nature of his injuries would permit, and

words spoken by Mr. Howland to his suffering boy, as soon as he found himself alone