Boys Who Became Famous Men

see, he spent most of his school hours in drawing pictures on the fly-leaves of his books, which pleased the other boys so greatly that he filled their

chanced to be the best penman at the Sudbury Grammar

oved highly gratifying to the boy's parents. But while Jack supplied his answers in arithmetic, and Joe prompted him with names and dates at h

instead of sitting mewed up in this dreary schoolroom, what splendid woodland pictures he could draw. Twice he asked the schoolmaster to excuse him, but Mr. Burroughs curtly refused

g

d until the end of the year. When vacation comes you will be free to spend every d

on, and, I am sorry to say, closed the doo

the unpaved streets that ran between rows of quaint and anci

to do the same way once in a while. What is the sense in list

fore the schoolhouse door and thoughtfully wrinkled his brow.[Pg 74] Presently his face grew defiant,

om his copy-book a slip of paper resembling those upon which Mr. Gainsborough wrot

om a ho

ter; but he boldly imitated his father's finely pointed lettering to a nicety, and at the end jotted down t

ted around the corner until almost time for school to[Pg 75] begin, then rushed into the schoolroom, n

ead the slip wi

holiday, I shall not refuse permission; but I understood that

boy hastily, not caring

ped from the room; and when he reached the place in the next street, where, under Dame Curran's rosebus

e woods, and hour after hour he worked with his pencil, striving to put into his book the charming bits of landscape that greeted his eye on every side. One sketch comprised

at all this pleasure was stolen. "But then," he argued, "what difference d

the sky through the chinks in the tender foliage. Sometimes he closed his eyes and listened, and the mysterious woodland sounds, mingled with the purling of the river, yi

time," he meditated, "else th

where armored knights had claimed food and shelter, but which was now the

th pipe and chair to the front stoop, and was sitting with hi

as he turned in at the gate, his co

into the house as quickly as possible, but as his ha

oma

surprise, his lips still puckered for the w

r you at sch

ol to-day," echoed Tom

s place, and I decided to take you along. It seems that

jacket, and he racked his brains fo

ather, I

would deliberately write and act a lie. Such conduct deserves the s

g

and accepting this as a dismis

new nothing of his escapade, and chattered among themselves as usual; but his mother's eyes rested upon him from time to time with sorrow in

le, Mr. Gainsborough, pointing

own room,

r door had closed upon him, Mrs. Gainsborough

, John, and look a

painter of flowers, opened Tommy's sketch-book, and laid b

then Mr. Gainsborough ascended the

e measured tramp, tramp along the corridor; and folding h

red the room and clos

isgraced yourself and your family by your behavior t

bed with an exclamat

ils and drawing materials for a month, and shall

g

ing—even two of 'em, if you'll give me back my things! Please whip

month, and not

ncils and paper were so costly at that time that it was useless for him to save his pennies in the hope of buying them for himself; and during

stored to him, Mrs. Gainsborough appeared at the corner of the

xed[Pg 82] tone, "have you be

his hat back and looking

rong about the place he was always suspected of being in the plot somewhere,

t touched a single one of th

basket for the dean; and although each evening I have seen ten or twelve that would be perfect in another day, I have gone the following morning to gather them,

son went on with his digging, giving

the hill. He turned drowsily on his pillow and was preparing to launch into another delici

e minutes later was on his way through the

e ruddy fruit hanging overhead sparkled brightly as th

ut the orchard.[Pg 84] "I think I'll draw that clu

structed. This was no easy matter amid so many trees, but at length he found that by sit

all dividing the orchard from the public road, grew

s measuring the height of the currant bushes, when, to his surprise, a head

ly appeared a

ly appeared ab

head and gazed greedily at the luscious pears that grew above[Pg 85] him. As he stood thus, with the morning light falling brigh

e of things, quickly comprehended the stranger's lo

nscious that a spectator was eagerly watching from the covered structure near by, the intruder a

rowed eyes, leering lips, unkempt hair, and rakish hat, exactly as they had impressed him at[Pg 86] the moment when the vagabond stood gazing aloft at the fruit over

scaling the wall at a bound, he fled

urriedly explained to his mother the cause of her daily vani

the squire, pointed to the drawing upon the last page, a

do-weel who had been loitering about Sudbury for some time,

g

e magistrate; and that very afte

d and attempting to carry away his fruit; but the c

y's book, and held it before t

snarl, he admitted his guilt of the morning, and also confess

r, but if you ever repeat the offence I'll give you a sentence of confinement on bread and water. There is p

g

rom that day forth was seen

fford to encourage this play-work of Tommy's, which was beginning to take on a

e despatching the old book to its future home on the closet shelf, he opened it

-tree's P

pictures of woods and lanes, fields and shining water, captivated the country folk by presenting so[Pg 89] perfectly the scenes

lded from city to province. He began by making likenesses of his wife and daughters, and when these were exhibited at the Royal Academy, people exclaimed at the skill and di

e," commanded he, "and let him pa

hion at court, and straightway all the ladies of rank[Pg 90] a

far beyond anything he had expected, and if ever a man was tru

that people who sought his acquaintance because he was a famous artist qu

was a childish portrait entitled "Blue Boy." This was hung on the wall of the Royal Academy, and when the spectators came[Pg 91] surging through the gallery, chattering amiably of this canvas and that, they halted speechless before the boy with the thoughtful eyes, the fresh brown skin, and the pale-blue dress. The lad was so young, so swee