The Crofton Boys | Page 8

little with
him upon the events of the day. Besides his consciousness that he had
done nothing well this day, there were grave looks from his mother
which made him think that she was not pleased with him. When he was
undressing, therefore, he listened with some anxiety for her footsteps,
and, when she appeared, he was ready with his confession of idleness.
She stopped him in the beginning, saying that she had rather not hear
any more such confessions. She had listened to too many, and had
allowed him to spend in confessions some of the strength which should
have been applied to mending his faults. For the present, while she was
preparing a way to help him to conquer his inattention, she advised him
to say nothing to her, or to any one else, on the subject; but this need
not prevent him from praying to God to give him strength to overcome

his great fault.
"Oh, mother! mother!" cried Hugh, in an agony, "you give me up!
What shall I do if you will not help me any more?"
His mother smiled, and told him he need not fear any such thing. It
would be very cruel to leave off providing him with food and clothes,
because it gave trouble to do so; and it would be far more cruel to
abandon him to his faults, for such a reason. She would never cease to
help him till they were cured: but, as all means yet tried had failed, she
must plan some others; and meantime she did not wish him to become
hardened to his faults, by talking about them every night, when there
was no amendment during the day.
Though she spoke very kindly, and kissed him before she went away,
Hugh felt that he was punished. He felt more unhappy than if his
mother had told him all she thought of his idleness. Though his mother
had told him to go to sleep, and blessed him, he could not help crying a
little, and wishing that he was a Crofton boy. He supposed the Crofton
boys all got their lessons done somehow, as a matter of course; and
then they could go to sleep without any uncomfortable feelings or any
tears.
In the morning all these thoughts were gone. He had something else to
think about; for he had to play with Harry, and take care of him, while
Susan swept and dusted the parlour: and Harry was bent upon going
into the shop--a place where, according to the rule of the house, no
child of the family was ever to set foot, till it was old enough to be
trusted: nor to taste anything there, asked or unasked. There were some
poisonous things in the shop, and some few nice syrups and gums; and
no child could be safe and well there who could not let alone whatever
might be left on the counter, or refuse any nice taste that a
good-natured shopman might offer. Harry was, as yet, far too young;
but, as often as the cook washed the floor-cloth in the passage, so that
the inner shop door had to be opened, Master Harry was seized with an
unconquerable desire to go and see the blue and red glass bowls which
he was permitted to admire from the street, as he went out and came in
from his walks. Mr. Proctor came down this morning as Hugh was

catching Harry in the passage. He snatched up his boys, packed one
under each arm, and ran with them into the yard, where he rolled Harry
up in a new mat, which the cook was going to lay at the house-door.
"There!" said he. "Keep him fast, Hugh, till the passage-door is shut.
What shall we do with the rogue when you are at Crofton, I wonder?"
"Why, papa! he will be big enough to take care of himself by that
time."
"Bless me! I forgot again," exclaimed Mr. Proctor, as he made haste
away into the shop.
Before long, Harry was safe under the attraction of his basin of bread
and milk; and Hugh fell into a reverie at the breakfast-table, keeping his
spoon suspended in his hand as he looked up at the windows, without
seeing anything. Jane asked him twice to hand the butter before he
heard.
"He is thinking how much four times seven is," observed Mr. Proctor:
and Hugh started at the words.
"I tell you what, Hugh," continued his father; "if the Crofton people do
not teach you how much four times seven is when you come within
four weeks of next Christmas day, I shall give you up, and them too,
for dunces all."
All the eyes round the table were fixed on Mr. Proctor in an instant.