2. Ah! my heart is sick with longing, Longing to escape from study Ah! my heart is sick with longing, 3. Ah! my heart is sore with sighing, Sighing for their sure returning Ah! my heart is sore with sighing, 4. Ah! my heart is pained with throbbing, Throbbing for the seaside billows, Ah! my heart is pained with throbbing, 5. Waiting, sad, dejected, weary, Spring goes by with wasted warnings- Man is ever weary, weary, TOM BROWN AND ARTHUR. nov-el-ty, newness. ab-lu-tions, washing. ver-ger, the school-porter. shied, threw. 1. The little schoolboys went quietly to their own beds and began undressing, and talking to one another in whispers; whilst the elder, amongst whom was Tom, sat chatting about on one another's beds, with their jackets and waistcoats off. Poor little Arthur was overwhelmed with the novelty of his position. 2. The idea of sleeping in the room with strange boys had clearly never crossed his mind before, and was as painful as it was strange to him. He could hardly bear to take his jacket off; however, presently, with an effort, off it came, and then he paused and looked at Tom, who was sitting at the bottom of his bed, talking and laughing. 3. "Please, Brown," he whispered, "may I wash my face and hands?" "Of course, if you like," said Tom, staring; "that's your wash-hand stand under the window, second from your bed. You'll have to go down for more water in the morning, if you use it all." And on he went with his talk, while Arthur stole timidly from between the beds out to his wash-hand stand, and began his ablutions. 4. On went the talk and laughter. Arthur finished his washing and undressing, and put on his night-gown. He then looked round more nervously than ever. Two or three of the little boys were already in bed, sitting up with their chins on their knees. 5. It was a trying moment for the poor, lonely, little boy; however, this time he did not ask Tom what he might or might not do, but dropped on his knees by his bedside, as he had done every day from his childhood, to open. his heart to Him who heareth the cry and beareth the sorrows of the tender child, and the strong man in agony. 6. Tom was sitting at the bottom of his bed unlacing his boots, so that his back was to wards Arthur, and he did not see what had happened, and looked up in wonder at the sudden silence. Then two or three boys laughed and sneered, and a big brutal fellow, who was standing in the middle of the room, picked up a slipper, and shied it at the kneeling boy, calling him a sniveling young shaver. 7. Then Tom saw the whole, and the next moment the boot he had just pulled off flew straight at the head of the bully, who had just time to throw up his arm, and catch it on his elbow. 8. "Confound you, Brown! what's that for?" roared he, stamping with pain. "Never mind what I mean," said Tom, stepping on to the floor, every drop of blood in his body tingling; "if any fellow wants the other boot, he knows how to get it." 9. What would have been the result is doubtful, for at this moment the sixth-form boy came in, and not another word could be said. Tom and the rest rushed into bed, and finished their unrobing there, and the old verger, as punctual as the clock, had put out the candle in another minute, and toddled on to the next room, shutting their door with his usual "Good-night, gen'l'men.' 10. There were many boys in the room, by whom that little scene was taken to heart before they slept. But sleep seemed to have deserted the pillow of poor Tom. For some time his excitement, and the flood of memories G that chased one another through his brain, kept him from thinking. 11. His head throbbed, his heart leapt, and he could hardly keep himself from springing out of bed, and rushing about the room. Then the thought of his own mother came across him, and the promise he had made at her knee, years ago, never to forget to kneel by his bedside before he laid his head down on the pillow; and he cried as if his heart would break. 12. It was no light act of courage, in those days, for a little fellow to say his prayers publicly. The first few nights after Tom came to school, he did not kneel down because of the noise, but sat up in bed till the candle was out, and then stole out and said his prayers, in fear lest some one should find him out. 13. Then he began to think that he might just as well say his prayers in bed, and then that it did not matter whether he was kneeling or sitting, or lying down. And so it had come to pass, that for the last year Tom had probably not said his prayers in earnest a dozen times. 14. Poor Tom! the first and bitterest feeling was the sense of his own cowardice. He had lied to his mother, to his conscience, to his God. He resolved to write home next day and tell his mother all, and what a coward her son had been. And then peace came to him as he resolved to bear his testimony next morning. 15. Several times he faltered, as he thought |