The Friends; or, The Triumph of Innocence over False Charges

by Herbert Strang

  CHAP. II.

  It had been a custom in Dr. Harris's school to admit an aged woman,once a week, to call with cakes, lozenges, and other sweetmeats; and asshe was very poor, each lad was allowed, and indeed expected, to layout a penny with her. This they did very willingly, not merely becauseshe generally had a good assortment of those things which little boysare fond of, but because she was cheerful, civil, and obliging; andfrequently took in good part, the tricks they so often played uponher. She used also to bring her grand-daughter Emma with her, forthe purpose of taking the money, and carrying her basket, which was apleasing duty to this little girl, for she dearly loved her grandmother.

  This well-intended plan of compelling the boys to spend their money inthe school-room, though of benefit to Dame Higgins, (for that was hername,) at length caused a violent irruption, by giving the elder boysan opportunity of imposing upon the younger ones; when, if they hadbeen allowed to have spent their half-pence in the village, they mighthave evaded the impost which was laid upon them. The old woman used toarrive regularly every Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, which werehalf-holidays; and Dr. Harris, fearing that if all were admitted at onetime, she might be confused, had ordered that they should proceed byrotation, but only six at a time; consequently, the biggest boys alwaysentered first, and then waited at the other door till the rest cameout with their cakes, fruit, or sweetmeats. Now, so much power had theelder boys, (particularly Brown, Greene, and Walker,) over the rest,that they regularly exacted from them either a plum, a cake, a pear, orsomething of what they had purchased.

  Soon after Henry and George had arrived at the school, and they werepassing through the door which led into the play-ground, with theircakes, they were stopped, amongst the rest, and asked by Walker for abit of something; and as they saw most of the boys gave one thing orother, and being themselves good-natured, they readily bestowed theirportion; and this was repeated for three or four weeks.

  About this time little Ned Hooper, a lad much liked by most of theboys for his mirth and good humour, came up to George, with a tear inhis eye, and said, "Look here! see what these fellows have left me,out of what I bought: they have taken above half," added he, showinga few lozenges, "and all because I said they ought to be ashamed ofthemselves for so doing."

  "Ashamed, indeed!" cried George, with indignation; "and are those allthey have left you?"

  "Yes; and they had as many from me last week, but I did not say anything about it," said Ned.

  "Why did you give them any this week, if they had so many from you theweek before?" asked Henry.

  "Because I am not strong enough to prevent them, or they should nothave one from me. But it is so with all us little boys. They take someof our gingerbread or fruit from us every week." And he then walkedaway crying.

  Some of the other boys who stood round, confirmed what little Ned hadsaid, and told George and Henry that they would be obliged to submitto the same, as long as those _tyrants_ were in the school; for theyhad taken from them ever since they had been there. They then wentand fetched little Ned, who had just finished the lozenges they hadleft him, and then cheerfully joined in the play as though nothing hadhappened.

  Not so our two young friends, who were much hurt to see their littleschool-fellows imposed upon; and endeavoured to find out some plan bywhich they might put an end to so shameful a practice. They at firstthought of offering them a certain quantity from amongst all the boys;but afterwards determined upon stopping it altogether, by a combinationamongst their school-fellows. "For why," said George, in an animatedtone, "should one boy be allowed to act unjustly towards another,merely because he is older or stronger? It is 'might overcoming right;'and therefore I think we should be justified in resisting these_tyrants_, as they are properly called, by every means in our power."

  They then joined the rest at play, having resolved to make themacquainted with their determination before the next arrival of DameHiggins.

  This opportunity soon offered; for about four o'clock the sameafternoon, Greene, Walker, Brown, and those with whom they generallyassociated, left the school to take a walk through the town. Henryobserved all the boys whom he had seen at the door, when they passedwith their cakes, leave the play-ground; and mentioned to his friendGeorge, that it would be a good time to ask their school-fellowswhether they would join in their resistance. Henry, therefore,collected them together; and George informed them that he had a planto submit, how they might preserve their cakes from the _tyrants_;which occasioned an expression of great joy among the little boys, whothought they saw in their two new school-fellows, worthy and trustychampions.

  "What is it?" "How shall we do it?" was asked by many an anxious andeager boy, who had long wished to have some one whom they might lookup to as their leader.

  "Why, we were thinking," said George, "that it is a shameful thing forso many of us to submit to be robbed by so small a number of boys,merely because they are a little bigger than ourselves; and thereforeHenry and I have determined to refuse giving another cake or sweetmeat,provided you will support us."

  "We will, we will," they cried. "And they shall soon find out they arenot to rob us when they please," cried little Ned. "But how do youintend to do it," he asked, laying hold of George's hand.

  "Why to-morrow," said he, "Dame Higgins will be here again; and I haveno doubt but that the same demand will be made of us as heretofore; butHenry and myself, with some others, will immediately follow them, andwhen they make their request, we will refuse to comply, and hold themat bay till the rest arrive, when we will boldly resist, and force ourway into the play-ground."

  To this plan their school-fellows readily assented, and promised not tosay a word about it, for fear they should make the _tyrants_ acquaintedwith their intention. They then went to their sports, which were notunfrequently interrupted in their progress by the consideration oftheir forthcoming resistance.

  At length the important day arrived, which, as usual, brought DameHiggins to the school. The morning had passed in rather a confusedmanner; and a constant buzzing and whispering was heard throughoutthe little assembly. "I don't mind a thrashing," said little Ned, ina whisper to George, "if I can preserve my cakes, and disappointthose greedy fellows." He had no sooner uttered the words, than thewell-known voice of Dame Higgins was heard, and his determination wasput to the test; for the elder boys hastened, as usual, to her basket,purchased what they wanted, and took their stations at the next door.Henry, George, and Ned, accompanied by three of the most resoluteboys, immediately followed, and, as was agreed upon, refused to give asingle sweetmeat; they were therefore stopped in their passage throughthe room, when they were happily joined by their comrades. They nowdetermined to force their way through, and had just made a grand rush,when, to their surprise and mortification, Dr. Harris appeared beforethem. They shrunk back with amazement: Greene and his companionsthrough shame, and Henry and his friends from fear.

  The Doctor seeing their confusion, called upon Greene, who was theeldest boy, to explain the cause of it; but Greene was silent. "Whatis the reason of this disturbance?" he again asked. "I insist uponknowing. Some one tell me immediately."

  Henry, who was not at all desirous of informing Dr. Harris of theaffair, would now willingly have made his retreat, had not little Ned,with some others, stepped forward at the time, which reminded him itwas their cause, and not his own, that he was to plead. The masternow mentioned his name, and demanded of him the cause of the riot. Hetherefore plainly stated the case, and told every thing connectedwith it; and when he had finished, many a little boy took courage totell his piteous tale, of what he had lost by the tyranny of the elderscholars, and begged their master would prevent it in future.

  "As to the cakes," said little Ned, (taking off the hairy cap he usedto wear, and looking at Dr. Harris as seriously as his little merryface would allow,) "as to the cakes, I'll be bound to say, there are asmany in their boxes as would fill a cake-shop."

  The boxes were immediately searched, and although
not quite so manywere found as little Ned supposed, yet there were sufficient toconvince their master of the truth of the statement he had just heard.He therefore gave them a severe punishment, in the presence of thelittle boys whom they had been so long in the habit of ill-treating;and distributed all the apples, sweetmeats, and other things which hefound, including about seven hundred marbles, to the joyous crowd, whowere congratulating each other upon their victory.