by F. W. Farrar
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
THE GOOD RESOLVE.
"Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis chapter 4, verse 9.
"Let's come and see Dubbs before tea," said Walter, on rejoining theother two. "Henderson told me he was ill in bed, poor fellow."
They went at once to the cottage, detached from the rest of the schoolbuildings, to which all invalids were removed, and they were allowed togo to Daubeny's room; but although he was expecting their visit he hadfallen asleep. They noticed a worn and weary expression upon hiscountenance, but it was pleasant to look at him; for although he was avery ordinary-looking boy, with somewhat heavy features, yet whateverbeauty can be infused into any face by honesty of purpose and innocenceof heart, was to be found in his, and you could not speak to Daubeny forfive minutes without being attracted by the sense that you were talkingto one whose character was singularly free from falsehood or vanity, andsingularly unstained by evil thoughts.
"There lies one of the best and worthiest fellows in the school,"whispered Power, as he raised the candle to look at him.
Low as he had spoken, the sound awoke the sleeper. He opened his eyesdreamily at first, but with full recognition afterwards, and said, "O,you fellows, I'm so delighted to set you; when I saw Henderson last, hetold me that you hadn't come back, and that people were beginning tofear some accident; and I suppose that's the reason why I've beendreaming so uneasily, and fancying that I saw you tumbling down therift, and all kinds of things."
"Well, we were very near it, Dubbs, but, thanks to Walter, we escapedall right," said Power.
Daubeny looked up inquiringly. "We must tell you all about itto-morrow," said Power. "How are you feeling?"
"O, I don't know; not very well, but it's no matter; I daresay I shallbe all right soon."
"Hush, you young gentlemen," said the nurse; "this'll never do; yououghtn't to have awoke Master Daubeny just as he was sleeping so nice."
"Very sorry, nurse; good-night, Dubbs; hope you'll be all rightto-morrow," said they, and then adjourned to Power's study.
The gas was lighted in the pretty little room, and the matron, regardingthem as heroes, had sent them a very tempting tea. They ate it almostin silence, for they were quite tired out. It seemed an age since theyhad started in the morning with Henderson and Daubeny. Directly tea wasfinished, Kenrick, exhausted with fatigue and excitement, fell asleep inhis chair, with his head thrown back and his lips parted.
"There, I think that's a sign that we ought to be going to bed," saidWalter, laughing as he pointed at him.
"O no," said Power, "not yet; it's so jolly sitting here; don't wakehim, but come and draw your chair next to mine by the fire and have achat."
Walter obeyed the invitation, and for a few minutes they both sat gazinginto the fire, reading faces in the embers, and pursuing their ownthoughts. Each of them was happy in the other's presence; and Walter,though more than a year Power's junior, and far below him in the school,was delighted with the sense of fully possessing, in the friendship ofthis most promising and gifted boy, a treasure which any one in theworld might well have envied him.
"It's been a strange day, hasn't it, Walter?" said Power at last, layinghis hand on Walter's, and looking at him. "I shall never forget it; youhave thrown a new light on one's time here."
"Have I, Power? How? I didn't know it."
"Why, on the top of Appenfell there, you opened my eyes to the fact thatI've been living here a very selfish life. I know that I get the creditof being very conceited and exclusive, and all that sort of thing; butbeing naturally shy, I thought it better to keep rather aloof from allbut the very few towards whom I felt at all drawn. I see now," he saidsadly, "that at the bottom this was mainly selfishness. Why, Walter,all the time I've been here, I haven't done as much for any single boyas you, a new fellow, have done for little Eden this one half-year. Butthere's time to do better yet; and by God's help I'll try. I'll giveEden the run of my study to-morrow; and as there's plenty of room, I'lllook out for some other little chap who requires a refuge for thedestitute."
"Thank you, for Eden's sake," said Walter; "I'm sure you'll soon beginto like him, if he gets at home with you."
"But that's the worst of it," continued Power; "so few ever do get athome with me. I suppose my manner's awkward--or something; but I'd giveanything to make fellows friendly in five minutes as you do. How do youmanage it?"
"I really don't know; I never think about my own manner or anythingelse. I suppose if one feels the least interest in any fellow, that hewill probably feel some interest in me; and so, somehow, I'm on the bestterms with all I care to know."
"Well, Ken and I had a long talk after you left us, to cross the Devil'sWay; and I hope that the memory of that may make us three friends firmand fast, tender and true, as long as we live. We were in a horriblefright about you, and I suppose that, joined to our own danger, gave asolemn cast to our conversation; but we agreed that if we three, asfriends, were united in the silent resolution to help others, andespecially new fellows and young, as much as ever we can, we might do agreat deal. Tell me, Walter, didn't you find it a very hard thing whenyou first came, to keep right among All sorts of temptations?"
"Yes, I did, Power, very hard; and I confess, too, that I sometimeswondered that not one boy, though there are, as I see now, lots ofthoroughly good and right fellows here, ever said one word, or did onething to help me."
"It's all wrong, all wrong," said Power; "but it was you first who mademe see it. Walter, I shall pray to-night that God, Who has kept ussafe, may teach and help us here to live less for ourselves. Who knowswhat we might not do for the school?"
They both sat for a short time in thoughtful silence. Boys do not oftentalk openly together about prayer or religion, though perhaps they do soeven more than men do in common life. It is right and well that itshould be so; it would be unnatural and certainly harmful were itotherwise. And these boys would probably never have talked to eachother thus, if a common danger had not broken down completely thebarriers of conventional reserve. Never again from this day did theyallude to this sacred resolution; but they acted up to it, or strove todo so, not indeed unwaveringly, yet with manful courage, in the strengthof that pure, strong, beautiful unity of heart and purpose which thisday had cemented between them for the rest of their school-life.
"But you seem to aim higher than I do, Power," said Walter; "I certainlyfound lots of wickedness going on here, but I never hoped to changethat. All I hoped to do was to save one or two fellows from beingcruelly bullied and spoiled. We can't alter the wrong tone which nearlyall the fellows have on some matters."
"Yet," said Power, "there was once a man, a single man, in a greatcorrupted host, who stood between the living and the dead, and theplague was stayed."
"Then rose up Phinees and prayed, and so the plague ceased," whisperedWalter to himself.
All farther conversation was broken by Kenrick, who at this moment awokewith a great yawn, and looking at his watch, declared that they ought tohave been in bed long ago.
"Good-night, Ken; I hope we shall sleep as sound as you," said Power.
"Walter here will dream of skeletons and moonlit precipices, I bet,"said Kenrick.
"Not I, Ken; I'm far too tired. Good-night, both."
Sleepy as they were, _two_ of those boys did not fall asleep that nighttill they had poured out with all the passion of full hearts, words ofearnest supplication for the future, of trembling gratitude for thepast. Two of them--for Kenrick, with all the fine points of hischaracter, was entirely destitute of any sense of religion, and had inmany points the standard of a schoolboy rather than that of a Christian.
When Walter reached his room, the rest were asleep, but not Eden. Hesat up in his bed directly Walter entered, and his eyes were sparklingwith animation and pleasure.
"O Walter," he said, "I couldn't go to sleep for joy; Every one'spraising you to the skies. I am so proud of you, and it is so very goodof
you to be friends with me."
"Tush, Arty," said Walter smiling; "one would think I'd done somethinggreat to hear you talk, whereas really it was nothing out of the way. Imeant to have taken you with us, but I thought it would be too far foryou."
"Taken me with you, and Kenrick, and Power!" said Eden, opening hislarge eyes; "how kind of you, Walter! but only fancy Power or Kenrickwalking with me!"
"Why not, Arty? Power's going to ask you to-morrow to sit in his study,and learn your lessons there whenever you like."
"Power ask _me_!"
"You! Why not?"
"Why, he's _such_ a swell."
"Well, then, you must try and be a swell too."
"No, no, Walter; I'm doing ten times as well as I did, but I shall neverbe a swell like Power," said the child simply. "And I know it's allyour doing, not his. O, how shall I ever learn to thank and pay you forall you do for me?"
"By being a good and brave little boy, Arty. Good-night, and God blessyou."
"Good-night, Walter."