stay, I am inclined to
believe, with Mr. Emerson, that "Virtue itself is apt to be occasional,
spotty, and not always the same clear through the piece." This may be
another case where facts do not tally with logical conclusions based
upon dogmatic theological reasoning. Yet if the fact is thus, my dear
reader, you need not be alarmed, so far as you are concerned. Ask
yourself if it isn't true, in your case, at least, that you have
slipped down from the lofty places of your desire and aspiration many a
time, even when you have done your best to keep in your high estate.
Human nature! That is the key to this condition. How to handle this
unstable quantity so as to keep it up continually, this is a problem
for the ages.

So "Dodd" slipped again, just as such boys are continually apt to do,
and Mr. Bright bore with him patiently, and "worked him," as a wise
teacher can and will.

The machine cannot and will not bear with boys and "work them." It
"suspends" them and "expels" them.

The "Other-Fellow" held "Dodd" to his work for days and weeks, but,
finally, even this power lost its grip, for a time.

It happened--as such things usually do, when the teacher is doubly
busy--that "Dodd" began whittling a stick at his desk and covering the
floor all about with the litter, in a most shameful and slovenly
manner. Mr. Bright discovered the fact just as he was in the midst of
a class exercise in which twenty pupils were taking part, all being at
the board at the same time and working together under pressure of his
rapid dictation. He had no time to stop then and there to put a pupil
into order. He was flushed and excited with his class work, holding
his boys and girls up to the vigorous drill he was giving them, and he
scarcely paused to say to "Dodd":

"Put up that knife and go to work!"

He did not wait to see it he was obeyed. He had not time.

The next act of "Dodd's" that he was conscious of was his opening the
door to leave the room. He saw at once that this move was made simply
to kill time, and to get rid of study, and as "Dodd" was in the very
act of closing the door behind him, Mr. Bright called out to him:

"Come back and take your seat!"

But "Dodd's" only answer was to slam the door as hard as he could and
dash down stairs, three steps at a jump.

Mr. Bright rushed out after him at the top of his speed. In his haste
to make time, and catch the fugitive, if possible, he revived a custom
of his yo