sed to his temples, firm as a rock, listening to the teacher. How he
must have toiled, poor Stardi! The master said to him this morning,
although he was impatient and in a bad humor, when he bestowed the
medals:--

"Bravo, Stardi! he who endures, conquers." But the latter did not appear
in the least puffed up with pride--he did not smile; and no sooner had
he returned to his seat, with the medal, than he planted his fists on
his temples again, and became more motionless and more attentive than
before. But the finest thing happened when he went out of school; for
his father, a blood-letter, as big and squat as himself, with a huge
face and a huge voice, was there waiting for him. He had not expected
this medal, and he was not willing to believe in it, so that it was
necessary for the master to reassure him, and then he began to laugh
heartily, and tapped his son on the back of the neck, saying
energetically, "Bravo! good! my dear pumpkin; you'll do!" and he stared
at him, astonished and smiling. And all the boys around him smiled too,
except Stardi. He was already ruminating the lesson for to-morrow
morning in that huge head of his.

GRATITUDE.

Saturday, 31st.

Your comrade Stardi never complains of his teacher; I am sure of
that. "The master was in a bad temper, was impatient,"--you say it
in a tone of resentment. Think an instant how often you give way to
acts of impatience, and towards whom? towards your father and your
mother, towards whom your impatience is a crime. Your master has
very good cause to be impatient at times! Reflect that he has been
laboring for boys these many years, and that if he has found many
affectionate and noble individuals among them, he has also found
many ungrateful ones, who have abused his kindness and ignored his
toils; and that, between you all, you cause him far more bitterness
than satisfaction. Reflect, that the most holy man on earth, if
placed in his position, would allow himself to be conquered by
wrath now and then. And then, if you only knew how often the
teacher goes to give a lesson to a sick boy, all alone, because he
is not ill enough to be excused from school and is impatient on
account of his suffering, and is pained to see that the rest of you
do not notice it, or abuse it! Respect, love, your master, my son.
Love him, also, because your father loves and respects him; beca