, and when he grew up to be a man,
_self_ had full rule over _him_.

His young ones, for he had more than Frank, felt this fault hard to
bear. So great was their fear of Mr. Hart, that when he was in the room
they did not dare to speak, or to laugh, or to move. Had they a book in
hand, they did not dare to turn the leaves, for fear that they might be
heard; nor could they leave the room, for their shoes might creak, or
the door might make a noise.

Thus would these poor things sit, till (sound of joy!) the well known,
and at times the long sought for sound, the push of Mr. Hart's chair,
told them he would soon be gone. Then the door would shut; and no shut
of door could bring more ease and joy than the shut of that.

He was gone! and these young ones, freed from such chains as few so
young have felt, would rise up from their chairs and jump, in proof
that they _were_ free; and though they might not speak a word, each
knew what was felt by all.

Frank was not so old by two years as the one next to him in age: he was
but eight years old, and he did not dare to tell how great was his fear
of Mr. Hart.

Frank thought that to feel as he felt must be wrong, and yet he could
not help it. He thought this when he saw all boys else so glad to see
the friend who was to them all that Mr. Hart ought to have been to
Frank.

Frank, when he saw the rush of joy, when he heard the loud laugh of
glee with which these boys were wont to greet this friend of theirs,
has felt sad.

The bell that calls a child, though from its room of play to the room
down stairs, that bell which is a sound so full of joy, brought no joy
to poor Frank. It was a sound that he could not bear to hear, for to
him it rang a knell of pain. And who can blame Frank for this? who
_can_ when they know the scene to which such a bell would call him?

"Come in, Frank," said Mr. Hart one day to him, "come in: here is an
egg for you."

Frank could not think that such a thing could be for him, yet he _saw_
the egg, and his face told how glad he was.

"Thank you," said Frank, as in great haste he took hold of the spoon.

He broke the shell with much care, and took it off bit by bit. He had
just put his spoon so as to take up some of the nice white, when he
found that quite as hard as he had found the shell. This was odd! but
still he broke through _that_, when his spoon fell through it--it was
but an egg-shell full of air!

What was poor Frank's look of woe! He