and she said in a choking
voice,

"O! they won't send you to sea, Andrew?"

"Father threatened to send me to sea if I didn't attend school
better."

"But you will attend better, Andrew. I know you will. Oh, it would
be dreadful to be sent to sea!"

"I don't know. I'd as lief be there as anywhere else, if I can't see
you!"

"But you will see me sometimes. We can't meet any more as we go to
school; but we'll see each other often, Andrew."

These words lifted much of the heavy weight that pressed on the
feelings of the boy.

"When will we see each other?" he asked.

"I don't know," replied Emily. "Father said we musn't meet going to
school; but there will be other chances. Good-by! I wouldn't like
father to see me here, for then he would think me a very disobedient
girl."

And saying this, Emily turned and ran fleetly away. Andrew's
feelings were relieved from the pressure that rested upon them.
Still he felt angry and indignant at Mr. Winters, and this state
increasing rather than subsiding, tended to encourage other states
of mind that were not good. With a feeling of rebellion in his heart
he returned home, where he found no difficulty in provoking some
reaction, and in falling under the quickly excited displeasure of
his father, who was ever more inclined to seek than overlook causes
of reproof. The consequence was, that when he left home for school
in the afternoon he felt little inclination to attend, and, after a
slight debate, yielded to this inclination. A little forbearance and
kindness would have softened the child's feelings, and prompted him
to enter the right way. But the iron hand was never relaxed, and
there was no room beneath it for the crushed heart of the boy to
swell with better impulses.

At supper time, on that evening, the boy was absent. He should have
been at home nearly two hours before.

"Where is Andrew?" asked Mr. Howland, as they gathered at the table.

"I'm sure I don't know," replied Mrs. Howland, in a voice touched
with a deeper concern than usual.

"Has he been home since school was dismissed?"

"No."

"Was there ever such a boy!" exclaimed Mr. Howland.

"Most probably he has been kept in," suggested the mother.

"Edward, go round to the house of his teacher and ask if he was
dismissed at five o'clock," said Mr. Howland.

Edward left the table and went on his errand. He soon returned with
word that Andrew had not been to school all day.

Knife and fork fell fro