ided himself on his scrupulous honesty, his narrow mind and penurious
habits strangled every generous impulse, and, without being absolutely
cruel or unprincipled, he contrived to gall the boy's proud spirit and
render his position one of almost purgatorial severity. His eldest son was
just Russell's age, had been sent to various schools from his infancy, was
indolent, self-indulgent, and thoroughly dissipated. Having been a second
time expelled from school for most disgraceful misdemeanours, he lounged
away his time about the store, or passed it still more disreputably with
reckless companions.

The daily contrast presented by Cecil and Russell irritated the father, and
hence his settled dislike of the latter. The faithful discharge of duty on
the part of the clerk afforded no plausible occasion for invective; he felt
that he was narrowly watched, and resolved to give no ground for
fault-finding; yet during the long summer days, when the intense heat
prevented customers from thronging the store, and there was nothing to be
done, when Russell, knowing that the books were written up and the counters
free from goods, took his Latin grammar and improved every leisure
half-hour, he was not ignorant of the fact that an angry scowl darkened his
employer's visage, and understood why he was constantly interrupted to
perform most unnecessary labours. What the day denied him he reclaimed from
night, and succeeded in acquiring a tolerable knowledge of Greek, besides
reading several Latin books. Finding that his small salary was inadequate,
now that his mother's failing sight prevented her from accomplishing the
usual amount of sewing, he solicited and obtained permission to keep an
additional set of books for the grocer who furnished his family with
provisions, though by this arrangement few hours remained for necessary
sleep. The protracted illness and death of an aged and faithful servant,
together with Electra's tedious sickness, bringing the extra expense of
medical aid, had prevented the prompt payment of rent due for the
three-roomed cottage, and Russell was compelled to ask for a portion of his
salary in advance. His mother little dreamed of the struggle which took
place in his heart ere he could force himself to make the request, and he
carefully concealed from her the fact that at the moment of receiving the
money, he laid in Mr. Watson's hands, by way of pawn, the only article of
any value which he possessed--the watch his