exhibit themselves more than was
exactly wise. I have often heard him say that strong likes and equally
strong dislikes were natural defects in his own character, against which
he was obliged to exercise a continual watchfulness.

The idea once formed, that Mr. Oswald favoured me above others, gained
ground amazingly fast. Each boy was on the watch, and the smallest
action was noticed and repeated from one to another in an exaggerated
form, till I became an object of bitter dislike to more than half the
school. Many underhand attempts were made by some of my companions to
hurt me in the good opinion of my teacher; but he possessed too much
penetration and discernment to be easily misled, and for some time all
attempts to injure me came back on themselves; but the feeling of enmity
among the boys gained strength with each passing day. One day, about
the middle of the forenoon, a gentleman who was owing Mr. Oswald money,
called and gave him a ten-dollar bill. Mr. Oswald stepped to the door,
where he received the money, and when he returned to the school-room,
being busily engaged with a class, instead of placing the bill in his
pocket-book lifted the cover of his desk and deposited it there;
thinking to remove it before leaving the room, at noon. He forgot to do
so, and went home to dinner leaving the money in his desk, without even
locking it. The circumstance recurred to his mind soon after the school
was called to order in the afternoon; and, going at once to his desk,
could hardly credit his own eyesight when he perceived that the bill was
gone; he examined all the papers in the desk, as well as every crevice
and corner, but no bill could be found; and he became convinced that it
was indeed gone, and he was equally certain that it had not been removed
without hands. It was a most surprising circumstance, he had taught in
that Academy five years, and this was the first instance of dishonesty
among his pupils. Some boys, it was true, had given him trouble in
various ways, but never any thing of this kind. He remained in deep
thought for a few moments, but all this did not bring back the missing
bill; and he decided that his duty was, if possible, to find out who had
stolen the money, for stolen it had been beyond a doubt. He was sure if
any boy had been tempted to purloin the money after returning to the
school-room at the noon hour, he must have it about him still, having
had no opportunity of disposing of it; he knew i