er, of an occasional evening, wished
to run down and visit her sister. If Mr. Barker was engaged in quarrying
a page of Cicero out of some stony boy in whom nature had never made any
Latin deposit, or had just put a fresh batch of offenders into the penal
oven of untimely bed, and felt compelled to run up now and then to keep
up the fire under them, by a harrowing description of the way their
parents would feel if they knew of their behavior--an instrument dear to
Mr. Barker as a favorite poker to a boss-baker in love with his
profession--then, after a clucking noise, indicative of how much he
would like to chuck her under the chin, but for the presence of company,
Mr. Barker would coo to Mrs. Barker, "Lovey, your pick, sweet!" waving
his hand comprehensively over the whole school-room; or "Dear, suppose
we say Briggs, or Chunks, or Thirlwall," as the case might be. The only
difficulty about Briggs was clothes. That used to be obviated by a
selection from the trunks of intimate friends; and Briggs was such a
nice boy, that it was a real gratification to see him with your best
jacket on. Many's the time the old fellow has said to Chunks or me,
"What a blessing that I grew! If I hadn't, how could I ever wear your
trousers?" In process of time these occasional visits, as escort to Mrs.
Barker, expanded into an attendance of all the older boys (when not in
bed for moral baking purposes) upon a series of bi-monthly soirees,
given by the remaining Miss Moodle, with a superficial view to her
pupils' attainment of ease in society; and a material substratum of
sandwiches, which Miss Moodle preferred to see, through the atmosphere
of refinement and intellectuality, as "a simple repast." To this was
occasionally added a refreshment, which I have seen elsewhere only at
Sunday-school picnics,--a mild tap of slightly sweetened water, which
tasted as if lemons had formerly been kept in the pail it was made
in;--only for Sunday-schools they make it strong at the outset, and add
water during the hymns, with a vague but praiseworthy expectation that,
in view of the sacredness of the occasion, there will be some miraculous
interposition, as in the case of the widow's cruse, to keep the beverage
up to proof; while Miss Moodle's liquor preserved throughout the evening
a weakness of which generous natures scorned to take advantage beyond
the first tumbler.

At this portion of my career I was dawned upon by Miss Tucker. From
mature years I lo