hed at.

Phil's observation of his brother's toil and trouble led him to give him
some help. Almost every day he would hear Hugh say his lesson--or try
to say it; for the poor boy seldom succeeded. Phil sometimes called him
stupid, and sometimes refrained from saying so, whatever he might think;
but there really was very little difference in the result, whether Phil
heard the lessons beforehand or not; and it gave Joe Cape a great
advantage over Phil that he had no little brother to attend to.
Considering how selfish rivalship is apt to make boys (and even men), it
was perhaps no wonder that Phil sometimes kept out of Hugh's way at the
right hour, saying to himself that his proper business was to do his
lessons, and get or keep ahead of Joe Cape; and that Hugh must take his
chance, and work his own way, as other boys had to do. This conduct
might not be wondered at in Phil; but it hurt Hugh, and made him do his
lessons all the worse. He did not like to expose his brother's
unkindness to any one, or he would oftener have asked Firth to help him.
Firth, too, had plenty of work of his own to do. More than once,
however, Firth met the little lad, wandering about, with his grammar in
his hand, in search of the hidden Phil; and then Firth would stop him,
and sit down with him, and have patience, and give him such clear
explanations, such good examples of the rules he was to learn, that it
all became easy, and Hugh found his lessons were to him only what those
of other boys seemed to them. Still, however, and at the best, Hugh
was, as a learner, far too much at the mercy of circumstances--the
victim of what passed before his eyes, or was said within his hearing.

Boys who find difficulty in attending to their lessons are sure to be
more teased with interruptions than any others. Holt had not the habit
of learning; and he and Hugh were continually annoyed by the boys who
sat near them watching how they got on, and making remarks upon them.
One day, Mr Tooke was called out of the school-room to a visitor, and
Mr Carnaby went up to take the master's place, and hear his class.
This was too good an opportunity for the boys below to let slip; and
they began to play tricks,--most of them directed against Hugh and Tom
Holt. One boy, Warner, began to make the face that always made Holt
laugh, however he tried to be grave. Page drew a caricature of Mrs
Watson on his slate, and held it up; and Davison took a mask out of his
des