ere was on the table by the
heater of the Italian iron and a chamber candlestick, and got a lemon
over, would make my head spin round and round and round as it did at the
time. So I says "if you'll excuse my addressing the chair Professor
Jackman I think the period of the lecture has now arrived when it becomes
necessary that I should take a good hug of this young scholar." Upon
which Jemmy calls out from his station on the chair, "Gran oo open oor
arms and me'll make a 'pring into 'em." So I opened my arms to him as I
had opened my sorrowful heart when his poor young mother lay a dying, and
he had his jump and we had a good long hug together and the Major prouder
than any peacock says to me behind his hand, "You need not let him know
it Madam" (which I certainly need not for the Major was quite audible)
"but he _is_ a boy!"

In this way Jemmy grew and grew and went to day-school and continued
under the Major too, and in summer we were as happy as the days were
long, and in winter we were as happy as the days were short and there
seemed to rest a Blessing on the Lodgings for they as good as Let
themselves and would have done it if there had been twice the
accommodation, when sore and hard against my will I one day says to the
Major.

"Major you know what I am going to break to you. Our boy must go to
boarding-school."

It was a sad sight to see the Major's countenance drop, and I pitied the
good soul with all my heart.

"Yes Major" I says, "though he is as popular with the Lodgers as you are
yourself and though he is to you and me what only you and me know, still
it is in the course of things and Life is made of partings and we must
part with our Pet."

Bold as I spoke, I saw two Majors and half-a-dozen fireplaces, and when
the poor Major put one of his neat bright-varnished boots upon the fender
and his elbow on his knee and his head upon his hand and rocked himself a
little to and fro, I was dreadfully cut up.

"But" says I clearing my throat "you have so well prepared him Major--he
has had such a Tutor in you--that he will have none of the first drudgery
to go through. And he is so clever besides that he'll soon make his way
to the front rank."

"He is a boy" says the Major--having sniffed--"that has not his like on
the face of the earth."

"True as you say Major, and it is not for us merely for our own sakes to
do anything to keep him back from being a credit and an ornament wherever
he goes and perh