ven up on the first of February. The return of
the pupils, although they filled the schoolroom during study hours, and
made the lawn a livelier scene during recess, did not in the least
degree interrupt the intimacy of Ishmael and Claudia. He still sat at
her feet beneath the green shadows of the old elm tree, often reading to
her while she worked her crochet; or strumming upon his old guitar an
accompaniment to her song. For long ago the professor had taught Ishmael
to play, and loaned him the instrument.

It is not to be supposed that Claudia's favor of Ishmael could be
witnessed by his companions without exciting their envy and dislike of
our youth. But the more strongly they evinced their disapproval of her
partiality for Ishmael, the more ostentatiously she displayed it.

Many were the covert sneers leveled at "Nobody's Son." And often Ishmael
felt his heart swell, his blood boil, and his cheek burn at these
cowardly insults. And it was well for all concerned that the youth was
"obedient" to that "heavenly vision" which had warned him, in these sore
trials, not to ask himself--as had been his boyish custom--what Marion,
Putnam, Jackson, or any of the "great battle-ax heroes" would have done
in a similar crisis; but what Christ, the Prince of Peace, would have
done; for Ishmael knew that all these great historical warriors held the
"bloody code of honor" that would oblige them to answer insult with
death; but that the Saviour of the world "when reviled, reviled not
again"; and that he commended all his followers to do likewise,
returning "good for evil," "blessings for cursings."

All this was very hard to do; and the difficulty of it finally sent
Ishmael to study his Bible with a new interest, to seek the mystery of
the Saviour's majestic meekness. In the light of a new experience, he
read the amazing story of the life, sufferings, and death of Christ. Oh,
nothing in the whole history of mankind could approach this, for beauty,
for sublimity, and for completeness; nothing had ever so warmed,
inspired, and elevated his soul as this; this was perfect; answering all
the needs of his spirit. The great heroes and sages of history might be
very good and useful as examples and references in the ordinary trials
and temptations of life; but only Christ could teach him how to meet the
great trial from the world without, where envy and hate assailed him; or
how to resist the dark temptations from the world within, in whose d