This was the fact of his being accompanied by his
mother when he came to the school, and her having taken board in the
village, that she might be near him as long as he was there. Lewie had
remonstrated with his mother, when she proposed accompanying him, and
had urged her to accept his Uncle Wharton's invitation to make his house
her home. He was just at that age when boys love to appear independent
and manly, and able to take care of themselves; and he had hoped that he
should be allowed to go alone to school, as many of the other boys did,
or perhaps to accompany his uncle and cousins. But to be taken there
under the care of a _woman_, and to have her remain near him, as if
he could not take care of himself! Lewie thought this a most humiliating
state of things. But for once his mother was firm. It would be like
severing her heart-strings, to separate her from her darling son; and
wherever he went, she must go as long as she lived. This ingratitude on
the part of Lewie and evident desire to rid himself of her company,
after so many years spent in devotion to his slightest wishes, wore upon
her spirits, and was one cause, perhaps the principal one, of her
nervous depression, and consequent ill health.

As soon as Colton understood the state of Lewie's feelings on this
tender point, and noticed How his cheeks would flush with passion
whenever the subject was mentioned, he took advantage of it to harass
and enrage him, renewing the subject most unmercifully at every
convenient opportunity. Thus, whenever, in their sports, Lewie took upon
himself to dictate, in his authoritative way, Colton would ask the boys
if they were going to be governed by a baby who had not yet broken
loose from his mother's apron-strings; and when Lewie could no longer
restrain his passion, and began to show signs of becoming pugnacious,
Colton would advise him to "run to mother," to be petted and soothed.

For sometime prudence restrained Lewie from making an attack upon this
boy, so much larger and stronger than himself, for he was almost certain
that he would get the worst of it in an encounter with him. But one day
when Colton was more aggravating than ever, Lewie suddenly lost all
command of himself, and flew at him in a most fearful storm of rage, and
with all the might of his passion concentrated in one blow, he dashed
the great boy against a tree; and after he was down, and lying
insensible, with his head cut and bleeding, Lewie could sca