eat, and when they
were out in the meadows, he drew from under his coat a bow and arrow, and
shot the arrow high up in the air. He expected to see him in an ecstasy
of delight: his own children clapped their hands in transport, but Simon
stood silent, and as if awe-struck.

"Shall I send up another?" asked the shoemaker.

"No, no," exclaimed the child, imploringly. "You say God lives up there,
and he mayn't like it."

The shoemaker laughed, but presently he said, as if to himself, "There is
too much imagination there. There will be a poet, if we don't take care."

The shoemaker offered to teach Simon to read, and to solidify his mind,
as he termed it, by arithmetic, and then to teach him to work at his
trade. His mother was very glad, and thought shoemaking would be a good
trade for the boy; and that with Mr. Watson she should have him always
near her. He was growing now a great lad, and was especially strong, and
of a frank and daring habit. He was especially indignant at any act of
oppression of the weak by the strong, and not seldom got into trouble by
his championship of the injured in such cases among the boys of the
neighborhood.

He was now about twelve years of age; when, going one day with a basket
of clothes on his head to Mr. Spires's for his mother, he was noticed by
Mr. Spires himself from his counting-house window. The great war was
raging; there was much distress among the manufacturers; and the people
were suffering and exasperated against their masters. Mr. Spires, as a
staunch tory, and supporter of the war, was particularly obnoxious to the
workpeople, who uttered violent threats against him. For this reason his
premises were strictly guarded, and at the entrance of his yard, just
within the gates, was chained a huge and fierce mastiff, his chain
allowing him to approach near enough to intimidate any stranger, though
not to reach him. The dog knew the people who came regularly about, and
seemed not to notice them, but on the entrance of a stranger, he rose up,
barked fiercely, and came to the length of his chain. This always drew
the attention of the porter, if he were away from his box, and few
persons dared to pass till he came.

Simon Deg was advancing with the basket of clean linen on his head, when
the dog rushed out, and barking loudly, came exactly opposite to him,
within a few feet. The boy, a good deal startled at first, reared himself
with his back against the wall, but at a glance per