Franklin and Cradock, whose excellence was
almost solely due to Walter's influence. Kenrick, on the other hand,
never interfered in the house, and let things go on exactly as they
liked, although they were going to rack and ruin.

Charlie's sole friend and helper in the house then was, not Kenrick, but
Bliss. Poor Bliss quite belied his name, for his school work, in which
he never could by any effort succeed, kept him in a state of lugubrious
disappointment. Bliss lived a dim kind of life, seeing all sorts of
young boys get above him and beat him in the race, and vaguely groping
in thick mental darkness. Do what he could the stream of knowledge fled
from his tantalised lip whenever he stooped to drink; and the fruits,
which others plucked easily, sprang up out of his reach when he tried to
touch the bough. He was constantly crushed by a desolating sense of his
own stupidity; and yet his good temper was charming under all his
trials, and he loved with a grateful humility all who tolerated his
shortcomings. For this reason he had a sincere affection for Henderson,
who plagued him, indeed, incessantly, but never in an unkind or
insulting way; and who more than made up for the teasing by patient and
constant help, without which Bliss would not have succeeded even as well
as he did. Bliss was a strong active fellow, and good at the games, so
that with most of the school he got on very well; but, nevertheless, he
was generally set down as nearly half-witted--a mere dolt. Dolt or not,
he did Charlie inestimable service; and if any boy is in like case with
Bliss, let him take courage, for even the merest dolt has immense power
for good as well as for harm, and Bliss extended to Charlie a gentle and
manly sympathy which many a clever boy might have envied. He knew that
Charlie was ill-used. Not being in the same dormitory, and joining very
little in the house concerns, he was not able to interfere very directly
in his aid; but he never failed to encourage him to resist iniquity of
every kind. "Hold out, young Evson," he would often say to him; "you're
a good, brave little chap, and don't give in; you're in the right and
they in the wrong; and right is might, be sure of that."

It was something in those days to meet with approbation for well-doing
among the Noelites; and Charlie, with genuine gratitude, never forgot
Bliss's kind support; till Bliss left Saint Winifred's they continued
firm friends and fast.

"Have yo