Connecticut western news., 1877-08-24
A Lesson In Fractions.

"A Lesson III frdCtlOnS.
 It was such blow to me-such a bitter, overwhelming blowl had been so comfortable and happy since the school-master boarded with me. The big front chamber had been SC grim and ghostly always shut up and empty, It was our spare room when poor, dear Charley was alive, but now that I was a widow and poor, it was needless luxury to keep a guest-chamber. None of our old friends cared to visit me now just when needed them most, when l was lonely and sad and miserable, and refused to come. But when MT. Slade took the room, 1 didn't grieve about the loss of friends. It seemed odd to have money for the guest-ehamber, but the way that was situated reconciled me to the thought very speedily indeed.
 Then when my boy Charley got into that scrape at school, should just have died if it had been any body but MT. Slade. .sl --.a. -.s
 Madame" said he, "your boy is mischievous-very mischievous."
 "Yes, Sir," I said meekly.
 "And to extend rope in such man. ner that the unconscious heels of his teacher shall be tripped up thereby; to fill the hat of his instructor with stones ; to put wax upon the bench, so that the tails of his coat may adhere to the sticky substance, and thus come to grief-all these things are very, reprehensible, madam, and merit a condign punish ment.
 Yes, Sir," replied, and wiped away my regretful tears. I knew what was coming. Either Charley would be ex- pelled from the school or dreadfu1ly beaten by this injured man. It was bet ter to have him beaten than expelled, but either was horrible. aE
 "Please don't expe1 him MT. Slade, '' I said. "He must be punished, of course; but please don't beat him very hard"
 ''I shall not beat him at all" he said.
 Don't expel him." I entreated.
 'Nor expel him." he replied. eff you'll leave the boy to me, there will be no further trouble. He has good heart and an open, generous, manly nature. I will appeal to these, madam, ifyou1l allow me. think we can get along with Charley if we take the right way"
 .Oh, MT. Slade,''I said, Chow noble you are! how generous! how magma nimous! I think heaven was good to send me such a-a boarder.'' .....s
 He grew a little red under my praise. and, as it was school-time, bowed him. self out; but really he looked like an archangel to me as he walked down the street. Of course the simile was ab- surd. He was tall and lean and un- gainly; the tails of his long coat did not flap as gracefully as many another coat close by. Charley said he was knock-kneed; perhaps he was; don't know what the term means. He might have been knock-kneed, but to me he was all that was desirable in man.
 The way he managed Charley after that was miraculous; there is no other word for it. The boy was as wild and untamable as a young colt when MT. . Slade took hold of him, and shortly afterward he was the most tractable and orderly of mortals. I could see, though, the time and trouble it cost to work such wonders with him. In the spring they went fishing together, and MT. Slade taught Charlie how to manage his hook and line, and wheedle the poor little fish to his bait. In midsummer they got up collection of beetles and bugs and butterflies and all sorts of things. It was terrible to the poor in sects, I suppose; but oh, dear Heaven what rest and comfort it was to me to have Charley amused and kept out of troublei
 began to rest on Mir. Slade, to con fide in him, to ask his advice, and in variably take it, upon all occasions, to gratefully take advantage of his knack in repairing things about the house, and putting in order troublesome do- mestic utensils. He always put up the shades in house-cleaning time, and hung the pictures; and what I should have done without him that time the ma chine got out of order, Heaven only knows. had dress to finish for Mrs. Chapel, and was working away, when all at once the machine began to squeak dreadfully. It was rasping note, fit to raise the hair on ones head, and mlne had ached all the morning. I oiled it
 fused at it. but all to no purpose :; it squeaked all the more. And, to crown all, the nice pumpkin pie had made for MT. Slade's luncheon was burned to a crisp. smelled it, and rushed to the stove, but too late. It was nasty black ruin, and Ijust sat down and cried over it. It seemed to me so sad and terrible, that I wanted to lay down and die, when in walked MT. Slade to his luncheon.
 "It's no use coming in," I said. ''I don't know how you can stand board ing here, anyway. Pm such miserable