Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-22
A LESSON In FRACTIONS,

1t was such a blow to me-such a bit
ter, overwhelming blow! l had been
SO comfortable and happy since the
schoOlmaster had boarded with me.
The big front chamberhad been so grim
and ghOstly, always shut up and empty.
1t was our spare room when poor dear
Charley was alive; but now that | was
q widow and poor, it was a needless
luxury to keep a guest-chamber. None
of our old friends cared to visit me
now; just when [ needed them most,
when | was lonely and sad and misera-
BILE, they refused to ONE But when
MIR. Slade took the room, | didn't
grove about the loss of friends. 1t
seemed odd to have m%oneyfor the guest
chamber, but the way that | was situated
reconciled me to the thought very
speedily i>deed.
Then when my boy Charley got into
that serape at school, / should just have
died if it had been any body but Mr..
Slade.
"Madam," said he, "your boy is
mischievOus-very m~ischievous."
"Yes, SIR" [ said, meekly.
"And to extend q rope in such q
n 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
this sticky substance, and thus come to
grief--all these things are very repre-
hensible, madam, and merit a condign
punishment"
"Yes, SIR" L replied, and wiped
away my regretful tears. knew what
was coming. Either Charley would be
expelled from the school or dreadfully
beaten by this injured man. 1t was
better to have him beaten than ex-
PEELED, but either was horrible.
"Piease don't expel him, Mr.. Slade,"
l said. "He must be punished, of
course; but please don't beat him very
hard"
81 shall not beat him at ALL" he
said.
"Don't expel him." 1 entreated.
"Nor expel him." he replied. elf
you'll leave the boy to me, there will
be no further trouble. He has a good
heart and IN open, generous, manly
nature. I'll appeal to these, madam,
if you'll allow me. l think we a get
along with Charley if we take the right
way"
"Oh, Mr.. Slade," said, show no.
BILE you are! how senerous! how mag
nanimous! / think Heaven was good
to send me such IA boarder."
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 alb
surd. He was tall and lean and un-
calmly; 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; Idon't
know what the term can He might
have been knock-kneed, but to me that
day he was ali 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 MIR.
Slade took hold of him, and shortly af-
terward he vas the most tractable and
orderly of mortals. L could see, though,
the time and trouble it cost to work
such wonders with him. In the spring
they went fishing together, and Mr..
Slade taught Charley how to manage
his hook and line, and wheedle the poor
fish to his bait. In midsummer
they got up a collection of beetles and
bugs and butterflies and all sorts of
things. 1t was terrible to the poor in
sects, Lsnppose; but, oh, dear Heaven!
what a rest and comfort it was to me to
have Charley amused and kept out of
trouble. !
l began to rest upon Mr.. Slade, to
conGde in him, to ask his advice, and
invariably take it, upon all occasions,
to gratefully take advantage of his
knack in repairing things about the