Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-12
SHUT OUT.

BY T. ANSTEY, AUTHOR OF VICE VERSA, &C.
1t is toward the end of an afternoon in De-
cember, and Wilfred Roleston is walking
along a crowded London street with his face
turned westward. A few moments ago and
ne was unconscious of where he was or where
he meant to go; he was walking on mechan
cally in a heavy stupor, through which there
stole haunting sense Of degradation and de-
spair that tortured him duly. And suddenly
rs If by magic, this has vanished he seems
to himself to have walked from a miserable
day-dream to the buoyant consciousness of
youth and hope. Temperaments which are
subject to fits OF heavy and causeless depres-
sion have their compensation sometimes in
the very violence of the reaction which fol-
lows the nfestiug cares, as in Longtellow's
poem fold their tents, ike the Arabs, and
as silently steal away" and with their retreat
comes an exquisite exhlaration which more
equable dispositions can never experience.
Is this SO with Rolleston nowl He only
knows that the cloud has lifted from bis brain
and that in the clear sunshine which bursts
upon hun he can look his sorrows in the face,
and that there is nothing SO terrible in them
after all
1t is true that he is not happy at the big
city day school which he has Just left How
should ne be? He is dull and Grabbed and
uncouth aud knows too well that he is gen
eral object of dislike no one there cares to
associate with him, and he makes no attempt
to overcome their pre- JUDGES, being perfectly
aware that they are different from him and
hating them for it, but hating himself, per-
haps, the most.
And though all his evenings are spent at
home there Is little rest for him even there !;
for the work for the next day must be pre-
pared, aud he sits over it till late, sometimes
nit Aaurarata If IN o,,l
ties, but more often staring at the page before
him with eyes that are almost wilfully vacant.
All this has been and is enough in itself to
account for the gloomy state into which he
had sunk But-and how could he have for
gotten il Pit is over for the present.
Tonight he will not have to sit up strug-
Cling with the tasks which will only cover him
with fresh disgrace on the morrow for O
whole month he need not think of them, nor
Of the classes in which the hand of every one
is against him. For the holidays have begun;
to day has been the last Of the term. Is there
no reason for Joy or thanktuness in that 2
What fool he has been to let those black
thoughts gain such hold over him!
Slowly, more as if it had happened a long
time ago instead of quite recently, the incl
dents of the morning come back to him, vivid
and clear once more-morning chapel and the
doctors sermon. and afterward the pretense
of work and lax discipline in the class rooms,
when the results of the examinations had
been read out, with the names of the boys
who bad gained prizes and their remove to
the form above He had come out last, OF
course, but no one expected anything else
from him a laugh had gone round the desks
when his humble total closed the list, and he
had Joined in It TO show III sm he didn't care.
And then the class had been dismissed, and
there had been friendly good-byes arrange
menis for walking home in company or fol-
! meeting during the holidays-for all but him;
he had gone out alone, and the dull blankness
had come over him from which he has only
| Just recovered.
But, for the present at all events, he has
got rid of it completely he is going home,
where at least he is not despised, where he
will find sanctuary from gibes and jostlingC
| aud impositions and the longer he thinks OF
this the higher his spirits rise, and he steps
i briskly, with kind of exaltation, until the
people he passes in the streets turn aud loob
at him, struck by his expression. They car
see how jolly I'm feeling, hs thinks with &
smile.
The dusk is falling, and the shops he pass
es are brilliant with lights and decorations
but he does not stop to look at any of them
| his mind is busy with settling how he shal
employ himself on this the first evening Of hi
liberty-the first for so long on which hi
could feel his own master.
At first he decides to read. Is there no
some book he had begun and meant to finish
so many days ago now that he has even for
| gotten what it was all about, and only remem
bers that it was excitingI
And yet, he thinks, he won't read to-nigh
not on the very first night of the holidays
Quite lately-yesterday or the day before
his mother had spoken to him, gently but YER
seriously, about what she called the moros
aud undlseiplned temper which would brinI
misery upon him # he did not set himsel
earnestly to overcome it.
Aud there were times he knew, when
seemed as if demon possessed him and drov
him to wound even those who loved him an
whom he lOved-times when their affectio
only reused in him some hideous spirit of su
len contradiction.
He feels sOftsned now, somehow, and hs
a new longing for the love he has so ofte
harshly repu.ssd. He will overcome thi
sulkiness of his he will begin this very ever
ing as soon as he gets home he will tell b
mother that he is sorry, that he does love be
really, only that when these fits come on hiI
he hardly knsws what he says or does,
And she will forgive him, only too gladl!
aud his mind will be quite at ease again. NJ
| uok NuiAo AubEb 10 htlll bomdNnluk hb must v
before that He has vague recollection {
a long standing GOODNESS between himself an
his younger brother Lionel. They never hay
got on very well together; Lionel is 80 diffe
ent-much oleverer, even, already, for OF
thing better looking, too, and better ten
pered. Whatever they quarreled about, Wi
fred is very sure that he wac the offender
Lionel never begins that sort of thing b
be will put himself in the right at once, al
ask Lionel to make friends again he VI
consent readily enough-he always does.
And then he has a bright idea he will tai
his brother some little present to prove th
he really wishes to behave deoently for Il
> future. What shall he buy?
He finds himself near large toy shop
( the time, and in the window are display
I several regiments of brightly oolored tin wa
: riors-the very thing Lionel is still youl
enough to delight in them.
Feeling in his pockets, Rolleston discove
y more loose silver than he had thought he pc
i sessed, and 80 he goes into the shop and as
for one of the boxes of soldiers He is sci