Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-08
CHAPTER VI.


And so the little story may be brought
to an end, for a story should end and
should begin like the frieze of a Greek
temple, where at one end you see the
head of a horse and at the other end
see the tail of another, but where you
know nothing of the bodies of these two
horses. This little Silas could and
would do anything which Will Mallory
babe him do, and it ended oddly
enough after two years in Wills taking
him with him when he went to college
at Cambridge, for the little boy de-
lighted i'll his singing. He still had that
clear soprano voice, and he had a ten
derness and sympathy which compelled
him to sing with the spirit. Will had
laid up $500 by his printing and was
to enter as special student at Har-
ward. Little Silas took on So" as his
mother said, at the idea of parting that
she recollectcd that she had cousin in
Cambridge and, with Wills full ap-
prevail, sent the little fellow down to
spend the winter with her, that he need
not be a mile away from his best friend.
The society of an academy or college
town is always simple-that is to say,
the best people find each other out and
come together. Will Mallory was popu-
lar with the fellows" because he was
good natured, obliging and simple, part
ly because he was not afraid i'll football,
and, though he did not pretend to be
much of Is baseball man, could take his
place as a substitute. With the older
people in the college he was favorite
for the same reasons. He confessed
ignorance" when he was ignorant; he
listened we'll; he bore hand when he
was asked to; he would sing if Mrs.
Bentley asked him to sing; he would
play tennis if anybody failed to appear;
he did not insist always on having his
own way. His two years, and Silas' as
well, passed only too quickly.
Then, by what we call an accident,
they came to an end before he had really
finished the course he had planned.
Silas was reading one of Mr.. Steven
sons stories one evening when Commo-
dore Stetson called Commodore Stetson
had invented a new arrangement for an
electric signal on board ship, and he
had come to consult Mr.. Marrer, Silas'
uncle, about the details, for Mr. Marrer
was an electrician. AS always, Silas
paid much more attention to what other
people were saying than to his own
business. So he heard the commodore
say that he wanted the new "call"
finished, if possible, within a month,
| for that he had been ordered to the East
Indian station and that they should all
sail before the 10th of July. Silas could
not help thinking how nice it would be
to 60 with him, to have chance at
breadfruit and onagras and Holsters,
guava and other luxuries of "Swiss
Family Robinson, but he said nothing.
Will had made him understand that he
must hold his tongue; that 1.-THE dumb
man orders still increase. A"
Even when the commodore went on
to say, 81 am going to see Mr.. Bolles,
the secretary, to see whom he can give
me for an amanuensis or private clerk, u
Silas bit his tongue and said nothing.
"You see, " said this nice, hearty sailor,
81 want a young fellow with his eyes
open, who has a smack at language,
who can write better hand than and
make better sketch than /, and gen
tleman he must be, too, who can keeI
secrets and keep out of quarrels with
the midshipmen and the ships officers. y
Even then Silas, in agony with biting
his tongue, said nothing.
But as soon as the commodore haC
gone, when Mr.. Marrer came back from
the door, Silas cried with all his PEN
up eagerness, "Why cannot Will Nal
lory go with him?" And his uncle said
"He is Just the right person. Why die
never think of him2 But it is not too
late, Silas. " And he sat down anC
wrote a note to Commodore Stetsol
and even put ON special delivery staml
to please Silas, and Silas took it to thu
postoffice.
And they all sailed together. Tit
last 1 heard of them they were lowering
boat at the opening of Falcon bay, OF
Mr.. Swiss Family's island. The longi
tude is 1876 degrees west and the lati
tude degrees north. When they conn
home, will tell you more