Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-18
BILLIAM,
BY =. IL. Crockett.

rater He is all the time mousing about
among books"
Billiam and his father were standing
together in the rectory garden, which
looked over the beautiful vale of st.
John. Helvellyn slept above them,
stretched out like lion with his head
low between his paws. The lake glim-
mered beneath all, dreamy in the light
midsummer haze. Bees hummed in the
old garden, and the flowers ON which
they made themselves drunk reeled and
shook with the press of the jewellers.
The old rector of Applethwaite was
dead. This day Of midsummer had been
his funeral day. An old man full to the
brim Of years and dignities, he had lived
all his life, under the wing of his broth
en-, the squire, rooted safely in the fam
lily living, dining every Sunday and
Thursday at the hall and reading his
100 sermons in q rotation as settled and
regular as tat of the crops. But now
the old order was changed, and, accord
ing to the squirrels providential arrange
ment. the new order was to be-Bil-
liam.
His real name was William, with
something very distinguished after it.
Yet nobody thought of calling him any
thing but Billiam except only the
squire, when, as at present, Billiam and
he differed in opinion. Then he said,
.sWilliam Reginald Setoun Ormi-
thwaite, will you dare to disobey your
father?" And Billiam hung his head, for
he knew that day was coming when
he would.
AT school he had been called Billiam
for the reason that a "Y orker' is called
Yorker" because it was obvious
that he could be called nothing else.
The boy whose Latin verses he did said
70 him: Now, go on, old Billiam hurry
mp. / want to 60 out to the playing
fields to smite that young toad Scott
miner for making faces at me and max
ing me laugh in chapel" So to save
time Billiam gave him his own copy of
verses and saw the plagiarist pass to the
head of the form next day ON the
strength of Billiams iambics. Yet that
boy never even thought of thanking the
author and origin of his distinction.
Why should he? 1t was "only old Bill
ham,
Billiam failed also in gaining the love
and respect of his masters to the extent
which, upon his merits, was his due.
For one thing, he was forever bringing
all manner of broken down sparrows,
MANNED rabbits and three legged dogs
into the school and, if possible, even
into the dormitory. Then smells of di
verse kinds arose and bred quarrelsOmt
dissension of very positive kind. The
house master came up one night to zinc
Billiam with an open knife in his hand
driving fierceIy into throng of boys
armed with cricket bats and wickets
whereupon he promptly dashed at the
young desperate and wrested the knife
OUTFIT his hands.
HDo you wish to murder somebody?
cried the house master, shaking him.
Eyes said Billiam stoutly, 81
Lowther throws my white mice out O.
the window"
No further proceedings were taken
because upon examination Billian
proved to be scored black and blue viii
the wickets of his adversaries. He was
however, from this time forth given
bedroom upon the ground floor, with
little court in front which looked upol
the laundry, and here Billiam, still
unrepentant, was allowed to tend hi
menagerie in peace, provided Away
that il did not entirely destroy the SAM
tation of the school. But when the gov
erning committee came to inspect tn
premises the head master carefully pl
loted them past the entrance of the cour
wherein dwelt Billiam, keeping we'll I
windward of it.
Anybody else would have bee
promptly expelled, but Billiam's fathe
was very important person indeed, an
the head master had known him init
mately at college. Besides, no one coul
possibly have expelled Billiam. Th
very ruffians who whacked him wit
cricket bats would straightway hav
risen in mutiny.
BY and by Billiam' s father tried hir
at Oxford, but, though Billiam stat
his terms, he would have none OF it. 5
when the rectory fell vacant it SCENE
all that could be done was to make al
yanRements by which Billiam would SUE
coed his uncle. The Right Honorabl
ReRinald Setoun Ormithwaite, Billiam
"pater," saw no difficulty in the ma
ter He had been at Elton and Chris
church with the bishop of Lakeland
and The matter lent itself naturally
this arrangement. Every one felt this
be the final solution of a most difficu
problem. Everybody even remotely col
nect6d with the family was consulted
and al expressed their several deligh
with relief and alacrity, but in IL
Meaning nothing was said to Billian
who had setter with a broken le
upon his mind and so lived most
about the kennels and smelled of lin
ment
: But when his father told the prox
mate rector that he must begin to pr
: pare for the bishops examination al
70 INTO residence for some months
: Sc Abbs' famous theological collel
(oalled in clerical circles 1.-The Bat
Do0r'), Billiam most unexpectedly r
fused point blank to have anything
do With the plan. He would be no pa
son be was not good enough, he asseI
= "a. Harry could have it. The Rig
!. Honorable Reginald Setoun Orn
y y tnNaite ex-cabinet minister and f. I
j bEoHa into a rage almost as violent