The record-union., 1899-03-05
The B. A. AND THE BELLS.

learned island there is a public school
which of late years has won particular
renown. The headmaster is an Honor
airy Canon a D. D., an IL. D., and
several other things besides. The as
sistant masters are also man of letters.
though not of so many, and, like the
| reverend head. they wear gowns and
| other scholastic insignia. This lends
an air of academic refinement to the
school, the lawns and the precincts gem
orally.
| The 8. A. was a good looking, clean
shaved. rather pale young man of about
| -and-twenty, and what is called a
sound scholar. He was also, both in
mind, and body, a person of a certain
soHdity; some people said he was stolid,
but of this the reader must judge. He
dressed in black, wore gold-rimmed
spectacles, and was the only son of a
cousin of the head masters wife.
| One morning in June he received a
letter from the head-master which gave
him an agreeable start Though not
exactly a blighted being, he had be-
gun to think he had not quite his de-
serts. He had done so very well at his
University, and had been so exemplary
in regard to his mother, that it seemed
little anomalous, if not unjust, that
after three years he should be nothing
more than tutor to a manufacturer S
sons in a town full of chimneys.
| The head-master's letter was formal,
condescending and guarded. 1t init
mated that the post of first classical
master in the school was vacant, and II
he, the B. A., would like to have 1t,
his application would at least be con-
sidered You might come down to
our commemoration," the letter said,
land meet some of the governors. Per
haps it would be we'll not to mention
our family connection, such as it is.
He had not met the head-master five
times in his life and had never seen the
| school; but he had heard a good deal
about BOTH Though not particularly
sanguine, he decided to go; yet he did
not make up his mind Immediately,
being, to say the truth, a little dello-
crate in his mental movements.
! He arrived late in the day, after
slow journey in dull weather. The
evening, however, was remarkably fine;
and the little town, with its steeples,
towers and Quaint brick houses
and even the fiat -expanse around it
seemed glorified in the clear sunlight
| into something not quite like frag-
n3ent of this common earth. The young
man was curiously unobservant; but
now, so great was the change from ms
late environment, he seemed to be en-
bowed with sight and sensibility all at
one. 1t reminded him of the city OF
his University, which. now that ne came
to recall it. was really a very charming
place. At the railway station he was
met by the Demonstration in Physical
Science and his wife, both of whom he
thought remarkably cordial. They
showed him over the schools, the
grounds and the town generally. They
even took him out to the bridge, where
| one sees the two principal splres-St.
GATHERINGS and ST. John's-inverted IN
| the water. and hears the music OF the
various bells of the community. Iney
| took him to the other masters IN con-
clave. who in turn were surprisingly
friendly. So that the young man De
gan to think his invitation had meant
more than he supposed, and to be elated
accordingly.
In the evening there was mildly
festive function, such as are common
at concentrations. commandments
and other school occasions. 1t was held
in the schoolroom, and a good many
ladies were present, several of them
belonging to the families of the Sesl-
dent pedagogues. The B. A. was treat
ed with much consideration, and quite
as if one of the scholastic household
This made him still more elated, and
nearer to excitement than ever before
in his life. Then another thing hap
hi oil nor
deeply interested in a young lady with
dark eyes and rather brilliant color,
who was soon introduced to him as a
Miss Georgiana Smith, and whom he at
length recalled as a slight acquaintance
of his undergraduate days. He had
not been greatly impressed with her
then, he remembered, but now she
seemed really a very vivacious and
striking girl, and in short time he
fell victim to another set of emotions,
which, however, harmonized completely
with those already exercising him. Her
image or the idea of her, seemed to
unite itself to the vision Of his pros
pective post, and to brighten it like a
nmbus or halo-in such manner, in
deed, that he could not think of the
two things separately. This, at least.
was something like the way it affected
him. 1t is true he did not speak with
her more than once or twice, and she
was closely attended by a large and
rather Objectionable male cousin; but
the B. A felt that the subtle bond with
which fate had linked them together
could not be affected by any male rela-
tive, however large or obnoxious. His
conviction, though not resting on very
solid basis, was strengthened when she
expressed regret at not seeing him
again for some time. I'VE are going
away tomorrow for a month";" she
said ait parting: $50 very early, too
the S:35-I don't know how we shall
manage it."
After the public function there was
another. even more festive, and con-
fined to members of the school staff.
I'VE shall be glad to see you in the
study tomorrow at TO-" the head mas
ter said to him, benevolent1y. It's a
little early, but one of the governors
has an appointment at H. 1 like them
to see the new-er-applicants person
ally, and 1 dare say it will be conven-
lent for you,' "Of course" said the B.
A.
AT 11:45 that night he sat at the open
window of a deliciously curtained old
bedroom facing the schools Below him
was the smooth-ro rolled lawn, glistening
in the moonlight and opposite rose the
clock tower containing the Don, whose
voice had sounded out regularly
through the evening. How like it all
was to his college, he Thought He had
resorted to a pipe of mild tobacco Che