The Argosy — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

36 Sclina Radcliffe’s Home. She ran down to their sanctum, the Pine Room. __ Francis came up, sore all over, and his face bleeding. He was a brave little lad, and he strove to make light of it, and keep histears down. She held him to her, and burst into sobs while trying to comfort him. That upset him at once. “Oh, my darling, try and bear! My poor boy, there’s nothing left for us both but to bear. The world is full of wrongs and tribulation : but, Francis, it will all be made right when we get to Heaven.” ‘‘Don’t cry,mamma. It didn’t hurt me much. But, indeed, the snow-ball was not mine.” At ten years old the boys were sent to school. Young Tom, allowed to have his own way, grew beyond everybody’s control, even his father’s ; and Stephen packed him off to school. Selina besought her husband to send Francis also. Why not, replied Mr. Radcliffe; the boy must be educated. And, in spite of Stephen’s interfering opposi- tion, Francis was despatched. It was frightfully lonely and unpleasant for Selina after that, and she got to have a pitiful look on her face. The school was a sharp one, and Francis got on well ; he seemed to possess his grandfather Elliot’s aptitude for learning. Tom hated it. After each of the half-yearly holidays, it took Stephen himself to get him to school again: and before he was fourteen he capped it all by appearing at home uncalled for, a red-hot fugitive, and announcing an intention of going to sea. Tom carried his point. After some feats of skirmishing between nim and his father, he was shipped off as ‘‘midshipman” on board a fine merchantman bound for Hong Kong. Stephen Radcliffe might never have given a consent, but for the certainty that if he did not give it, Tom would decamp from the Torr, as he did from school, and go off asa common seaman before the mast. It was strange, with his crabbed nature, how much he cared for those two children ! “You'll have that other one home now,” said sullen Stephen to his father. ‘‘ No good to be paying for him there.” And most likely it would have been so; but fate, or fortune, inter- vened. Francis got a wind-fall. A clergyman, who had known Mr. Elliot, died, and left Francis a thousand pounds. Selina decided that it should be spent, or at least a portion of it, in completing his education in a superior manner—though, no doubt, Stephen would have liked to get hold of the money. Francis was sent up to King’s Col- lege in London, and to board at the house of one of its masters. In this way a few more years passed on. Francis chose the Bar as a profession, and began to study law. “The Bar!” sneered Stephen. ‘A penniless beggar like Francis Radcliffe! Put a pig to learn to spell!” | A bleak day in wiater. The wind was howling and crying round Eomichbooks.com