The Errand Boy; or, How Phil Brent Won Success by Horatio Alger, Jr. Chapter 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Unfortunately for Fred, his mother was out of town for a few days–a mother so much sooner than a father reaches the heart of her son–so now his father said:

”You will keep your room for the next week. I shall send your excuse to your teacher. Ellen will bring your meals to you. At the end of that time I will see and talk with you.“

Without a word Fred hung his cap upon its nail, and went to his room. Such a sudden change from success and elation to shame and condign punishment was too much for him.

He felt confused and bewildered. Things looked dark around him, and the great boughs of the Norway spruce, close up by his window, nodded and winked at him in a very odd way.

He had been often reproved, and sometimes had received a slight punishment, but never anything like this. And now he felt innocent, or rather at first he did not feel at all, everything was so strange and unreal.

He heard Ellen come into his room after a few minutes with his dinner, but he did not turn.

A cold numbing sense of disgrace crept over him. He felt as if, even before this Irish girl, he could never hold up his head again.

He did not wish to eat or do anything. What could it all mean?

Slowly the whole position in which he was placed came to him. The boys gathering at school; the surprise with which his absence would be noted; the lost honor, so lately won; his father’s sad, grave face; his sisters’ unhappiness; his mother’s sorrow; and even Sam’s face, so ugly in its triumph, all were there.

What an afternoon that was! How slowly the long hours dragged themselves away! And yet until dusk Fred bore up bravely. Then he leaned his head on his hands. Tired, hungry, worn out with sorrow, he burst into tears and cried like a baby.

Don’t blame him. I think any one of us would have done the same.

”Oh, mother! mother!“ said Fred aloud, to himself, ”do come home! do come home!“

Ellen looked very sympathizing when she came in with his tea, and found his dinner untouched.

”Eat your tea, Master Fred,“ she said, gently. ”The like of ye can’t go without your victuals, no way. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I ain’t afeared there is any great harm in it, though your collar is on crooked and there’s a tear in your jacket, to say nothing of a black and blue place under your left eye. But eat your tea. Here’s some fruit cake Biddy sent o’ purpose.“

Somebody did think of and feel sorry for him! Fred felt comforted on the instant by Ellen’s kind words and Biddy’s plum cake; and I must say, ate a hearty, hungry boy’s supper; then went to bed and slept soundly until late the next morning

We have not space to follow Fred through the tediousness of the following week. His father strictly carried out the punishment to the letter No one came near him but Ellen, though he heard the voices of his sisters and the usual happy home sounds constantly about him.

Had Fred really been guilty, even in the matter of a street fight, he would have been the unhappiest boy living during this time; but we know he was not, so we shall be glad to hear that with his books and the usual medley of playthings with which a boy’s room is piled, he contrived to make the time pass without being very wretched. It was the disgrace of being punished, the lost position in school, and above all, the triumph which it would be to Sam, which made him the most miserable. The very injustice of the thing was its balm in this case. May it be so, my young readers, with any punishment which may ever happen to you!

All these things, however, were opening the way to make Fred’s revenge, when it came, the more complete.

—-

Fred Sargent, of course, had lost his place, and was subjected to a great many curious inquiries when he returned to school.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *