Part 2

'You see,' said she, 'that it is just our tea time; for our children prefer having their supper as soon as school is out, that they may have the remainder of the afternoon to play, without interruption; and I like to accommodate them in these little matters.--Will you take your tea with them, or will you walk in the garden till it is over; and let us have our tea by ourselves?'

'I should prefer joining your family circle,' replied Mrs. Willard. 'I have brought my nephew to introduce to you, who is to be your scholar,--here he is; master Frank Courtland, Mrs. Reed.'

Mrs. Reed took his hand; 'you are welcome here, my little fellow,' said she; 'we shall try to make you love us.'

Frank thought he had never been greeted so kindly by a stranger before; and he did not feel the least reluctance to take Mrs. Reed's hand, and accompany her to the tea room. There were collected boys of all sizes; most of them, however, about the age of Frank; they were all conversing very pleasantly and familiarly together; and appeared to be under no restraint, with Mr. and Mrs. Reed. One young gentleman had just come from town, and was giving an account of a fire which had taken place there the day before. It was a house of his cousin's; the fire had caught in the upper story and consumed that and the roof; but was extinguished before it did farther damage.

'Did it burn the house down, James?' said Mr. Reed.

'No; I think it burned the house up, Sir,' he replied.

Frank joined in the laugh which this little sally of wit excited; for it does not take much to make a group of boys laugh.

Mrs. Reed called two or three boys to her and introduced them to Frank; and told them to take him into the garden and play ground. The others soon followed. The mere sight of so many merry, lively fellows, was exhilarating to Frank; who had lived in retirement, and to whom society of his own age was a rare pleasure.

The young gentlemen into whose hands he was entrusted, were very polite and attentive. They did not laugh among themselves at any of Frank's peculiarities, or express surprise at his ignorance of many things, which they knew. Their manners were as much attended to as their minds. Mr. Reed told them he wished to live among gentlemen, as well as scholars.

They led Frank to their own gardens; each boy had a bed; and many had violets and hyacinths in blow, which they gathered and presented to Frank.

'What, have you all gardens?' said he; 'I am glad of that. I regretted very much leaving my garden, and still more my little sister's, of which I had the care: but I have left a kind friend behind, who has promised to be my gardener.'

'What is his name?'

'Sam Brown; he is a farmer's son, a very fine boy, and the only play-fellow I have had.'

'We have some farmer's sons in our school; they are clever fellows, and help us about our gardens, and we help them about their lessons. But should not you like to see _your_ garden?'

'Mine!' said Frank; 'how came I to have a garden?'

'Why, a month ago, Mr. Reed told us, you were coming here in April; and said you were from the country, and would no doubt be fond of gardening; and so he told us that any of us who liked, might choose a spot, and get it ready, and put what we could find in it. Such a number of boys offered, that we had to draw lots; for Mr. R. said that four only should undertake it; and I am one of the four,' said the speaker: whose name was William Gardiner. 'We laid it out in four divisions, with a circle in the middle; and Mr. Reed said we might put roots in the circle; but that we must leave the beds empty, because you would like to plant them yourself.'

Frank went to the spot, and found a rose bush in the centre, and the whole circle filled with roots. There was a beautiful crocus in blow, and strawberries and violets; with many other plants, which do not bloom till late in the season.

'I must bring out some seeds with me to plant,' said Frank.

'No, you need not,' said William Gardiner; 'we shall all give you some of ours, and that will make more than you will want.'

'You are very kind,' said Frank, 'I told my friend Sam, when I left home, that I did not think I should see any boys, whom I should like as well as him; but I suspect I shall find myself mistaken. What is that frame and those posts for?' said Frank.

'O, that is our gymnasium; did you never hear of gymnastics?'

'No, what are they?'

'Why, I don't wonder he never has heard of them,' said Tom Blanchard; 'it is a new thing here. This was put up only last fall.'

'It is to teach us various sorts of exercise, climbing, jumping, &c.' said Albert Lawrence. 'Do you see that tall pole? I believe I can climb up to the top, though it is smooth.' He immediately ran off, and to Frank's astonishment, ascended the pole, which was 30 feet high, and when he had reached the top, took off his cap, swung it, and put it on again, and came down in safety. A few minutes after, Emily came out and called, 'cousin Frank, we are going home now.'

'What already?' said Frank. And he took a friendly leave of the boys, who begged him to come out soon.

When they were in the carriage, Mr. Courtland asked Frank if the place answered his expectations.

'O yes, it is pleasanter than I expected; and I admire the boys; will they always be as kind, I wonder?'

'Perhaps not,' said Mr. Courtland; 'people are usually polite to strangers.'

'I suspect you will always find them so, Frank,' said his aunt. 'I have been there a great deal, and think it the most harmonious family I ever knew. They have so many occupations and amusements, and Mr. and Mrs. Reed are so familiar and affectionate, that all their talents and good feelings are called forth. They have no time for weariness, and rarely any cause of dissatisfaction.'

After two more days had elapsed, Frank's father asked him if he was then willing to go to school; and he answered 'yes,' without any hesitation. It was proposed that he should come into town, and pass Sunday with his aunt, whenever he felt inclined.

'If you are a good walker, Frank,' said she, 'you will always find companions; many of the boys walk in and out the same day, although it is four miles.'

'O, that is nothing,' said Frank; 'I have walked ten miles in a day, many a time.'

Frank took a cheerful leave of his aunt and cousins, and even of his father, who told him he should be out, once or twice before he returned home. The boys came up to welcome Frank, as soon as he arrived; and told him they were glad he had come to stay. For the next day was a holiday, and they were going into the woods to collect wild flowers and evergreens.

Frank had a bed to himself, and William Gardiner had another in the same room. William told him there were four in some of the apartments; and that after they came up at night, they could talk till ten o'clock, if they wished, provided they were not noisy; and that they took this time to settle all their plans.

'We have a great many plans,' said William, 'and some of the boys agree to them, and some do not; some are fond of fun, and don't mind a little mischief; and some are cowardly fellows, whom we can't get to undertake anything, unless it is so plain and easy, that there is no fun in it.'

Frank did not exactly understand the drift of this speech, except that he perceived that William called those cowardly boys, who minded doing a little mischief. Frank had always thought the fear of doing wrong, was a praise-worthy feeling; but he had not the resolution to tell William so, lest he should class him at once, with the cowardly boys.

'Now,' said William, 'if you are a boy of spirit, I will tell you a plan we have for to-morrow.'

Frank had omitted to take his talisman out of his trunk that night, as he did not wish to look at it before any one: the image of it, however, was strongly impressed on his mind; and this idea inspired him with resolution, not to join in any plan, he thought wrong.

'I do not know what you call spirit,' said Frank; 'but I am not afraid of doing any thing, because it is difficult or dangerous, if it is not wrong.' These remarks made William hesitate to communicate his plan to Frank. At last he said, 'Will you promise not to tell, if you don't choose to join? you must know we all hate tell-tales; and a boy would have no comfort here, who told.'

'I shall never be a tell-tale,' said Frank; 'I dislike them myself; they are mean fellows. I promise not tell,' added he, his curiosity much excited.

'You know,' said William, 'we are all, (that is, a great many of us) going into the woods to get evergreens to make arbours of, and to set out in our play ground; we do this very often, and some of the trees take root; there are six alive, which was set out last fall.'

'That may be,' said Frank; 'for fall is the best time to set out trees.'

'I believe it is not for evergreens,' said William; 'but that is no matter, for if they do not live, we have the pleasure of getting them, which is the thing we care most for. Well, we are going off early, soon after breakfast, and stay till sunset. We are to take some cakes, crackers, and cheese, for our dinner. Mrs. Reed, who you must know, if you have not found it out already, is kindness itself, has provided them for us, on condition that we will not buy nuts or raisins, or such things at the store, because some of the boys have been made sick by them. We have promised her we would not buy any thing, but oranges; and when we make Mrs. Reed a promise, we always keep it through thick and thin.'

'It is very wrong to break a promise to any body,' said Frank.

'So it is,' replied William; 'I don't like to make a promise, and so I seldom make one, for I hate to be tied down to any thing. But I must make haste, and tell you, or it will strike ten, and then we must all be mum.'

'Now when we get up into the woods, we want to have a little fun, as well as work; and after we have got our trees, and some wild flowers, we are going to send up a balloon.'

'A balloon!' exclaimed Frank, 'can boys manage a balloon?'

'Hush, don't speak so loud--you promise not to tell, and I will inform you all about it. A man in Boston makes paper balloons to send up on election days, Independence, and such days; some of us boys have clubbed together, and got money enough to buy a small one, and the materials for filling it with gas. I want to send up a cat in it; but James Alcott is such a chicken-hearted fellow, he will not consent, and I suppose we must give that up.'

'Where _is_ the balloon,' said Frank.

'Where you would never guess--in this room, folded up very snug, in a box in my trunk. Now you know we must have some fire, to make the gas, and that we could not get in the woods.'

'Why, yes you could,' said Frank, 'with a tinder box. Sam Brown, and I have made many a fire in the woods, in that way.'

'This is too much trouble, besides we have not any tinder box. But I have bought a box of phosphoric matches, which take fire spontaneously, as it is called; that is, right off, as soon as they come to the air. I was afraid to bring them into the house, for Mrs. Reed has told us never to bring any here; she had the bed-clothes set on fire by a box, a boy once had in his room. I have put them under a stone in one corner of the play ground. When we get to the wood, we shall make a halt, and choose a captain who is to command the rest; then the captain will say, we have a plan for some fun, all those who join, come on my right, and those who do not, on my left. There is the clock striking ten, so I can't tell any more; you will see the rest to-morrow, but not a word of it to any one. Good night.'

Frank could not go to sleep immediately; the communication William had made, perplexed him very much; he did not clearly see any thing wrong in it; he was just going to ask him, if Mr. Reed knew of their project, but remembered that not another word could be said.

His thoughts naturally turned to home, and he wished himself there, quietly laid in his own room, without doubts or hopes in his mind. 'My mother told me I should meet with many temptations, to do what I thought wrong. I wonder if this is going to be one of them. I will look at my talisman: 'let it not appeal to you in vain,' were her last words that night. Frank joined to these reflections a sincere prayer for assistance from God, for the welfare of his parents, and dear little sister, and fell asleep.

Morning came; William did not speak of the subject of their last night's conversation; Frank, who was modest, and a stranger, did not like to introduce it. At one time, he thought of not joining the party to the woods; he knew that if he remained at home, he should be far from the temptation, whatever it might be: but he did not know what reason to give, for declining a proposal, with which he seemed so much pleased, the night before; he feared that he should be regarded as one of the cowardly boys, and get a bad name, the first thing, on coming to the school. He was called out of his room, suddenly, and did not look at his talisman; and after breakfast, joined the scholars in the play ground, without having come to any decision.

They all took it for granted, that he was going, and called on him to assist them in making preparations. Mr. Reed had lent them his hand-cart, in which they placed their knives, axes, hoes, and their baskets of provision, some tin tumblers, and a pitcher, to get water from the brook. Frank looked in vain for the box containing the balloon, and began to think the project had been abandoned. Presently William Gardiner called out,

'Boys, let's take some of our cloaks to sit on, or in case it would rain, or be chilly. I will run up and get mine; shall I bring yours, Frank?'

'O no, I scarcely ever need a cloak, and the weather is very fine to day.'

Several boys, however, approved the proposal, and William Gardiner offered to fetch them all from their rooms. He soon came out, with a large bundle of cloaks; then giving three cheers, off they started, fifteen of them. The others were either too young, to engage in such an expedition, or had gone to pass the holiday with their friends in town.

When they had proceeded about two miles, drawing the cart by turns, they halted, as William had described, and after some altercation, chose Albert Lawrence for captain. He was a tall, manly-looking boy, and as soon as the choice was made, took an epaulet out of the cart, which he said they had put in for the captain, and fastened it on his shoulder, and a cane, which he shouldered like a gun. The address was then made, but nothing was announced, as to the nature of the plan.

Only five boys remained on the left side. Frank was not one of these; almost unconsciously when he saw the majority start for the captain's right side, he went too. William Gardiner seized his hand; 'you are the right sort--one of the brave ones; I see I was not mistaken,' and he gave a significant nod to the captain. Although this speech was made with a look of approbation and kindness, it did not excite such a pleasant feeling in Frank, as the approving smile of his friends had always done before, and he made no reply.

'You who will not agree to join us, must promise not to tell,' said the captain; 'for if you do, we will never forgive you, nor speak to you again. Promise solemnly.' They all promised, well knowing that their residence in the school would be intolerable, under the odium of the character of tale bearers. The captain added, 'we shall work first, and play last. First, we must get all our trees, roots, and flowers, and fill the cart; then, we will meet on the flat rock, at the top of yonder hill, and eat our dinner, and then I will explain, and hope you will consent to join the majority.'

When this was accomplished, and the feast spread out, the boys became merry, and talkative. The captain in an insinuating way, divulged their purpose, and produced the box containing the balloon, from among the bundles of cloaks, which as Frank now perceived, were taken only for the sake of concealing it. The phosphoric matches were then displayed; the method of inflating the balloon described; and its beautiful appearance and ascent represented, in glowing language. All were excited and exclaimed, 'let us see it, let us see it.' When it was opened, and the gay colours and streamers met the view, their pleasure rose still higher, one or two of those who refused at first to join in the plan, now said, they saw no harm in it, and that they should like to see it go up.

'That is as you please,' said the captain--'if you stay to see it go up, you are each one of us, and take your share in the blame and the danger; if you will not run this risk, file off to the other end of the wood, and amuse yourselves with picking flowers; for you had better keep your eyes on the ground; it will go up so high in the air, that you can't help seeing it, if you look up; and this you will have to own, should any one ask if you saw the balloon.'

'Perhaps it will never be heard of,' said one.

'I shall take care of that,' replied William Gardiner, 'if it goes well. I have written a paragraph already, which I intend to put in the newspaper, describing the ascent of a beautiful and mysterious balloon, which, it is presumed, must have come from the clouds, and contain a heavenly visitant, as no trace or account of it whatever, can be found on the earth.'

'That will set people a guessing well,' said one of the group.

'Now let us begin to prepare; there is no time to be lost,' said the captain. 'You ten, who came on my right this morning, I count my own, if you are true men; for a deserter is a meaner fellow than a coward.'

Whatever good resolutions, were rising in Frank's mind, were all put down, by this last remark.

'I say,' said Thomas Blanchard, one of the five, 'I see no harm in setting off a balloon for our amusement, if we had asked Mr. Reed's consent, and if it were not for the fire; but you know, Gardiner, we have been forbid to take fire into the woods, ever since the time, when we liked to have burned up the country, by leaving some there, which kindled and spread so fast, it might not have been extinguished, but for a lucky shower; and you know, I promised Mr. Reed I would have nothing to do with fire, in the woods again; and he said as I was the ringleader, if I did not, he should hope the others would not.'

'There is more than one ringleader in the school, luckily for the cause of fun,' said Gardiner. 'But if you have promised, there is an end of it--start off. The only reason why we did not tell of the balloon, was on account of the fire. But _we_ made no promise. So we are not obliged to keep any. We only listened, but did not speak. Besides, that was in August, when every thing was as dry as tinder; there is no chance of burning any thing at this early season. Move off with your five righteous, they can't save the city.'

Owing to the resolution of Tom Blanchard, those who with himself had in the morning kept on the left side, slowly took their departure. Frank respected, and envied the little band; but that word _deserter_ rung in his ears, and he remained.

After his choice was irrevocably fixed, he endeavoured to frame excuses for his conduct.

'It was no project of mine,' said he to himself; 'I have not been forbidden to take fire into the woods; I was a stranger to the rules of the school; who can blame me for what I had taken no share in?'

These considerations put an end to any farther effort, to take the right course, but did not restore his tranquility, or enable him to enter into the frolic, with as much relish as the others, who as soon as the five were out of sight, appeared to be relieved from all restraint, and immediately commenced their operations.

What was William Gardiner's dismay, when he found that he had omitted to put up a part of the direction for inflating the balloon.

'This is a pretty business, indeed,' said Albert Lawrence, 'to spoil all our fun, by such carelessness; what can you have done with it?'

'I don't know; it was on two pieces of paper, and only one of them is here. In my hurry this morning, to get the box safely into the cart, I must have left the other in my trunk.'

Frank at first rejoiced at this accident; but the disappointment evinced by his companions, excited his sympathy.

'Don't any of you know how it ought to be done?' said the captain. 'He shall be king forever if he can tell. Did not you attend a course of chemical lectures, last winter, William.'

'Yes, and it was that which first put it into my head, to have a balloon; I wish I had been a little more attentive to the lectures, though, and then I should have remembered how to fill it; but the truth was, I only went to see the experiments.'

Frank was acquainted with the process; his mother had taught it to him, together with many other things in chemistry; and whatever she taught him, he had learned thoroughly. He perceived at once, that here was an opportunity of obliging his companions, making himself popular, and of showing off his superior learning. Vanity filled his heart, he forgot every other consideration.

'Will you let me read the part, which you have?' said Frank.

'Why, do you know any thing about it?' asked the captain, with an air of surprise.

'I believe I do,' said Frank.

He then went on, and stated with clearness and accuracy, the whole process. The manner of all the boys towards him, was changed at once, and they treated him with marked attention.

'I told you he was a right one, and a _wise_ one, too, only you were not acquainted with him,' said William Gardiner. 'I saw it the first day he came out. Come King Francis the first, issue your orders; we are your willing and obedient slaves.'

Frank now entered heart and hand into the business; all his scruples were forgotten. He directed each step in the process. All was successful. The balloon ascended with a graceful, easy motion; floated awhile over their heads, the streamers dancing in the breeze, then rose so high, as to be a mere speck--afterwards, it took a horizontal direction, and having traversed the air, during half an hour, rapidly descended, and fell, they could not see exactly where.

When it first sprung up, a most exhilarating shout issued from the group, then in perfect silence, they all followed with their eyes, every motion of the graceful form, and when it was gone, Frank was the first to exclaim, 'was it not glorious!' 'Glorious! glorious!' they all uttered. There seemed to be no damper to their enjoyment; each one talked as fast as he could, of its grace, beauty, motion and colour; and every now and then, turning to Frank, they said,

'It is all owing to you; was it not worth coming for? I am glad you did not move off with that cowardly band, we should have lost all our fun.'

Frank's heart did not echo this sentiment, and his former feelings returned; his sense of duty was too keen to leave him in quiet possession of his triumph, and he said nothing to all their congratulations. Some of the boys thought this was owing to modesty, but William Gardiner suspected the true cause.

All marks of the proceeding were carefully obliterated, and the spot covered with stones, both for the purpose of concealment, and to note the scene of their festivity. At half an hour before sunset, the whole party met at the foot of the hill, where they had left their cart. No questions were asked by the smaller number, when they came up. They had gathered a large basket full of wild flowers, which they had laid in wet towels, to keep them fresh, that they might present them to Mrs. Reed. She was very fond of flowers, and usually had her parlour ornamented with them, from the earliest in spring, to the latest of autumn. These wild flowers reminded Frank of his mother, for whom he had so often gathered them, and a sadness came over him.

'I wish I had gathered some for Mrs. Reed,' exclaimed he.