At last a crisis came.  A new boy arrived at the school; very big for his age, and rather surly tempered, but a hard working, persevering lad, who was striving hard to learn and get on.  He had one defect.  He lisped very much, which certainly is an ugly trick, and sounded silly in a great stout boy, nearly five feet high:  but he had this excuse; —­his mother had died when he was very little, and his good Father had more important business on hand in supporting his family, of which this boy was the eldest, than in teaching him to pronounce his S’s better.  It is perhaps only Mothers who attend to these little matters.  Well;—­this great big boy was two or three days at the school before Joachim went near him.  There was something serious, stern, and unfunny in his face, and when Joachim was making the other boys laugh, the great big boy never even smiled, but fixed his eyes in a rather unpleasant manner upon Joachim as he raised them from his books.  Still he was an irresistible subject for the Mimic; for, though he learnt his lessons without a mistake, and always obtained the Master’s praise, he read them with so strong a lisp, and this was rendered so remarkable by his loud, deep voice, that it fairly upset what little prudence Joachim possessed; and, as he returned one day to his seat, after repeating a copy of verses in the manner I have described, Joachim, who was not far off, echoed the last two lines with such accuracy of imitation, that it startled even the Master, who was at that moment leaving the school-room.

But no laugh followed as usual, for all eyes were suddenly turned on the big boy, who, crimson with indignation, and yet quite self-possessed in manner, walked up to Joachim and deliberately knocked him down on the floor.  Great was Joachim’s amazement, you may be sure, and severe was the blow that had levelled him; but still more severe were the words that followed.  “Young rascal,” exclaimed the big boy, “who has put you in authority over your elders, that you are to be correcting our faults and failings, instead of attending to your own.  You are beholden to any lad in the school who will do your sums, and write your exercises for you, and then you take upon yourself to ridicule us if we cannot pronounce our well learnt lessons to your fancy!  You saucy imp, who don’t know what labour and good conduct are, and who have nothing to boast of, but the powers which a monkey possesses to a greater extent than yourself!” Fancy Joachim’s rage! He, the admired wit! the popular boy! nothing better than a monkey!  He sprang up and struck his fist into the face of his antagonist with such fury, that the big boy, though evidently unwilling to fight one less than himself, was obliged to bestow several sharp blows before he could rid himself of Joachim’s passion.

At last, however, other boys separated them; but Joachim, who was quite unused to fighting, and who had received a very severe shock when he first fell, became so sick and ill that he was obliged to go home.  His Mother asked what was the matter.  “He had been quizzing a great big boy who lisped, and the boy knocked him down, and they had fought.”  His Mother sighed; but she saw he was too poorly for talking, so she put him to bed and nursed him carefully.