“Yes,” said Mr. Bright thoughtfully.

“If you could take charge of him yourself,” continued the father almost imploringly.  “I know it is asking a great deal, and that perhaps it will be impossible for you to grant what I ask, for I am aware that my boy is not advanced in his studies as far as the average of the pupils that recite to you, and I have long since learned, by sad experience, the inexorableness of the present graded school system, which forces pupils into their places strictly according to their examination records, regardless of all other contingencies.  I beg your pardon, if I seem to speak harshly,” he quickly added, fearing that he might have reflected too severely upon the gentleman to whom he was speaking.

“You need offer no apology,” returned Mr. Bright.  “I regret as much as you can the too rigorous ways that have fallen upon our schools.”

“Well, will you give the boy a trial?” asked the parson, bringing the issue to a point.

“Most certainly,” returned Mr. Bright, and then the gentlemen wished each other “good-morning,” the parson going home and the teacher turning to his desk again.

It was not until the following Monday morning that “Dodd” Weaver made his appearance in the school room.  His father had urged him to go sooner, but he cared little for the wishes of his sire, and took his time in this, as he did in all else.

“Dodd” came late to school when he did come, and evidently counted on making a sensation on his first appearance.  He was very shabbily dressed, and had purposely added to his generally slouching appearance by deliberately “making up” for his debut.  His hair was long, and he had tangled and frowzed it all over his head till it looked like an ungainly pile of corn silk.  His face was grimy, a big quid of tobacco bulged one cheek out, while stains of tobacco juice made the corners of his mouth filthy.  He wore no collar, one coat sleeve was half gone, his vest was on wrong side outwards, his pantaloons were ragged, he had a shoe on one foot and a boot on the other, the former unlaced, and the latter smeared to the top of the boot-leg with yellow clay; a leg of his pantaloons bagged down over this, being held up on the inside of his leg by hanging it over the boot-strap!

You who have not taught school, and are not familiar with boyhood at this stage of its evolution, may insist that I have made “Dodd” up like a crazy creature for his grand entry into Mr. Bright’s school room.  Perhaps I have.  But I have presented him to you as he presented himself to the school, for all of that.  I am myself inclined to think that his mental state, at this time, bordered close upon insanity!  The Book remarks about a young man at this stage of his existence, that he had to “come to himself” before his reformation, as though he had been away from himself during his lawless and outrageous career.  I am inclined to think that boys are often a good deal nearer insane than they get credit for being, at this period of their lives.