TUESDAY MORNING. English Composition. “SUNSHINE.”  Miss Jones.

round to

    Trio on Three Pianos. Duel from the Opera of “Midshipman Easy.”
    Marryat.

coming in at nine, Thursday evening!  Think of this, reader, for men who know the world is trying to go backward, and who would give their lives if they could help it on!  Well!  The double had succeeded so well at the Board, that I sent him to the Academy. (Shade of Plato, pardon!) He arrived early on Tuesday, when, indeed, few but mothers and clergymen are generally expected, and returned in the evening to us, covered with honors.  He had dined at the right hand of the chairman, and he spoke in high terms of the repast.  The chairman had expressed his interest in the French conversation.  “I am very glad you liked it,” said Dennis; and the poor chairman, abashed, supposed the accent had been wrong.  At the end of the day, the gentlemen present had been called upon for speeches,—­the Rev. Frederic Ingham first, as it happened; upon which Dennis had risen, and had said, “There has been so much said, and, on the whole, so well said, that I will not occupy the time.”  The girls were delighted, because Dr. Dabney, the year before, had given them at this occasion a scolding on impropriety of behavior at lyceum lectures.  They all declared Mr. Ingham was a love,—­and so handsome! (Dennis is good-looking.) Three of them, with arms behind the others’ waists, followed him up to the wagon he rode home in; and a little girl with a blue sash had been sent to give him a rosebud.  After this debut in speaking, he went to the exhibition for two days more, to the mutual satisfaction of all concerned.  Indeed, Polly reported that he had pronounced the trustees’ dinners of a higher grade than those of the parsonage.  When the next term began, I found six of the Academy girls had obtained permission to come across the river and attend our church.  But this arrangement did not long continue.

After this he went to several Commencements for me, and ate the dinners provided; he sat through three of our Quarterly Conventions for me,—­always voting judiciously, by the simple rule mentioned above, of siding with the minority.  And I, meanwhile, who had before been losing caste among my friends, as holding myself aloof from the associations of the body, began to rise in everybody’s favor.  “Ingham’s a good fellow,—­always on hand “; “never talks much, but does the right thing at the right time”; “is not as unpunctual as he used to be,—­he comes early, and sits through to the end.”  “He has got over his old talkative habit, too.  I spoke to a friend of his about it once; and I think Ingham took it kindly,” etc., etc.