CHAPTER IV.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 418, 9 November 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER IV.

Will was not in bhc Sunday-school. Ho liked to practise w ith the choir, for hit; voice had nob yeb changed, and Mr Rudolph flattered him a little, and told him that ho liked to have him sing in the alto part. Now the choir mot for practice in the half-hour before service, when the Sunday-school was still in tho vestry. So Will had begged oft* from the Sundayschool, and sang with the choir. As he went into church one day, a little early, he found thiee small boys hanging round on the step 3. • What's up?'-ea;d Will. One of them looked cross, one looked sheepish, and the third only said, 1 Teacher's mad, and turned us out. Zif 1 wanted to stay in,' and he pretended to laugh at such an absurdity. Will took no notice, bub went up into the choir gallery, and did his best in Rise, crowned with light, imperial Salem, rise. But before the rehearsal was over he oxcused himself, went downstairs, and after a little found the three banished boys in the graveyard spelling out the letters on an old i (Jampornoon's tomb. * Silas,' said Will, ' did you not say you wanted to learn how to print?" 'Yes,' said Silas, eagerly. ' Will you show me V ' That's what I've aome for,' said Will. ' I have gob a large job for this week, and if you will come lound at tea time, eat some crackerb on the ivay, so we need not stup for tea, you shall help me.' And then, turning easily to the 3ther two boys, he said, ' And you can 2ome too, if you like.' Now, each of these three boys had a sorb Df cunfch idea that he really wanted j iheir imbecile help in his printing. lir Fact, all the time Will had been saying 1 Rise crowned with light,' and l A charge to keep I have,' he had been thinking that >hese three boy 3 were going to the dogs as :ast as they could go, and he was wandering ivhab he could do to save them. To the three little outlaws, it was a great compliment to be invited anywhere by the captain af the football team, and they weie gladly 3n hand 1 on Monday evening. They made i hard evening of it for Will, but ho had nob expected an easy one. His work with his types advanced very little, bub he got a liold on the three boys he never lost. Wednesday afternoon he took them trout fishing with him ; Friday he spent tho evening with them skinning a mink which John Brobtens had trapped, and giver, to one of them. And when ho proposed to bhem to come round and practise singing it his father's the next Sunday morning, they assented, precisely as they would have :lone had he proposed to them to go into water with him on Saturday afternoon. ' Ye?,' he said to his mother, 1 1 do nob like to give up the choir practice. But if I [lo not sacrifice in meeting there is no good. Some-time I will have. them in the choir.' , Sure enough, -before long, the three outcasts from the Sunday school were the three best behaved boys in Mr Rudolph's choir, and for the pieces they had had a chance to have, three of his best soprano singers. And when in the spring theie was a reorganisation of the Sunday schools and the sessions were put at the end of service, when Will wai appointed assistant librarian, he made Nathan Clarke, one of the black trio, his first runner, and Miss Donnegan was glad to take the other two into her class, without asking why thoy had been evpelletl from Miss Davis'. All this had to bo told, because it accounts for a certain devotion which Silas \ Tnrgot had tor Will ever afterwards, resembling indeed the devotion which Man Friday had for Robinson Crusoe. To say the truth, the graveyard where Will had found Silas was a sort of de?orb island for the boy ; and had he known it, certain savages were pursuing him theio, who meant no good for him, when Will, in the part of Robinson Crusoe, camo to tho rescue.