In School and Out or, The Conquest of Richard Grant.

Oliver Optic

Description

The second volume of the Woodville Stories contains the experience of Richard Grant, in school and out. We are sorry to say that Richard had become a bad boy, and was in the habit of getting into the most abominable scrapes, some of which are detailed in the first chapters of this book. But he is not what is sometimes called a vicious boy, for he has many good qualities, which redeem him from absolute condemnation. There is something noble in his character, which is the germ of his ultimate salvation from the sins which so easily beset him.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819903703
• Langue: English

Extrait

PREFACE.
The second volume of the Woodville Stories containsthe experience of Richard Grant, "in school and out." We are sorryto say that Richard had become a bad boy, and was in the habit ofgetting into the most abominable scrapes, some of which aredetailed in the first chapters of this book. But he is not what issometimes called a vicious boy, for he has many good qualities,which redeem him from absolute condemnation. There is somethingnoble in his character, which is the germ of his ultimate salvationfrom the sins which so easily beset him.
Richard, like thousands of others, finds hisstrongest and most dangerous foe within his own heart; and theconquest he achieves is not a triumph of mind over matter, of forceover force, but of principle over passion, of the good angels inthe heart over the invading legion of evil ones.
Richard's experience is full of stirring incidents;and while the author hopes therein to realize the expectations ofhis partial young friends, he begs them to remember that theseexciting events are only the canvas upon which he has endeavored topaint the great change wrought in the character of the hero. Thereis a moral in the story, and though the author has not attempted to"point" it, he hopes his young readers will feel it, even if theydo not see it.
Again it affords me pleasure to acknowledge myindebtedness to my young friends for the kind reception given to mybooks. I trust that this, the twentieth volume of my "Stories forYoung People," will not disappoint their hopes, or fail to improvetheir minds and hearts.
WILLIAM T. ADAMS.
DORCHESTER, Oct. 26, 1863.
CHAPTER I.
RICHARD GRANT AND FRIEND GET INTO AN AWFUL SCRAPE."Now, steady as she is," said Sandy Brimblecom, who lay upon thehalf-deck of the Greyhound, endeavoring to peer through thedarkness of a cloudy night, which had settled deep and dense uponthe Hudson, and obscured every object on the shore. "Steady as sheis, Dick, and we shall go in all right." "Ay, ay; steady it is,"replied Richard Grant, who was at the helm. "Port a little! Port alittle!" added Sandy, a few moments after, as he discovered theentrance of a little inlet, which was the destination of theGreyhound. "Shut up your head, Sandy!" replied Richard, in a lowbut energetic tone. "You might as well publish our plan in thenewspaper as speak as loud as that." "Port a little more," said thelookout forward. "What's the use of hallooing port?" answeredRichard, impatiently. "Don't you see the mainsail shakes now?" "Youwill be on the rocks in half a minute more." "Let her go about,then, and we will get a little farther to windward before we try torun in."
The Greyhound came over on the other tack, and stoodaway from the shore a considerable distance. The wind was verylight, and the current was against them; so the progress of theboat was necessarily very slow. "Now, Sandy Brimblecom," saidRichard, when the boat had made a third of the distance to theopposite shore, "we might as well go back to Woodville, and go tobed, as to attempt to carry this thing through, if you are going tobellow and yell like a mad bull." "I didn't think I spoke veryloud," replied Sandy. "Didn't think so!" sneered Richard. "Any onemight have heard you clear across the river." "O, no, Dick; not sobad as that." "You spoke too loud, at any rate, and you might aswell go up and tell 'Old Batterbones' what we are about as talkhalf so loud as you did." "Come, Dick, you have said enough,"replied Sandy, who did not relish all the reflections that werecast upon his conduct. "You are as stupid as an owl; I thought youhad some common sense." "That'll do, Dick; I don't want any more ofthat kind of blarney; and if you don't shut up, you or I will get ablack eye."
Richard did not seem to have much doubt which ofthem would obtain this ornamental tinting of the physiognomy, forhe immediately changed his tone, and did not venture to apply anymore unpleasant epithets to his companion. Sandy had obtained somereputation as a fighting character, and was virtually the championof the ring among the boys in the vicinity of Whitestone. "Now bemore careful, this time, Sandy," said Richard, as he put the boatabout upon the other tack. "Don't give me any more lip, Dick, and Iwill do any thing you want," replied Sandy, mollified by thealtered tones of his friend. "Don't get mad; we have no time toquarrel, if we mean to put this thing through to-night." "I amready to put it through, but I have no notion of being treated likea slave or a fool," said Sandy, as he lay down upon the half-deck,and began to gaze into the gloom ahead of the boat. "Luff alittle," he added, as he discovered the dim outline of the shore."Luff, it is."
This time, both boys spoke in a low tone, and thewant of harmony which a few moments before had threatened to breakup the enterprise, and end in a game of rough and tumble, wasremoved. The Greyhound, under the skilful management of Richard, –for there was not a better sailor of his years on the Hudson, – wasthrown into the inlet without touching the rocks which lay at theentrance.
Sandy, with the painter in his hand, jumped ashore,and made fast to a small tree on the bank. Neither of the boysspoke a loud word, and Richard carefully brailed up the sails, sothat their flapping should not attract the attention of any personwho might be in the vicinity. "Now, Dick, if you will follow me, Iwill lead you up to Old Batterbones' garden," whispered Sandy, whenthe sail boat had been properly secured. "I will follow you. Haveyou got the bag?" "Yes – all right."
Richard followed his companion up the steep bank ofthe river, across a field, till they came to a fence, where theypaused to reconnoitre. "Now be careful, Sandy," whispered Richard,nervously, "for I wouldn't be caught in this scrape for the besthundred dollars that ever was." "I don't want to be caught any morethan you do," replied Sandy. "Well, it won't make so muchdifference with you as it will with me." "Won't it! Don't you thinkmy neck is worth as much to me as yours is to you?" "I don't meanthat, of course. Your father is a carpenter, and people won't thinkhalf so much of it if you are caught, as they would in my case.""My father never was in the Tombs if he is a carpenter," growledSandy. "That's mean," said Richard. "You know he was put there fornothing at all." "It isn't half so mean as what you said. If youthink you are so much better than I am, what did you ask me to comewith you for?" "I don't think I am any better than you are." "Yes,you do; and you may go ahead with the game; I won't go anyfarther." "Don't back out, Sandy. Have you got scared?" "I'm notscared; you are too big for your boots." "No, no, Sandy, I didn'tmean any thing of the sort." "Didn't you say it wouldn't make asmuch difference with me as with you, if we got caught?" "I onlymeant that people would talk more about me than they would aboutyou." "Perhaps they would, and perhaps they wouldn't. In myopinion, I'm as good as you are, any day." "Of course you are; Inever doubted it. Come, Sandy, we've run together too long to fallout now." "I don't want to fall out, or back out; but I don't wantto be snubbed, every ten minutes, about my father's being acarpenter." "I won't say another word, Sandy. I didn't mean anything." "All right, my boy. I don't live in a big house, and myfather isn't rich; but I'm just as good as any other fellow, forall that. If you didn't mean any thing, I'm satisfied." "If Ithought you were not as good as I am, of course I shouldn't go withyou."
This conversation was carried on in a very low tone,while the boys were seated by the fence. When Sandy's injured honorwas healed, and the son of the rich broker of Woodville hadacknowledged that the other was his equal, they were again ready toproceed with the business of the enterprise. Richard was notcontent with the homage which his companions could render withoutany sacrifice of self-respect, but he exacted the right not only tocommand them, but also to be indulged in the use of opprobriousepithets.
Sandy, as the "bully" of his circle, could notquietly submit to the domineering style of the rich man's son. Hewas willing, for the sake of sharing in the "loaves and fishes,"which Richard had to distribute, to compromise far enough to beordered in a gentlemanly way; but he would not tolerate anyinvidious comparisons. Richard had a fine boat, and Sandy was veryfond of sailing, which made him sacrifice some portion of hisdignity as the champion of the ring. Richard was usually wellsupplied with money, which was a scarce article with the son of thejourneyman carpenter, and boys bow down to the Mammon of thisworld, as well as men.
Richard patronized Sandy because his hard fist andabundant muscle rendered him a powerful and influential person. Itwas easier to buy the champion than it was to whip him, and thebroker's son had conquered the bully by paying for the oysters atBob Bleeker's saloon in Whitestone, and by permitting him to usethe Greyhound when he wished. Richard had a great respect formuscle. If Sandy Brimblecom's father had chosen to pursue hispeaceful avocation in any other locality than Whitestone, RichardGrant might have been the champion of the "P.R." The advent ofSandy had produced a fight, in which Richard, though he behaved tothe satisfaction of all his friends and supporters, was severelypunished. His friends called it a drawn battle; but Richard did notthink it advisable to have the question definitely settled, andSandy was acknowledged as the champion.
Richard respected the boy he could not whip, andthey had become friends, or, at least, associates. It is scarcelynecessary to inform the intelligent young readers of this book,that the moral standard of both boys was very low; for those whocan fight simply to find out which is "the better man," have a veryinadequate conception of what constitutes true dignity and nobilityof character. "Muscle" and "backbone" – fighting ability andcoura