Hector's Inheritance Or the Boys of Smith Institute Part 11

Presently the cla.s.s in Virgil was called up. To this cla.s.s Hector had been a.s.signed, though it had only advanced about half through the third book of the AEneid, while Hector was in the fifth.

"As there is no other cla.s.s in Virgil, Roscoe, you had better join the one we have. It will do you no harm to review."

"Very well, sir," said Hector.

The cla.s.s consisted of five boys, including Hector. Besides Jim Smith, Wilkins, Bates and Johnson belonged to it. As twenty-five lines had been a.s.signed for a lesson, Hector had no difficulty in preparing himself, and that in a brief time. The other boys were understood to have studied the lesson out of school.

Bates read first, and did very fairly. Next came Jim Smith, who did not seem quite so much at home in Latin poetry as on the playground.

He p.r.o.nounced the Latin words in flagrant violation of all the rules of quant.i.ty, and when he came to give the English meaning, his translation was a ludicrous farrago of nonsense. Yet, poor Mr. Crabb did not dare, apparently, to characterize it as it deserved.

"I don't think you have quite caught the author's meaning, Mr. Smith,"

he said. By the way, Jim was the only pupil to whose name he prefixed the t.i.tle "Mr."

"I couldn't make anything else out of it," muttered Jim.

"Perhaps some other member of the cla.s.s may have been more successful!

Johnson, how do you read it?"

"I don't understand it very well, sir."

"Wilkins, were you more successful?"

"No, sir."

"Roscoe, can you translate the pa.s.sage?"

"I think so, sir."

"Proceed, then."

Hector at once gave a clear and luminous rendering of the pa.s.sage, and his version was not only correct, but was expressed in decent English.

This is a point in which young cla.s.sical scholars are apt to fail.

Mr. Crabb was not in the habit of hearing such good translations, and he was surprised and gratified.

"Very well! Very well, indeed, Roscoe," he said, approvingly. "Mr.

Smith, you may go on."

"He'd better go ahead and finish it," said Smith, sulkily. "He probably got it out of a pony."

My young readers who are in college or cla.s.sical schools, will understand that a "pony" is an English translation of a cla.s.sical author.

"He is mistaken!" said Hector, quietly. "I have never seen a translation of Virgil."

Mr. Smith shrugged his shoulders, and drew down the corners of his mouth, intending thereby to express his incredulity.

"I hope no boy will use a translation," said the usher; "it will make his work easier for the time being, but in the end it will embarra.s.s him. Roscoe, as you have commenced, you may continue. Translate the remainder of the pa.s.sage."

Hector did so, exhibiting equal readiness.

The other boys took their turns, and then words were given out to pa.r.s.e.

Here Jim Smith showed himself quite at sea; though the usher, as it was evident, selected the easiest words for him, he made a mistake in every one. Apparently he was by no means certain which of the words were nouns, and which verbs, and as to the relations which they sustained to other words in the sentence he appeared to have very little conception.

At length the recitation was over. It had demonstrated one thing, that in Latin scholars.h.i.+p Hector was far more accurate and proficient than any of his cla.s.smates, while Jim Smith stood far below all the rest.

"What in the world can the teacher be thinking of, to keep such an ignoramus in the cla.s.s?" thought Hector. "He doesn't know enough to join a cla.s.s in the Latin Reader."

The fact was, that Jim Smith was unwilling to give up his place as a member of the highest cla.s.s in Latin, because he knew it would detract from his rank in the school. Mr. Crabb, to whom every recitation was a torture, had one day ventured to suggest that it would be better to drop into the Caesar cla.s.s; but he never ventured to make the suggestion again, so unfavorably was it received by his backward pupil. He might, in the case of a different pupil, have referred the matter to the princ.i.p.al, but Socrates Smith was sure to decide according to the wishes of his nephew, and did not himself possess knowledge enough of the Latin tongue to detect his gross mistakes.

After a time came recess. Hector wished to arrange the books in his desk, and did not go out.

Mr. Crabb came up to his desk and said: "Roscoe, I must compliment you on your scholars.h.i.+p. You enter at the head. You are in advance of all the other members of the cla.s.s."

"Thank you, sir," said Hector, gratified.

"There is one member of the cla.s.s who is not competent to remain in it."

"Yes, sir; I observed that."

"But he is unwilling to join a lower cla.s.s. It is a trial to me to hear his daily failures, but, perhaps, he would do no better anywhere else.

He would be as incompetent to interpret Caesar as Virgil, I am afraid."

"So I should suppose, sir."

"By the way, Roscoe," said the usher, hurriedly; "let me caution you against irritating Smith. He is the princ.i.p.al's nephew, and so we give him more scope."

"He seems to me a bully," said Hector.

"So he is."

"I can't understand why the boys should give in to him as they do."

"He is taller and stronger than the other boys. Besides, he is backed up by the princ.i.p.al. I hope you won't get into difficulty with him."

"Thank you, Mr. Crabb. Your caution is kindly meant, but I am not afraid of this Jim--Smith. I am quite able to defend myself if attacked."

"I hope so," said the usher; but he scanned Hector's physical proportions doubtfully, and it was very clear that he did not think him a match for the young tyrant of the school.

Meanwhile, Jim Smith and his schoolfellows were amusing themselves in the playground.

"Where's that new fellow?" asked Jim, looking back to see whether he had come out.

"He didn't come out," said Bates.

Jim nodded his head vigorously:

"Just as I expected," he said. "He knows where he is well off."

"Do you think he was afraid to come?" asked Bates.