with her pupils, yet she possessed so many good and valuable qualities that every lady treated the Dame with deference and respect. She had held undisputed sway over all the girls and many of the boys, from two to ten years of age, for more than forty years; but do not imagine for a moment that the worthy dame kept one of those fine "Establishments," whose blue, green, or red signboards announce that "Ladies and Gentlemen are here taught French and English Education and all fashionable Accomplishments." No such thing; the simple one of dame Mabel only promised that there children were taught to read ;' and the villagers of Callow were quite satisfied if their daughters could read the Bible, and sew, hem, and stitch neatly. Thomas Hill indeed—the rich, fat and rosy landlord of the Plough inn-had only one daughter; and to make her genteel, as he called it, he sent her for six months to a boarding-school. When she had been there a short time, such a box arrived at the Plough! every one in the village thought it must be very beautiful, as it came from Mary Hill's school; and when it was opened, appeared a piece of embroidery in a fine gold frame. People were somewhat puzzled at first to know what it was. There was an animal, which might be either a pig or a mule, with its heels in the air; and there was a boy somewhat taller than a tree, and another brown-black looking thing; however, the poetry underneath explained the matter The vicious kicking donkey Has thrown my brother and Pompey. The silly people of Callow (for there are silly people every where) thought that Mary must be wonderfully improved; but the wise ones knew that it was not right for a girl in her situation of life to waste so much time on such useless work. Indeed poor Mary was not the better for her six months' trip; she brought home a great many airs; and it was very evident that she had not been properly instructed; for I am almost ashamed to say that she despised her parents because they were not as rich or as fashionable as the Pa's and Ma's of the young ladies she knew in school. However, I have said enough about her. Monday was always a busy day with Mabel; the floor of the little schoolroom was fresh-sanded; laurel, gemmed with bright hedge-roses, graced the chimney; the eight-day clock, towering even unto the ceiling, seemed to tick louder than ever; Tom, a venerable old white mouser, had a new blue riband round his neck; and the high-backed chair was placed so as to command not only a good view of the four corners of the room, of a large cupboard, where books and work were arranged, and where the very little people often congregated like a nest of young wrens, and whispered and twittered, whenever the dame's back was turned;-then a little black-looking carved table was placed on the right side of this throne, and on it, ready for use, every Monday morning, appeared a new but THE YOUNG REBEL. seldom wore out more than one a week, which, considering all things in those days, was not thought too much. 331 well-made birch rod. The good dame to say, now lost her temper, and elevated her rod and voice at the same moment. Fanny, who had opened her mouth to commence squalling, thought it better to tell the truth; so keeping as far from the rod as she could-'Indeed, if you please, ma'am, it was Dick Shaw-he painted 'em for me-and he stole it out of your basket yesterday, while you were taking up the stitches little Kate dropped in the toe of her stocking.' But I wish I could describe the dame to you, for I am sure you will never see any one like her, as now even the village school-mistresses are very different to what they were twenty years ago. Her apron was always white as snow, and round it a flounce full two fingers deep; her neckerchief, clear and stiff, neatly pinned down in front; the crown of her cap in the highest part might measure perhaps half a yard, more or less, and under it her nice grey hair was turned over a roller; and although her eyes were dark and penetrating, and her nose long and hooked, yet her smile was so sweet that every little child's heart felt happy when she gave a mark of approbation but there were times when in very truth the good dame's anger was excited; and then she did look what the young ones called " very terrible.' : 'I'll certainly try this new rod on your bare shoulders, Fanny Spence,' said the old lady, one' Black-Monday morning,' to a little arch-looking girl with blue eyes, who amused herself by eating the corners of her spelling book—' I'll teach you how to munch your book as a rabbit does clover. Mercy on me! you have half torn out the pretty picture of The Fox and Grapes,' and you have daubed over as many as ten leaves with- -How did you get at my rose-pink? O you wicked wicked child!' The dame, I am sorry Before dame Mabel had decided what punishment to inflict, her attention was attracted by little Kate herself, who crept slowly to her seat with hanging head and downcast eyes. 'This is a very pretty hour for you to come to school, miss!-Why, all your strings are out, and your hands and arms torn and dirty. I see how it is open your mouth-black, as I supposed. You have been down the lane after the blackberries-Very well-I'll find a way to punish you.' The old lady stooped, and with great dexterity drew off her garter (it was twenty years ago) and was about to tie the culprit's hands behind her, when in lisping tones the little thing declared it was all Dick Shaw's fault. 'He showed me the bush, ma'am, and he promised to hold it, and I did not eat more than two or three, when he pulled it away, and I fell into the ditch.' 'And serve you right too,' said the dame, 'Girls have no business to play with boys-but your arm is much scratched just here. Well,' she continued, her tone instantly softening, (for she was really very kind-hearted) give me my blue bag, and I will bind it up with some of the old linen the good vicar's lady gave me,' The bag was brought and emptied'; but no old linen was to be found. The children were severally questioned; and at last little Phebe Ford, a merry laughing thing of six years old, who always spoke the truth though she had many faults, said, that she saw Dick Shaw pull out the roll of linen at twelve o'clock on Friday, and that he said it would do nicely to fetter White Tom. ་ That boy,' said the Dame, shall be expelled my school; and I certainly ought not to have kept him since his trick of the spectacles, nor would I indeed, were it not that others' and her eyes glanced at a red-faced, red-armed girl of ten, with a fuzzy head and little twinkling eyes-' were almost as bad as he. I only said almost, Mary,-—and you have been very good since.' By the way, I must tell you, that the affair of the spectacles occurred two days after Dick came to Dame Leigh's school. Dick took a fancy to fit his governess's spectacles on farmer Howitt's big pigand Mary, romping Mary Green agreed to hold the pig while they were fitting on. Now as the pig, who in this instance showed more wisdom than either 'Dick or Mary, could see better without than with spectacles, he soon pushed Dick into a stagnant pool of green water, and left the luckless Mary sprawling like a great frog in the mire; while he 1 " rejoined his brothers and cousins, grunting triumphantly, and curling his tail. But nothing could cure the boy's love of mischief; and every thing that went wrong in the village was laid to his account. His poor mother's heart was almost broken; his father even, a hardworking man as he was, had been seen to shed tears over his son's wilful ways; and his sister, a fine good industrious girl of sixteen, could have been of great service to her parents, were it not that her entire time was taken up in trying to keep Dick out of mischief, or to repair the mischief Dick had done. 'It was he pinned Kitty Carey's frock to aunt Colvell's red petticoat, and it tore such a great piece; and Kitty cried, because it was a new muslin de lain,' said Mary Doyle. His bran new spelling-book-and his ing Mary Green became a very good sort cap that cost his poor father a dollar,' of girl. said the prudent Liddy-' He has the best of it, Patty will never be able to bring him up.' 'She has the best of it now though,' cried Mary, who unable to sit still any longer, got one foot on the lower step, and held fast to the door-post, as if afraid that Dick would break loose and do some more mischief. Patty pulled-Dick kicked and roared, -no young lady singing the do re mi fa, that gives master and pupil so much trouble, ever opened her mouth so widely as Dick-you could see the root of his tongue. And Patty looked quite as calm and tranquil as Dick looked wild and furious. Every body, yes, even the pretty face which is now over these pages, looks ugly in a passion. At last Patty's firmness conquered Dick's violence, and she carried him into the school room. Here a fresh mortification awaited the young Rebel; he had been conquered by a girl; that he thought bad enough; but it was still worse to be expelled a girls' school. Dick stood stiff and sturdy, while the good dame read him a lecture, which, though simply worded, conveyed many useful lessons, and ended by saying, 'that evil communications corrupt good morals,' and that he should no longer remain in her school. Dick was expelled in form; and in a little time Dame Mabel's scholars became as peaceable as they had been before obstinate Dick set so bad an example; even romp Dick, I am sorry to say, did not improve; for poor boys as well as rich ones can never be respected or prosper in their several spheres of life, if they are wilful, violent, disobedient, or Sabbath-breakers. The young Rebel's father, finding that he continued so very wicked, permitted him to go to sea; and for many years no one heard any thing of obstinate Dick. Dame Mabel grew so old that the vicar got a new mistress for the school; but the old lady continued to live there; and though she was blind and nearly lame, she never wanted for any thing; for the poor are often more grateful than the rich, and the villagers remembered the care and pains the dame took with them when they were little troublesome children. One fine spring morning, when Patty Shaw was placing her aged friend on a nice green seat at the school door (for old people love to breathe the pure air, and Mabel felt the sun's rays very warm and pleasant, though she could not see its brightness) a young man with a wooden leg and but one eye, in a tattered sailordress, stopped and looked earnestly up the village. 'Do you want to see any one, young man?' said Patty in her clear calm voice-' or, as you seem much fatigued, is there any thing I can give you?' Is there an old man, a carpenter, of the name of Shaw, in your village?' replied he; and can you give me a draught of water? for I have walked far, and have |