argue his point upon this occasion. "Any way," said he, "the Pyramids
are large, and so is Australia; and I thought it might sometimes be
called a pyramid for convenience of description." The idea of Ned
entering into an argument with the trustees of the school struck the
rest of the boys as so extremely ludicrous, that our long pent-up mirth
found vent in a burst of laughter through the whole class, and no one
present had the heart to chide us; for it was with intense difficulty
that the elderly gentlemen maintained their own gravity. The teacher was
obliged to exercise his authority before Ned could be silenced; and the
remaining part of the examination proved rather a failure. I know not
how it happened, but from that day there was a marked improvement in
Edward Barton, in every respect. He attended the school for two years;
and when he left us it was to accompany his parents to one of the far
Western States. His father had relatives residing in the west, and had
received from them such glowing accounts of the country, that he decided
upon removing thither. Any one who saw Ned when he left us would almost
have failed to recognize him as the same boy who entered the school two
years previous. Mr. S. was his friend as well as his teacher; and during
the second year of his stay took a deep interest in him; he had
thoroughly studied his disposition, and learned to bear with his faults,
and under his judicious management Ned began really to make good
progress in study. We had all become attached to him, and were all sorry
when he left us. He was much elated with the prospect of his journey to
the West; and talked much of the wonders he expected to behold on his
way thither. He came one day at the noon-hour to collect his books and
bid us good-bye, his father having come to take him home for a short
time before setting out on their journey. The boys were all on the
play-ground when he entered the school-room to bid his teacher good-bye.
When he came out he looked very sober, and there was a suspicious
moisture in his eyes which very much resembled tears. Instead of the
usual noisy mirth on the play-ground there was almost complete silence,
while Ned shook hands with us one by one, saying, "he would tell us all
the wonders of the Western World when he came back." Years have rolled
by with their various changes since that day; he has never yet returned;
and I have only heard from him two or three times during the time. My
las