THE NEW BOY

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 2, Issue 3, 1 September 1923, Page 36

THE NEW BOY

by MARJORIE INGLE, aged 11 years, 10 months

Chapter 1 Dick's Journey GOOD-BYE, Dick! Good-bye, be good," said Mrs. Lawrence and Patricia, all in one voice. "Good-bye, mother," was Dick's reply, and the train moved out of Christchurch Station. Dick Lawrence was just fourteen years of age and he had never been away from his mother and sister before to-day, so it was a hard parting for poor Dick. He was going away to a big public school called the Waitaki Boys' High School, at Oamaru. It was rather hot in the railway carriage, and Dick was glad when the train went out of the third station at which it had stopped. When the train stopped at Ashburton, Dick got out to have his lunch. The sun was blazing overhead, and busy people were walking to and fro. Dick found his way to a restaurant, where he gladly partook of cold corn beef and potatoes. While up the town of Ashburton, Dick saw several boys of his own size, with the Waitaki High School badge on their hats. When Dick was strolling back to the train, he passed a bookstall and bought his favourite book, "Coral Island. He was deeply in it when the whistle startled him, and the six boys that he had seen in the street approached his carriage. Come on, hurry up, you chaps, she's off in a second." " Well, how can I get in with you, you great elephant?" one boy said, addressing the former speaker (a fat boy). '' How many more stations have we to go, Dubbs?" said Taylor (who seemed to be doing all the talking), speaking to the fat boy, whose name was Jones, but commonly called Dubbs. "Dunno," said Dubbs. "Only two," piped Wilfred Clite. "I say, it's jolly funny that we should all come to the same station, isn't it?" cried Taylor.

Immediately the boys began to talk about their different holidays, and all at once one boy gave an exclamation: " Oh! so there's a new kid. Ah! my dear, don 't you think you had better go out into another carriage? I'm afraid our noise will soon give the darling little baby a headache," said Taylor. "What's your name? Go on, tell us,'' said Bert. "Hi, there! let's have a look at yon, Cissy.'' "Oh, not so bad!" "What do you think, Pills?" "Oh! I think that you boys might leave him alone, seeing that he's new, said Pilling. So these were the complimentary remarks that flew round, and Dick sat on pins and needles, feeling that he would like to fight everyone of them except Pilling and Henderson, to whom he had taken a fancy. Chapter II Dick's People Dick Lawrence had no father, but only a mother and sister whom he adored. Mr. Lawrence had fought in the Boer War, and it was there that he had died, and left his widow and two children with little money. Dick had not gone to this school the first term because he was recovering from an operation. Dick was now going out into the world by himself, without anyone to guide him. His sister, Patricia, was a pretty child and as fair as Dick was dark; and only two years younger than Dick. She had sparkling blue eyes and a beautiful white skin and a pink complexion, and a head which was covered with flaxen curls pressed tightly to her head. Dick had big brown eyes, and a handsome face with good features, like his mother and sister had. Chapter 111 The Arrival Dick took his playbox and luggage off the rack and started to walk out of the door as the train moved into Oamaru. He ordered a dus and soon found himself at the Norman Arch which was the entrance to the school. That night Dick slept very well, and then, to his great joy, next morning, he found that he was to be in the same form as his friends (Pilling and Henderson). Weeks went by and Dick found that he was fairly high in his class, and to his great surprise he was sitting near his friends. At the end of the third week before school broke up, Dick, to his own surprise, was first in his class and Pilling and Henderson were tie, second.

Chapter IV The Sports It was sports day and all the boys, or most of them, were going in for the sports. There were thirty races, and Dick had entered for twenty of them. At the end of the sports, the prizes were given out, and Dick not. only got his class and Latin prize, but the trophy for sports, too. Next day Dick left for home with his mother and Patricia (who had come to see the sports), a happier boy than he had come.