I Wish.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XII, 23 March 1901, Page 571

I Wish.

"Oh. dear! I wish I’d no nasty lessons to do.” sighed Willie. “If I’d lived before William the Conqueror came to the throne I shouldn t have had to go to school at all. but would have just played and done whatever I wanted”: and the boy threw himself into an easy chair, the very picture of disgust.

"I wish you wouldn’t talk such rubbish. but get on with your lessons and let me get on with mine, for I shall never know my geography if you make sueh a noise.” said Ethel.

'’Geography! I hate it. I wish Christopher Columbus had never found America, and then we should have that much less to learn about. The stupid man ought to have •” "You’re just wasting time with your wishing,” interrupted his sister. “And you’ll have to learn your history whether you like it or not, so the sooner you begin the better.” “Yes. there you are again! If we'd only lived before the Norman Conquest there’d have been no history worth talking about to learn. I wish I’d been bom ten thousand years ago. or in a wild country where boys don’t go to school.”

“Very well, then.” laughed Ethel, “you ought to be thankful that you are living now instead of ten thousand years hence, for you'd have a hard time of it then. I’m afraid.”

Willie tried to look dignified in spite of his sister’s ridicule, and still went on airing his grievances, but the practical Ethel took up her books and went out of the room. The boy was still sitting, disconsolately kicking his heels together, when he was surprised to hear his father call him from the inner room. "Willie.” he called, “come here. I

want you.” Very reluctantly the boy obeyed, for he felt ashamed that his father should have overheard his foolish grumbling.

’Willie!” "Yes, father.” answered Willie, entering the study. "Reach me that pictorial history of the nations of the world; I want to show you something.”

Willie was delighted; he liked no-

thing better than to look at pictures with his father. "What shall I look for first, father?” “The people of East Anglia, my boy.” Willie turned over several pages until he came to the chapter on East Anglia: but it did not look at all interesting. so he quietly waited until his father had finished writing and turned round. “Give me the book,” said Mr Stewart. "What I want to show you is a little further on. Ab. here it is.”

It was a picture of a strong, fierce man holding a struggling boy by one leg and arm. They were just in front of a cottage with a sloping, thatched roof, and the child's eyes were gazing up at the roof with a look of great fear; while a number of men standing round were laughing coarsely at the lad's struggles. "What does it all mean?” asked Willie, "what are they going to do to the little bov?”

“His father is about to throw him on the roof of the cottage; if the child manages to cateh hold of the thateh and prevent himself from falling, then he will be considered a son worth keeping: but if he be so unfortunate as to miss his hold, fall off. and get hurt, then he will be considered utterly worthless. The poor boy will be driven from home and from the neighbourhood. to wander about in search of food and shelter.