Elsie's scholarship

by Emma Leslie

"You are looking better, dear," said her mother, who really was glad to see Elsie back once more, for she had missed her sadly, both for the work she took off her shoulders, and the companionship that Elsie alone could give her now. Tom tried to do what he could, but he was not Elsie, he could not share his mother's burden; for he, like the children, must be sheltered from all trouble and anxiety, and provided for somehow, or he would not be able to give that undivided attention to his books and lessons, that was an absolute necessity, if he was not to disappoint everybody's hopes on his behalf.

Mrs. Winn was very grateful to the schoolmaster for asking Tom to spend his evenings with him now. Whether he guessed that there was not too much for him at home, she did not know, she hoped he did not. But that he took Tom home with him to tea two or three times a week was a relief to her, and that he went away directly after tea, until bedtime, enabled her and Elsie to practice several little economies, without Tom's knowledge, that would have troubled him, if he had known of them. This was likewise a satisfaction to her.

So the summer passed away, and the wet dreary month of November came in, the month that was to decide Tom's fate, and about which Elsie grew nervously anxious as the time went on.

She knew now that this examination was a more difficult one than her own had been, for during her visits to Mary she heard various items of news that Mary had gleaned from her father, and Tom himself. Elsie did not venture to tell her mother of this, lest she should make her more despondent than she was.

But it was a great burden to the girl to think that her brother might fail after all, and through no fault of his own this time, for Mr. Murray had told her that Tom had got on wonderfully since he had made up his mind to try for this scholarship. If he failed it would be an honourable failure, for which he could not be blamed, as the examination was very difficult for a mere boy such as Tom was.

Tom, too, had his own private worry just now, and it was one he saw no way of getting over at present. He did not know until the end of October that the examination would be held at the horticultural college, and would occupy the greater part of a week, and during this time he would be expected to provide his own board and lodging in the town. How this additional expense was to be met, he did not know.

Mr. Cotton had mentioned the matter one day when he called at the school, and advised Tom to go over to the neighbourhood of the college before the day of examination, and look-out for lodgings.

"I think I might do that through a friend," said Tom. And there the matter had ended, so far as the clergyman was concerned; but to Tom it was a serious question, as to how he was to pay for the lodgings when they were found.

At last he thought he would write, and confide his trouble to his old friend. And, as he hoped, this brought Jack over on the following Saturday.

"Look here, old fellow," he said, "I have heard that this blessed examination will last a week, and you'll have to look-out for a lodging, unless you will put your pride in your pocket, and come and stay with me. My mother will do the best she can to make you comfortable, because of that rabbit hutch; but we are working people, you know, and rough it a bit sometimes."