They were very little older than he, yet here he was trying
to do an example in addition, doing it over four times before it was
right,--and they were at the head of the class in algebra. If he could
only jump to where they were, and go on with them! And the hopelessness
of this thought made his spelling-lesson seem harder; so it was no
wonder, when the class formed, and he took his old place at the foot, and
he stayed there, and spelled believe _ei_ after all; nobody was
surprised, but nobody knew how very, _very_ hard he had tried.
The long day, crowded full of trouble and temptation to poor Tip, wore
away. At recess he wandered off by himself, trying hard to get back some
of the strong, firm hopes of the morning.
One more sharp trial was in store for him. Towards the close of the
afternoon Bob's fun took the form of paper balls, which, at every turn of
Mr. Burrows's back, spun through the room in all directions; two or three
of the smaller scholars joined him, and a regular fire of balls was kept
up. The boys complained--Mr.
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