But there was an apprehension to disturb the tenor of his thoughts, and fall heavily upon his official capacity. He had--yes, he certainly had seen Annie Hinton receive a billet from Charles Lane; and Charles Lane was a bright youth--a fine scholar--ready to enter college the next term--and just her age. It was wrong, decidedly wrong, to have any silly flirtations between mere boys and girls--he had always considered it so; but now it was wonderful to see how strong his reasoning, and firm his opinions were on this subject. And personal experience _has_ an extraordinary power in giving edge to moral reflections; how it draws them out of the shade, concentrates and clinches them. Well, Harvey Hall felt really grieved that scholars should have their attention drawn away from their studies by such nonsense as a children's love affair. Charles Lane was a promising boy to be sure; but he must go through college, and be settled in life before he ought to think of fancying any one. He might become dissipated--such bright boys often did; or fickle--in short, no one knew which rein of his character the future might pull. And Annie--pretty creature--who could not pass a day without some mirthful episode, how ridiculous for a child like her to think of selecting a lover! her mind was not disciplined at all--her taste not pronounced; she might make a different choice when she really knew her own wishes, and had seen more of the world. It would be wrong to entangle herself with any passing fancy like the present--really wrong to suffer a child to make a decision by which the _woman_ must abide. And then the good minister would be shocked to see his plaything, Annie, forming any foolish attachment. Yes, he must do all he could to prevent it. But how could Parson Hinton be so blind? The other evening when he called there, Charles Lane knocked at the door, to bring a slip of geranium, which he had walked several miles to get for Annie; and the old gentleman only said, "You are very obliging, Charles--drop in and see us often." So strange, not to know it was just like such precocious youths to fancy themselves in love with every pretty girl. So laws were enacted stricter than those of the Medes and Persians, against all billets passed in school; as if Cupid, had he made the essay, would not have delighted to jeopardize all regulations, and fly in the face of all laws.