"DEAR GLENN,--Thanks for wishing me to join your fishing
expedition the day after to-morrow, but I can't come. My mother
says, as I had a holiday from college one day last week, it
will not do to ask for it again. You told me to send word this
evening whether or not, so I drop you this note. I should like
to go, and shall be thinking of you all day. Mind you let me
have a look at the fish you bring home. Yours,
"FRANK HALLIBURTON."
The note was addressed "Glenn senior," and Gar was ordered to deliver it
at Glenn senior's house. Glenn senior, who was a king's scholar, not a
chorister, made a wry face over it when delivered, and sat down on the
spur of the moment to answer it:
"DEER HALIBURTON,--Its all stuf about not asking for leve again
what do the musty old prebens care who gets leve therell be
enuff to sing without you tell your mother I cant excuse you
from our party theirs 8 of us going and a stunning baxket of
progg as good go out for a day's fishing has stop at home on a
holiday for the benefit of that preshous colledge bring me word
you'll come to-morrow at skool for we want to arrange our plans
yours old fellow
"P GLENN."
Master P. Glenn was concluding his note when his father passed through
the room and glanced over the boy's shoulder. He (Mr. Glenn) was a
surgeon; one of the chief surgeons attached to the Helstonleigh
infirmary, and in excellent practice. "At your exercise, Philip?"
"No, papa. I am writing a note to one of our fellows. I want him to be
of our fishing party on Wednesday."
"Wednesday! Have you a holiday on Wednesday?"
"Yes. Don't you know it will be a saint's day?"
"Not I," said Mr. Glenn. "Saints' days don't concern me as they do you
college boys. That's a pretty specimen of English!" he added, running
his amused eyes over Philip's note.
"Are there any mistakes in it?" returned Philip. "But it's no matter,
papa. We don't profess to write English in the college school."
"It is well you don't profess it," remarked Mr. Glenn. "But how is it
your friend Halliburton can turn out good English?" He had taken up
Frank's letter.
"Oh! they are such chaps for learning, the two Halliburtons. They stick
at it like a horse-leech--never getting the cane for turned lessons.
They have school at home in the evenings for English, and history, and
such stuff that they don't get at college."
"Have they a tutor?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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