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Article HOW ALFRED TIPTOP WON THE PRIZE POEM ← Page 6 of 12 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
How Alfred Tiptop Won The Prize Poem
hanging on his mind , and that all Avas not quite as it should be Avith Alfred . But she Avas in no humour to condemn him unseen and unheard . I am afraid it Avould be thought very improper if I Avere to detail all that took place at this meeting ; especially as Leila ' s " Don't—therethat Avill do" evidently implied that there Avas
, , , some little proceeding upon which strict honour Avould lead one to prefer silence . Alfred felt more in love than ever , and Leila forgot to find fault even Avith the very Meltonian style of his shirt studs and watch-chain trinkets . Besides , Leila rode well herself , and had thought , once or twice , that her papa ' s style was someAvhat too quiet .
A nice girl is not a bad companion in your study , especially if she be as sharp and clever as Leila . Her help became quite necessary ; and it Avas incredible how much more Thucydides or Pindar Alfred could manage , if Leila sat either doing her own
work by his side , or occasionally catechizing him . He Avas becoming almost a reading man ; and , if his face did wander sometimes to another face in the room , Leila ' s exquisite scolding , and sometimes the promise of a musical reward in the evening ( entirely contingent on his good behaviour ) , gave a zest to his Greek that Avas rapidly telling a clear and a pleasant tale . Nor Avas there
Avanting in Leila ' s mind some of that deeper influence , which may lie beneath the behaviour even of the prettiest and most lively little women in the Avorld . Sometimes she talked of the comfort in after life which had rewarded the studies of her father , —of the valued friends , and the certain , though moderate and inexpensive celebritywhich made Derwent Lodge the
con-, stant haunt of people of taste and attainments . Sometimes , Avould not her OAvn attainments provoke a kind of not unpleasing jealousy , and make him think Avhether he ought not to be something better than he Avas at present , to deserve so clever a partner of his future life ?
Such stimulus was not thrown away upon one insensible ; and reading for " honours , " Avhich had been rather remote from Alfred ' s thoughts , now became his definite and avowed intention . Mr . DerAvent thought with delight how his little daughter ' s work had abetted his OAvn , and toiled incessantly with his grateful and promising pupil . Instead of lazily living upon six or seven
hundred a year , A'isions of the bar , and some of its hereafter consequences , began to occupy the mind of Alfred ; and by the time his third year commenced , his whole Avork Avas in steady arrangement , and he had only carefully to re-read and digest all the knowledge lvhich his talent and perseverance had united in
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
How Alfred Tiptop Won The Prize Poem
hanging on his mind , and that all Avas not quite as it should be Avith Alfred . But she Avas in no humour to condemn him unseen and unheard . I am afraid it Avould be thought very improper if I Avere to detail all that took place at this meeting ; especially as Leila ' s " Don't—therethat Avill do" evidently implied that there Avas
, , , some little proceeding upon which strict honour Avould lead one to prefer silence . Alfred felt more in love than ever , and Leila forgot to find fault even Avith the very Meltonian style of his shirt studs and watch-chain trinkets . Besides , Leila rode well herself , and had thought , once or twice , that her papa ' s style was someAvhat too quiet .
A nice girl is not a bad companion in your study , especially if she be as sharp and clever as Leila . Her help became quite necessary ; and it Avas incredible how much more Thucydides or Pindar Alfred could manage , if Leila sat either doing her own
work by his side , or occasionally catechizing him . He Avas becoming almost a reading man ; and , if his face did wander sometimes to another face in the room , Leila ' s exquisite scolding , and sometimes the promise of a musical reward in the evening ( entirely contingent on his good behaviour ) , gave a zest to his Greek that Avas rapidly telling a clear and a pleasant tale . Nor Avas there
Avanting in Leila ' s mind some of that deeper influence , which may lie beneath the behaviour even of the prettiest and most lively little women in the Avorld . Sometimes she talked of the comfort in after life which had rewarded the studies of her father , —of the valued friends , and the certain , though moderate and inexpensive celebritywhich made Derwent Lodge the
con-, stant haunt of people of taste and attainments . Sometimes , Avould not her OAvn attainments provoke a kind of not unpleasing jealousy , and make him think Avhether he ought not to be something better than he Avas at present , to deserve so clever a partner of his future life ?
Such stimulus was not thrown away upon one insensible ; and reading for " honours , " Avhich had been rather remote from Alfred ' s thoughts , now became his definite and avowed intention . Mr . DerAvent thought with delight how his little daughter ' s work had abetted his OAvn , and toiled incessantly with his grateful and promising pupil . Instead of lazily living upon six or seven
hundred a year , A'isions of the bar , and some of its hereafter consequences , began to occupy the mind of Alfred ; and by the time his third year commenced , his whole Avork Avas in steady arrangement , and he had only carefully to re-read and digest all the knowledge lvhich his talent and perseverance had united in