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thought he was not, I would skin him." Mr. Hilton again searched through the crowd for Thomas, and then returned home with a hope, that he should find him there.

When Philip and Thomas hid themselves. in the crowd from their companions, they kept together for some time; Philip making Thomas laugh by his witty remarks on the mean spirited fellows, who could not like the fun of elections. After some time, they joined the boys in the State House yard, who were tearing up the grass sods to throw at each other; Thomas thought that it was wrong to do so, and said he thought so, but he was soon laughed out of his good intention, and like a coward who fears to do right, he joined in the sport. As he laid his hand on a sod, to tear it up, another larger boy seized it; Thomas held fast, saying, “let go, itis mine;" the boy, with an oath, gave him a blow that laid him on the grass, and in a moment, a crowd of boys surrounded them. Thomas was soon up, and urged by half a dozen voices, to "whip the fellow;" he struck him on the face, and a fight commenced. "That

is right,” “hit him again," was heard on all sides. Thomas was not strong, and unaccustomed to fighting; he soon sunk on the ground, with the blood streaming from his nose; the other boy walked off, with almost all the rest following him, and praising him for his courage. Philip staid a few minutes by Thomas, saying, "never mind, Tom, I will whip him for you some day," when the running of the boys to the railing of the yard, drew away his attention from his suffering companion, and he ran to know what was to be seen. He found that it was a miserable, intoxicated man, who had been standing behind a carriage, that was filled with noisy lovers of election fun-the man letting go his hold, to wave his hat, fell upon the stones, and his arm was broken-he was put on a hand-barrow, and carried to the hospital. While his groans were heard, the noisy fun was hushed; but in a few minutes, when he was out of sight, the lesson was forgotten. Philip went back to Thomas, and helped him to rise, and said " come, go and wash your face at the hydrant." "I will go home," said

Thomas. "Home,” replied Philip, "what, and show the boys, by your bloody nose, that you were beat; no, you must not do that; wait until evening, and then the bruise will not show: a fine laugh they would have at me, if you went and told them, I had not treated you as I said I would; they would say it was all boast; come, come, you are no hero, if you mind a bloody nose.' Thomas was, indeed, no hero, or he would have left an enticing evil companion, and have gone home sorrowful for his folly, and willing to acknowledge it. Shame, the coward's master, made him stay with Philip. He washed his face, but it soon began to swell, and his eyes became almost closed. Philip tired of having him with him, thought he would take him into an oyster cellar and leave him:"Come," said he, "now for the treat I promised you." They went down, and Philip asked for oysters and beer; the man who kept the cellar, told him to show his money; he took out a quarter of a dollar, and two elevenpences, and said, "I want what you will give for two elevenpences." The oysters

and beer, were placed before them; but Thomas felt too sick to eat; he was thirsty, and put the mug to his lips, and drank freely. When Philip took the mug, he said, "why Tom, you have taken more than your share; come, my boy, have you no fip to pay for some more?" Thomas saw some boys standing near, and in a moment of pride, he drew out a small bag from his jacket pocket, and poured out several elevenpences, and six cent pieces. "O ho, you are rich," said Philip, "come, this will do;" saying so, he took elevenpence, and offered it for more beer. One of the boys who was standing near, said to Philip, "have you any money to toss up with?" "Only another quarter," said Philip, “and I do not choose to risk that." "Change it into fips," said the boy, and then you will have more chances." Philip thought for a moment, and then taking Thomas by the arm, led him into the back part of the cellar, and asked him to give him small pieces for a quarter. Thomas again took out his money, and the other boy, said, "come, join us, you will have a good chance of making your little bag

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full." Thomas remembered, at that moment, what Mr. Elmer had said, of the evil of playing toss-up; and he turned away from the boy, who laughed, and said, "O my close one, you are afraid, are you?" "I am not,” said Philip, "come, here goes." Thomas saw the piece rise, and fall, and heard Philip say, "it is mine." The fear of being laughed at, and the desire to win more, caused him to disregard the dictates of his conscience, which made him feel he was going to do wrong; and taking out his money, he said, he would toss too. Other boys joined them, and in a very short time, all the little stock which Thomas had earned by doing over-work, was gone. Philip gained the first toss, but the second and third, he lost; this made him angry, and he accused the boy, with whom he played, of cheating; a quarrel commenced which would have occasioned a fight, if the man who kept the cellar, had not interfered; and the boy went off with his winnings, to boast of his cunning to his companions in vice. Thomas sat down upon a bench; the beer which he had drank, made him sick; his face pained him,

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