The Debating Club"Look here, old man, we ought to have a meeting. Holidays areover, and we must brace up and attend to business," said Frank toGus, as they strolled out of the schoolyard one afternoon inJanuary, apparently absorbed in conversation, but in reality waitingfor a blue cloud and a scarlet feather to appear on the steps.

　　"All right. When, where, and what?" asked Gus, who was a man offew words.

　　"To-night, our house, subject, 'Shall girls go to college with us?'

　　Mother said we had better be making up our minds, becauseeveryone is talking about it, and we shall have to be on one side orthe other, so we may as well settle it now," answered Frank, forthere was an impression among the members that all vexedquestions would be much helped by the united eloquence andwisdom of the club.

　　"Very good; I'll pass the word and be there. Hullo, Neddy! The D.

　　C. meets to-night, at Minot's, seven sharp. Co-ed, &c.," added Gus,losing no time, as a third boy came briskly round the corner, with alittle bag in his hand.

　　"I'll come. Got home an hour earlier to-night, and thought I'd lookyou up as I went by," responded Ed Devlin, as he took possessionof the third post, with a glance toward the schoolhouse to see if aseal-skin cap, with a long, yellow braid depending therefrom, wasanywhere in sight.

　　"Very good of you, I'm sure," said Gus, ironically, not a bitdeceived by this polite attention.

　　"The longest way round is sometimes the shortest way home, hey,Ed?" and Frank gave him a playful poke that nearly sent him offhis perch.

　　Then they all laughed at some joke of their own, and Gus added,"No girls coming to hear us to-night. Don't think it, my son.

　　"More's the pity," and Ed shook his head regretfully over thedownfall of his hopes.

　　"Can't help it; the other fellows say they spoil the fun, so we haveto give in, sometimes, for the sake of peace and quietness. Don'tmind having them a bit myself," said Frank, in such a tone ofcheerful resignation that they laughed again, for the "Triangle," asthe three chums were called, always made merry music.

　　"We must have a game party next week. The girls like that, and sodo I," candidly observed Gus, whose pleasant parlors were thescene of many such frolics.

　　"And so do your sisters and your cousins and your aunts," hummedEd, for Gus was often called Admiral because he really did possessthree sisters, two cousins, and four aunts, besides mother andgrandmother, all living in the big house together.

　　The boys promptly joined in the popular chorus, and other voicesall about the yard took it up, for the "Pinafore" epidemic ragedfearfully in Harmony Village that winter.

　　"How's business?" asked Gus, when the song ended, for Ed had notreturned to school in the autumn, but had gone into a store in thecity.

　　"Dull; things will look up toward spring, they say. I get on wellenough, but I miss you fellows dreadfully"; and Ed put a hand onthe broad shoulder of each friend, as if he longed to be aschool-boy again.

　　"Better give it up and go to college with me next year," said Frank,who was preparing for Boston University, while Gus fitted forHarvard.

　　"No; I've chosen business, and I mean to stick to it, so don't youunsettle my mind. Have you practised that March?" asked Ed,turning to a gayer subject, for he had his little troubles, but alwayslooked on the bright side of things.

　　"Skating is so good, I don't get much time. Come early, and we'llhave a turn at it.""I will. Must run home now.""Pretty cold loafing here.""Mail is in by this time."And with these artless excuses the three boys leaped off the posts,as if one spring moved them, as a group of girls came chatteringdown the path. The blue cloud floated away beside Frank, thescarlet feather marched off with the Admiral, while the fur capnodded to the gray hat as two happy faces smiled at each other.

　　The same thing often happened, for twice a-day the streets werefull of young couples walking to and from school together, smiledat by the elders, and laughed at by the less susceptible boys andgirls, who went alone or trooped along in noisy groups. Theprudent mothers had tried to stop this guileless custom, but foundit very difficult, as the fathers usually sympathized with their sons,and dismissed the matter with the comfortable phrase, "Nevermind; boys will be boys." "Not forever," returned the anxiousmammas, seeing the tall lads daily grow more manly, and thepretty daughters fast learning to look demure when certain nameswere mentioned.

　　It could not be stopped without great parental sternness and thedanger of deceit, for co-education will go on outside of schoolif not inside, and the safest way is to let sentiment and study gohand in hand, with teachers and parents to direct and explain thegreat lesson all are the better for learning soon or late. So theelders had to give in, acknowledging that this sudden readiness togo to school was a comfort, that the new sort of gentle emulationworked wonders in lazy girls and boys, and that watching these"primrose friendships" bud, blossom, and die painless deaths, gavea little touch of romance to their own work-a-day lives.

　　"On the whole I'd rather have my sons walking, playing, andstudying with bright, well-mannered girls, than always knockingabout with rough boys," said Mrs. Minot at one of the Mothers'

　　Meetings, where the good ladies met to talk over their children,and help one another to do their duty by them.

　　"I find that Gus is more gentle with his sisters since Juliet took himin hand, for he wants to stand well with her, and they report him ifhe troubles them. I really see no harm in the little friendship,though I never had any such when I was a girl," said Mrs. Burton,who adored her one boy and was his confidante.

　　"My Merry seems to be contented with her brothers so far, but Ishouldn't wonder if I had my hands full by and by," added Mrs.

　　Grant, who already foresaw that her sweet little daughter would besought after as soon as she should lengthen her skirts and turn upher bonny brown hair.

　　Molly Loo had no mother to say a word for her, but she settledmatters for herself by holding fast to Merry, and declaring that shewould have no escort but faithful Boo.

　　It is necessary to dwell a moment upon this new amusement,because it was not peculiar to Harmony Village, but appearseverywhere as naturally as the game parties and croquet whichhave taken the place of the husking frolics and apple-bees of oldentimes, and it is impossible to dodge the subject if one attempts towrite of boys and girls as they really are nowadays.

　　"Here, my hero, see how you like this. If it suits, you will be readyto march as soon as the doctor gives the word," said Ralph, cominginto the Bird Room that evening with a neat little crutch under hisarm.

　　"Ha, ha, that looks fine! I'd like to try it right off, but I won't till Iget leave. Did you make it yourself, Ral?" asked Jack, handling itwith delight, as he sat bolt upright, with his leg on a rest, for hewas getting on capitally now.

　　"Mostly. Rather a neat job, I flatter myself.""I should say so. What a clever fellow you are! Any new inventionslately?" asked Frank, coming up to examine and admire.

　　Only an anti-snoring machine and an elbow-pad, answered Ralph,with a twinkle in his eye, as if reminded of something funny.

　　"Go on, and tell about them. I never heard of an anti-snorer. Jackbetter have one," said Frank, interested at once.

　　"Well, a rich old lady kept her family awake with that lively music,so she sent to Shirtman and Codleff for something to stop it. Theythought it was a good joke, and told me to see what I could do. Ithought it over, and got up the nicest little affair you ever saw. Itwent over the mouth, and had a tube to fit the ear, so when thelady snored she woke herself up and stopped it. It suited exactly. Ithink of taking out a patent," concluded Ralph, joining in the boys'

　　laugh at the droll idea.

　　"What was the pad?" asked Frank, returning to the small model ofan engine he was making.

　　"Oh, that was a mere trifle for a man who had a tender elbow-jointand wanted something to protect it. I made a little pad to fit on,and his crazy-bone was safe.""I planned to have you make me a new leg if this one was spoilt,"said Jack, sure that his friend could invent anything under the sun.

　　"I'd do my best for you. I made a hand for a fellow once, and thatgot me my place, you know," answered Ralph, who thought littleof such mechanical trifles, and longed to be painting portraits ormodelling busts, being an artist as well as an inventor.

　　Here Gus, Ed, and several other boys came in, and theconversation became general. Grif, Chick, and Brickbat were threeyoung gentlemen whose own respectable names were usuallyignored, and they cheerfully answered to these nicknames.

　　As the clock struck seven, Frank, who ruled the club with a rod ofiron when Chairman, took his place behind the study table. Seatsstood about it, and a large, shabby book lay before Gus, who wasSecretary, and kept the records with a lavish expenditure of ink, tojudge by the blots. The members took their seats, and nearly alltilted back their chairs and put their hands in their pockets, to keepthem out of mischief; for, as everyone knows, it is impossible fortwo lads to be near each other and refrain from tickling orpinching. Frank gave three raps with an old croquet-mallet set on ashort handle, and with much dignity opened the meeting.

　　"Gentlemen, the business of the club will be attended to, and thenwe will discuss the question, 'Shall girls go to our colleges?' TheSecretary will now read the report of the last meeting."Clearing his throat, Gus read the following brief and elegantreport:

　　"Club met, December I 8th, at the house of G. Burton, Esq.

　　Subject:

　　'Is summer or winter best fun?' A lively pow-wow. About evenlydivided. J. Flint fined five cents for disrespect to the Chair. Acollection of forty cents taken up to pay for breaking a pane ofglass during a free fight of the members on the door-step. E.

　　Devlin was chosen Secretary for the coming year, and a new bookcontributed by the Chairman.""That's all.""Is there any other business before the meeting?" asked Frank, asthe reader closed the old book with a slam and shoved the newone across the table.

　　Ed rose, and glancing about him with an appealing look, said, as ifsure his proposition would not be well received, "I wish to proposethe name of a new member. Bob Walker wants to join, and 1 thinkwe ought to let him. He is trying to behave well, and I am sure wecould help him. Can't we?"All the boys looked sober, and Joe, otherwise Brickbat, said,bluntly, "I won't. He's a bad lot, and we don't want any such here.

　　Let him go with chaps of his own sort.""That is just what I want to keep him from! He's a good-heartedboy enough, oniy no one looks after him; so he gets into scrapes,as we should, if we were in his place, I'd are say. He wants tocome here, and would be so proud if he was let in, I know he'dbehave. Come now, let's give him a chance," and Ed looked at Gusand Frank, sure that if they stood by him he should carry his point.

　　But Gus shook his head, as if doubtful of the wisdom of the plan,and Frank said gravely: "You know we made the rule that thenumber should never be over eight, and we cannot break it.""You needn't. I can't he here half the time, so I will resign and letBob have my place," began Ed, but he was silenced by shouts of"No, no, you shan't!" "We won't let you off!" "Club would go tosmash, if you back out!""Let him have my place; I'm the youngest, and you won't miss me,"cried Jack, bound to stand by Ed at all costs.

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