THE TWO APPRENTICES, 61

gifted youth, as she thought Reynolds; and man y
a little kindness and indulgence did he unwittingly
owe to this sentiment in her heart towards him.

Time went on, and yet on. The apprentices had
each gone on in their own way, and were both
nearly nineteen years of age. Williams was now
above the middle size, and seemed to have done
growing ; while Reynolds, on the contrary, seemed
as if he had only just begun to grow, and was, as
his Aunt Joanna said, “coming on famously.” She
began to think, after all, that her nephew would, in
his way, be every bit as good-looking as-Williams.
He was stouter built, to be sure, and would never
be so tall, but there was such a firm, manly air
about him, something so honest and good in his
countenance—it was quite a pleasure tp look at him!

It was now the middle of winter—a cold, sleety
day, when no customers, saving such as wanted
physie, turned out of doors. The shop-door was
shut, the stove was burning cheerily, and the two
apprentices were standing together, looking over a
play-bill, which had just been thrown in.

Players were “come to the town; a theatre was
opened, and that night the performances began.
“The Beaux’ Stratagem :” it was a charming play,
said Williams; and read over the list of characters
and performers like a school-boy running over a
well-practised lesson. There was nothing in this
world that he enjoyed like the theatre; to see a
play well acted was the finest thing in the world—
the next best thing was to see one badly acted.
Oh, a tragedy acted by strolling players, there was
something quite racy about it! He declared that .
he should be a great patron of the theatre. He