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Project Gutenberg's The Wizard's Son, Vol. 2(of 3), by Margaret Oliphant This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: The Wizard's Son, Vol. 2(of 3) Author: Margaret Oliphant Release Date: December 6, 2014 [EBook #47556] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIZARD'S SON, VOL. 2(OF 3) *** Produced by Delphine Lettau, Mary Meehan & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) bookcover THE WIZARD'S SON A Novel BY MRS. OLIPHANT AUTHOR OF "THE CURATE IN CHARGE," "YOUNG MUSGRAVE," ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. II. London MACMILLAN AND CO. 1884 [The Right of Translation and Reproduction is Reserved] LONDON: R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BREAD STREET HILL. THE WIZARD'S SON. CHAPTER I. When Walter seated himself beside Oona in the boat, and Hamish pushed off from the beach, there fell upon both these young people a sensation of quiet and relief for which one of them at least found it very difficult to account. It had turned out a very still afternoon. The heavy rains were over, the clouds broken up and dispersing, with a sort of sullen stillness, like a defeated army making off in dull haste, yet not without a stand here and there, behind the mountains. The loch was dark and still, all hushed after the sweeping blasts of rain, but black with the reflections of gloom from the sky. There was a sense of safety, of sudden quiet, of escape, in that sensation of pushing off, away from all passion and agitation upon this still sea of calm. Why Oona, who feared no one, who had no painful thoughts or associations to flee from, should have felt this she could not tell. The sense of interest in, and anxiety for, the young man by her side was altogether different. That was sympathetic and definable; but the sensation of relief was something more. She looked at him with a smile and sigh of ease as she gathered the strings of the rudder into her hands. "I feel," she said, "as if I were running away, and had got safe out of reach; though there is nobody pursuing me that I know of," she added, with a faint laugh of satisfaction. The wind blew the end of the white wrapper round her throat towards her companion, and he caught it as she had caught the rudder ropes. "It is I that am pursued," he said, "and have escaped. I have a feeling that I am safe here. The kind water, and the daylight, and you—but how should you feel it? It must have gone from my mind to yours." "The water does not look so very kind," said Oona, "except that it separates us from the annoyances that are on land— when there are annoyances." She had never known any that were more than the troubles of a child before. "There is this that makes it kind. If you were driven beyond bearing, a plunge down there and all would be over——" "Lord Erradeen!" "Oh, I don't mean to try. I have no thought of trying; but look how peaceful, how deep, all liquid blackness! It might go down to the mystic centre of the earth for anything one knows." He leant over a little, looking down into those depths profound which were so still that the boat seemed to cut through a surface which had solidity; and in doing this put the boat out of trim, and elicited a growl from Hamish. It seemed to Oona, too, as if there was something seductive in that profound liquid depth, concealing all that sought refuge there. She put out her hand and grasped his arm in the thrill of this thought. "Oh, don't look down," she said. "I have heard of people being caught, in spite of themselves, by some charm in it." The movement was quite involuntary and simple; but, on second thoughts, Oona drew away her hand, and blushed a little. "Besides, you put the boat out of trim," she said. "If I should ever be in deadly danger," said Walter, with the seriousness which had been in his face all along, "will you put out your hand like that, without reflection, and save me?" Oona tried to laugh again; but it was not easy; his seriousness gained upon her, in spite of herself. "I think we are talking nonsense, and feeling nonsense; for it seems to me as if we had escaped from something. Now Hamish is pleased; the boat is trimmed. Don't you think," she said, with an effort to turn off graver subjects, "that it is a pity those scientific people who can do everything should not tunnel down through that centre of the earth you were speaking of, straight through to the other side of the world? Then we might be dropped through to Australia without any trouble. I have a brother there; indeed I have a brother in most places. Mamma and I might go and see Rob now and then, or he might come home for a dance, poor fellow; he was always very fond of dancing." Thus she managed to fill up the time till they reached the isle. It lay upon the surface of that great mirror, all fringed and feathered with its bare trees; the occasional colour in the roofs gleaming back again out of the water; a little natural fastness, safe and sure. As Oona was later in returning than had been expected, the little garrison of women in the isle was all astir and watching for her coming. Out of one of the upper windows there was the head of a young maid visible, gazing down the loch; and Mrs. Forrester, in her furred cloak, was standing in the porch, and Mysie half way down to the beach, moving from point to point of vision. "They are all about but old Cookie," said Oona. "It is a terrible business when I am late. They think everything that is dreadful must have happened, and that makes a delightful sensation when I get home safe and well. I am every day rescued from a watery grave, or saved from some dreadful accident on shore, in my mother's imagination. She gives herself the misery of it, and then she has the pleasure of it," cried the girl, with the amused cynicism of youth. "But to-day you bring a real fugitive with you—an escaped—what shall I call myself?—escaped not from harm, but from doing harm—which is the most dangerous of the two." "You will never do harm to the poor folk," said Oona, looking at him with kind eyes. "Never, while I am in my senses, and know. I want you to promise me something before we land." "You must make haste, then, and ask; for there is Mysie ready with the boat-hook," said Oona, a little alarmed. "Promise me—if it ever occurs that harm is being done in my name, to make me know it. Oh, not a mere note sent to my house; I might never receive it like the last; but to make me know. See me, speak to me, think even:—and you will save me." "Oh, Lord Erradeen, you must not put such a responsibility on me. How can I, a girl that is only a country neighbour ——" "Promise me!" he said. "Oh, Lord Erradeen, this is almost tyrannical. Yes, if I can—if I think anything is concealed from you. Here I am, Mysie, quite safe; and of course mamma has been making herself miserable. I have brought Lord Erradeen to luncheon," Oona said. "Eh, my lord, but we're glad to see you," said Mysie, with the gracious ease of hospitality. "They said you were going without saying good-bye, but I would never believe it. It is just his lordship, mem, as I said it was," she called to Mrs. Forrester, who was hastening down the slope. The mistress of the island came down tripping, with her elderly graces, waving her white delicate hands. "Oh, Oona, my dear, but I'm thankful to see you, and nothing happened," she cried; "and ye are very welcome, Lord Erradeen. I thought you would never go away without saying good-bye. Come away up to the house. It is late, late, for luncheon; but there will be some reason; and I never have any heart to take a meal by myself. Everything is ready: if it's not all spoiled?" Mrs. Forrester added, turning round to Mysie, as she shook hands with the unexpected guest. "Oh, no fear of that, mem," said the factotum, "we're well enough used to waiting in this house: an hour, half an hour, is just nothing. The trout is never put down to the fire till we see the boat; but I maun away and tell cook." "And you will get out some of the good claret," Mrs. Forrester cried. "Come away—come away, Lord Erradeen. We have just been wondering what had become of you. It is quite unfriendly to be at Auchnasheen and not come over to see us. Oona, run, my dear, and take off your things. Lord Erradeen will take charge of me. I am fain of an arm when I can get one, up the brae. When the boys were at home I always got a good pull up. And where did you foregather, you two? I am glad Oona had the sense to bring you with her. And I hope the trout will not be spoiled," she said with some anxiety. "Mysie is just too confident—far too confident. She is one that thinks nothing can go wrong on the isle." "That is my creed too," said Walter with an awakening of his natural inclination to make himself agreeable, and yet a more serious meaning in the words. "Oh fie!" said Mrs. Forrester, shaking her head, "to flatter a simple person like me! We have but little, very little to offer; the only thing in our favour is that it's offered with real goodwill. And how do you like Auchnasheen? and are you just keeping it up as it was in the old lord's time? and how is Mary Fleming, the housekeeper, that was always an ailing body?" These questions, with others of the same kind, answered the purpose of conversation as they ascended to the house—with little intervals between, for Mrs. Forrester was a little breathless though she did not care to say so and preferred to make pauses now and then to point out the variations of the landscape. "Though I know it so well, I never find it two days the same," she said. None of these transparent little fictions, so innocent, so natural, were unknown to her friends, and the sight of them had a curiously strengthening and soothing effect upon Walter, to whom the gentle perseverance of those amiable foibles, so simple and evident, gave a sense of reality and nature which had begun to be wanting in his world. His heart grew lighter as he watched the "ways" of this simple woman, about whose guiles and pretences even there was no mystery at all, and whose little affectations somehow seemed to make her only more real. It gave him a momentary shock, however, when she turned round at her own door, and directed his attention to his old castle lying in lines of black and grey upon the glistening water. He drew her hastily within the porch. "It gets colder and colder," he said; "the wind goes through and through one. Don't let me keep you out in the chilly air." "I think you must have caught a little cold," said Mrs. Forrester, concerned, "for I do not find it so chilly for my part. To be sure, Loch Houran is never like your quiet landward places in England: we are used up here to all the changes. Oona will be waiting for us by this time; and I hope you are ready for your dinner, Lord Erradeen, for I am sure I am. I should say for your lunch: but when it comes to be so far on in the day as this, these short winter days, Oona and me, we just make it our dinner. Oh, there you are, my dear! Lord Erradeen will like to step into Ronald's room and wash his hands, and then there will be nothing to wait for but the trout." When they were seated at the table, with the trout cooked to perfection as fish only is where it is caught, Mrs. Forrester pressing him to eat with old-fashioned anxiety, and even Mysie, who waited at table, adding affectionate importunities, Walter's heart was touched with a sense of the innocence, the kindness, the gentle nature about him. He felt himself cared for like a child, regarded indeed as a sort of larger child to be indulged with every dainty they could think of, and yet in some ineffable way protected and guided too by the simple creatures round him. The mistress and the maid had little friendly controversies as to what was best for him. "I thought some good sherry wine, mem, and him coming off the water, would be better than yon cauld clairet." "Well, perhaps you are right, Mysie; but the young men nowadays are all for claret," Mrs. Forrester said. "Just a wee bittie more of the fish, my lord," said Mysie, in his ear. "No, no, Mysie," cried her mistress. "You know there are birds coming. Just take away the trout, it is a little cold, and there's far more nourishment in the grouse." "To my mind, mem," said Mysie, "there is nothing better than a Loch Houran trout." All this had the strangest effect upon Walter. To come into this simple house was like coming back to nature, and that life of childhood in which there are no skeletons or shadows. Even his mother had never been so sheltering, so safe, so real. Mrs. Methven had far more intellect and passion than Mrs. Forrester. It had been impossible to her to bear the failure of her ideal in her boy. Her very love had been full of pain and trouble to both. But this other mother was of a different fashion. Whatever her children did was good in her eyes; but she protected, fed, took care of, extended her soft wings over them as if they still were in the maternal nest. The innocence of it all moved Walter out of himself. "Do you know," he said at last, "what I have come from to your kind, sheltering house, Mrs. Forrester? Do you know what everybody, even your daughter, thought of me two hours ago?" "I never thought any harm of you, Lord Erradeen," said Oona, looking up hastily. "Harm of him! Dear me, Oona, you are far, very far, from polite. And what was it they thought of you?" asked Mrs. Forrester. "Oona is so brusque, she just says what she thinks; but sure am I it was nothing but good." "They thought," said Walter, with an excitement which grew upon him as he went on, "that I, who have been poor myself all my life, that never had any money or lands till a few weeks ago, that I was going to turn poor women and children out of their houses, out upon the world, out to the wet, cold mountain-side, without a shelter in sight. They thought I was capable of that. An old woman more than eighty, and a lot of little children! They thought I would turn them out! Oh, not the poor creatures themselves, but others; even Miss Oona. Is thy servant a dog—" cried the young man in a blaze of fiery agitation, the hot light of pain shining through the involuntary moisture in his eyes. "Somebody says that in the Bible, I know. Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?" "Oh, my dear!" cried Mrs. Forrester, in her sympathy, forgetting all distinctions, and only remembering that he was very like her Ronald, and was in trouble, "nobody, nobody thought you would do that. Oh no, no, fie no! nobody had such a thought. If I could believe it of Oona I would not speak to her—I would—no, no, it was never believed. I, for one, I knew you would never do it. I saw it," cried the kind lady, "in your eyes!" Though Walter had no real confidence in the independent judgment which she asserted so unhesitatingly, yet he was consoled by the softness of the words, the assurance of the tone. "I did not think such things ever happened in Scotland," he said. "It is Ireland one thinks of: and that it should be supposed I would do it, has hurt me more than I can say—a stranger who had no one to stand up for me." "That was just the way of it," said Mrs. Forrester, soothingly. "We think here that there is something strange in English ways. We never know how a thing will appear to them—that is how it was. But I said all through that it was impossible, and I just wrote to you last night (you would get my letter?) that you must not do it—for fear you might not have understood how it was." "But there is another side to it," said Oona, "we must not forget, mother. Sometimes it is said, you know, that the poor folk can do no good where they are. We can all understand the shock of seeing them turned out of their houses: but then people say they cannot live there—that it would be better for themselves to be forced to go away." "That is true, Oona," said her mother, facing round: "it is just a kind of starvation. When old Jenny went there first (she was in my nursery when I had one) there was just a perpetual craik about her rent. Her man was one of the Frasers, and a well-doing, decent man, till he died, poor fellow, as we must all do: and since that I have heard little about it, for I think it was just out of her power to pay anything. Duncan Fraser, he is a very decent man, but I remember the minister was saying if he was in Glasgow or Paisley, or some of those places, it would be better for his family. I recollect that the minister did say that." "So, Lord Erradeen," said Oona, "without being cruel you might: but I—we all like you ten times better that you couldn't," said the girl impulsively. "Ay, that we do," said her mother, ready to back up every side, "that we do. But I am not surprised. I knew that there was nothing unkind either in your heart or your face." "There was no time," said Walter, "to think what was wise, or take into consideration, like a benevolent tyrant, what could be done for their good, without consulting their inclinations: which is what you mean, Miss Forrester——" Oona smiled, with a little heightened colour. It was the commencement of one of those pretty duels which mean mutual attraction rather than opposition. She said, with a little nod of her head, "Go on." "But one thing is certain," he said, with the almost solemn air which returned to his face at intervals, "that I will rather want shelter myself than turn another man out of his house, on any argument—far less helpless women and children. Did you laugh? I see no laughing in it," the young man cried. "Me—laugh!" cried Mrs. Forrester, though it was at Oona he had looked. "If I laughed it was for pleasure. Between ourselves, Lord Erradeen (though they might perhaps be better away), turning out a poor family out of their house is a thing I could never away with. Oona may say what she likes—but it is not Christian. Oh, it's not Christian! I would have taken them in, as many as Mysie could have made room for: but I never could say that it was according to Christianity. Oh no, Lord Erradeen! I would have to be poor indeed—poor, poor indeed—before I would turn these poor folk away." "There would be no blessing upon the rest," said Mysie, behind her mistress's chair. "That is settled then," said Walter, whose heart grew lighter and lighter. "But that is not all. Tell me, if I were a benevolent despot, Miss Forrester—you who know everything—what should I do now?—for it cannot stop there." "We'll go into the drawing-room before you settle that," said Mrs. Forrester. "Dear me, it is quite dark; we will want the candles, Mysie. There is so little light in the afternoon at this time of the year. I am sorry there is no gentleman to keep you in countenance with your glass of wine, Lord Erradeen. If you had been here when my Ronald or Jamie, or even Rob, was at home! But they are all away, one to every airt, and the house is very lonely without any boys in it. Are you coming with us? Well, perhaps it will be more cheerful. Dear me, Mysie, you have left that door open, and we will just be perished with the cold." "Let me shut it," Walter said. He turned to the open door with a pleasant sense of taking the place of one of those absent boys whom the mother regretted so cheerfully, and with a lighter heart than he could have thought possible a few hours ago. But at the first glance he stood arrested with a sudden chill that seemed to paralyse him. It was almost dark upon the loch; the water gleamed with that polished blackness through which the boat had cut as through something solid; but blacker now, shining like jet against the less responsive gloom of the land and hills. The framework of the doorway made a picture of this night scene, with the more definite darkness of the old castle in the centre, rising opaque against the softer distance. Seeing that Lord Erradeen made a sudden pause, Oona went towards him, and looked out too at the familiar scene. She had seen it often before, but it had never made the same impression upon her. "Oh, the light—the light again!" she said, with a cry of surprise. It came up in a pale glow as she was looking, faint, but throwing up in distinct revelation the mass of the old tower against the background. Walter, who seemed to have forgotten what he had come to do, was roused by her voice, and with nervous haste and almost violence shut the door. There was not much light in the little hall, and they could see each other's faces but imperfectly, but his had already lost the soothed and relieved expression which had replaced its agitated aspect. He scarcely seemed to see her as he turned round, took up his hat from the table, and went on confusedly before her, forgetting ordinary decorums, to the drawing-room, where Mrs. Forrester had already made herself comfortable in her usual chair, with the intention of for a few moments "just closing her eyes." Mysie had not brought the lights, and he stood before the surprised lady like a dark shadow, with his hat in his hand. "I have come to take my leave," he said; "to thank you, and say good-bye." "Dear me," said Mrs. Forrester, rousing herself, "you are in a great hurry, Lord Erradeen. Why should you be so anxious to go? You have nobody at Auchnasheen to be kept waiting. Toots! you must just wait now you are here for a cup of tea at least, and it will take Hamish a certain time to get out the boat." "I must go," he said, with a voice that trembled: then suddenly threw down his hat on the floor and himself upon a low chair close to her, "unless," he said, "unless—you will complete your charity by taking me in for the night. Will you keep me for the night? Put me in any corner. I don't mind—only let me stay." "Let you stay!" cried the lady of the isle. She sprang up as lightly as a girl at this appeal, with no further idea of "closing her eyes." "Will I keep you for the night? But that I will, and with all my heart! There is Ronald's room, where you washed your hands, just all ready, nothing to do but put on the sheets, and plenty of his things in it in case you should want anything. Let you stay!" she cried, with delighted excitement, "it is what I would have asked and pressed you to do. And then we can do something for your cold, for I am sure you have a cold; and Oona and you can settle all that business about the benevolent tyrant, which is more than my poor head is equal to. Oona, my dear, will you tell Mysie? —where is Mysie? I will just speak to her myself. We must get him better of his cold, or what will his mother think? He must have some more blankets, or an eiderdown, which will be lighter, and a good fire." If her worst enemy had asked hospitality from Mrs. Forrester, she would have forgotten all her wrongs and opened her doors wide; how much more when it was a friend and neighbour! The demand itself was a kindness. She tripped away without a thought of her disturbed nap, and was soon heard in colloquy with Mysie, who shared all her sentiments in this respect. Oona, who stood silent by the fire, with a sense that she was somehow in the secret, though she did not know what it was, had a less easy part. The pang of sympathy she felt was almost intolerable, but she did not know how to express it. The quiet room seemed all at once to have become the scene of a struggle, violent though invisible, which she followed dumbly with an instinct beyond her power to understand. After an interval of silence which seemed endless, he spoke. "It must be intended that we should have something to do with each other," he said, suddenly. "When you are there I feel stronger. If your mother had refused me, I should have been lost." "It was impossible that she should have refused you, Lord Erradeen." "I wish you would not call me by that ill-omened name. It is a horror to me; and then if all that is true——How is it possible that one man should lord it over an entire race for so long? Did you ever hear of a similar case? Oh! don't go away. If you knew what an ease it is to speak to you! No one else understands. It makes one feel as if one were restored to natural life to be able to speak of it, to ask advice. Nothing," he cried suddenly, getting up, picking up his hat as if about to leave the house, "nothing—shall induce me to go——" "Oh, no, no!" she cried, "you must not go;" though she could not have told why. He put down the hat again on the table with a strange laugh. "I was going then," he said, "but I will not. I will do exactly as you say." He came up to her where she stood full of trouble watching him. "I dare say you think I am going wrong in my head, but it is not that. I am being dragged—with ropes. Give me your hand to hold by. There! that is safety, that is peace. You hand is as soft—as snow," cried the young man. His own were burning, and the cool fresh touch of the girl's hand seemed to diffuse itself through all his being. Oona was as brave in her purity as the other Una, the spotless lady of romance, and would have shrunk from no act of succour. But it agitated her to have this strange appeal for help made to her. She did not withdraw her hand, but yet drew away a little, alarmed, not knowing what to do. "You must not think," she said, faltering, "that any one—has more power over another than—he permits them to have." She spoke like one of the oracles, not knowing what she said; and he listened with a slight shake of his head, not making any reply. After a moment he yielded to the reluctance which made itself felt in her, and let her hand go. "Will you come with me outside?" he said; "not there, where that place is. I think the cold and the night do one good. Can we go out the other way?" Oona accepted this alternative gladly. "We can go to the walk, where it is always dry," she said, with an assumption of cheerfulness. "It looks to the south, and that is where the flowers grow best." As she led the way through the hall, Walter took up Mrs. Forrester's furred cloak which hung there, and put it round her with a great deal of tenderness and care. The girl's heart beat as he took this office upon him, as one of her brothers might have done. It was the strangest conjunction. He was not thinking of her at all, she felt, save as affording some mysterious help in those mysterious miseries: and yet there was a sweetness in the thought he took, even at this extraordinary moment, for her comfort. There could have been no such dangerous combination of circumstances for Oona, whose heart was full of the early thrill of romance, and that inextinguishable pity and attraction towards the suffering which tells for so much in the life of women. A softness and melting of the heart indescribable came over her as she felt his light touch on her shoulders, and found herself enveloped as it were, in his shadow and the sentiment of his presence. He was not thinking of her, but only of his need of her, fantastic though that might be. But her heart went out towards him with that wonderful feminine impulse which is at once inferior and superior, full of dependence, yet full of help. To follow all his movements and thoughts as well as she could with wistful secondariness; yet to be ready to guide, to save, when need was—to dare anything for that office. There had never been aught in Oona's life to make her aware of this strange, sweet, agitating position—the one unchangeable form of conjunction for the two mortal companions who have to walk the ways of earth together. But his mind was pre-occupied with other thoughts than her, while hers were wholly bent upon him and his succour. It was dangerous for her, stealing her heart out of her breast in the interest, the sympathy, the close contact involved; but of none of these things was he aware in the pre-occupation of his thoughts. They walked up and down for a time together, behind the house, along the broad walk, almost a terrace, of the kitchen garden, where there was a deep border filled in summer with every kind of old-fashioned flowers. It was bare now, with naked fruit-trees against the wall, but the moon was hid in clouds, and it was impossible to see anything, except from the end of the terrace the little landing-place below, and the first curves of the walk leading up to the house, and all round the glimmer of the loch. The stillness had been broken by the sound of a boat, but it was on the Auchnasheen side, and though Oona strained her eyes she had not been able to see it, and concluded that, if coming to the isle at all, it must have touched the opposite point, where there was a less easy, but possible, landing-place. As they reached the end of the terrace, however, she was startled to see a figure detach itself from the gloom and walk slowly towards the house. "The boat must have run in under the bushes, though I cannot see it," she said; "there is some one coming up the walk." Walter turned to look with momentary alarm, but presently calmed down. "It is most likely old Symington, who takes a paternal charge of me," he said. Soon after they heard the steps, not heavy, but distinctly audible, crushing the gravel, and to Oona's great surprise, though Walter, a stranger to the place, took no notice of the fact, these footsteps, instead of going to the door, as would have been natural, came round the side of the house and approached the young pair in their walk. The person of the new-comer was quite unknown to Oona. He took off his hat with an air of well-bred courtesy—like a gentleman, not like a servant—and said— "I am reluctant to interrupt such a meeting, but there is a boat below for Lord Erradeen." Walter started violently at the sound of the voice, which was, notwithstanding, agreeable and soft, though with a tone of command in it. He came to a sudden stop, and turned round quickly as if he could not believe his ears. "There is a boat below," the stranger repeated, "and it is extremely cold; the men are freezing at their oars. They have not the same delightful inspiration as their master—who forgets that he has business to settle this final night——" Walter gave a strange cry, like the cry of a hunted creature. "In God's name," he exclaimed, "what have you to do here?" "My good fellow," said the other, "you need not try your hand at exorcising; others have made that attempt before you. Is Circe's island shut to all footsteps save yours? But, even then, you could not shut out me. I must not say Armida's garden in this state of the temperature——" he said. "Who is it?" asked Oona in great alarm under her breath. "Let me answer you," the intruder said. "It is a sort of a guardian who has the first right to Lord Erradeen's consideration. Love, as even the copybooks will tell, ought to be subordinate to duty." "Love!" cried Oona, starting from the young man's side. The indignant blood rushed to her face. She turned towards the house in sudden anger and shame and excitement. Circe! Armida! Was it she to whom he dared to apply these insulting names. Walter caught her cloak with both hands. "Do you not see," he said, "that he wants to take you from me, to drive you away, to have me at his mercy? Oona! you would not see a man drown and refuse to hold out your hand?" "This is chivalrous," said the stranger, "to put a woman between you and that—which you are afraid to meet." To describe the state of excited feeling and emotion in which Oona listened to this dialogue, would be impossible. She was surprised beyond measure, yet, in the strange excitement of the encounter, could not take time to wonder or seek an explanation. She had to act in the mean time, whatever the explanation might be. Her heart clanged in her ears. Tenderness, pity, indignation, shame, thrilled through her. She had been insulted, she had been appealed to by the most sacred voice on earth—the voice of suffering. She stood for a moment looking at the two shadows before her, for they were little more. "And if he is afraid why should not he turn to a woman?" she said with an impulse she could scarcely understand. "If he is afraid, I am not afraid. This isle belongs to a woman. Come and tell her, if you will, what you want. Let my mother judge, who is the mistress of this place. Lord Erradeen has no right to break his word to her for any man: but if my mother decides that you have a better claim, he will go." "I will abide by every word she says," Walter cried. The stranger burst into a laugh. "I am likely to put forth my claim before such a tribunal!" he said. "Come, you have fought stoutly for your lover. Make a virtue of necessity now, and let him go." "He is not my lover," cried Oona; "but I will not let him go." She added after a moment, with a sudden change of tone, coming to herself, and feeling the extraordinary character of the discussion. "This is a very strange conversation to occur here. I think we are all out of our senses. It is like the theatre. I don't know your name, sir, but if you are Lord Erradeen's guardian, or a friend of his, I invite you to come and see my mother. Most likely," she added, with a slight faltering, "she will know you as she knows all the family." Then, with an attempt at playfulness, "If it is to be a struggle between this gentleman and the ladies of the isle, Lord Erradeen, tell him he must give way." The stranger took off his hat and made her a profound bow. "I do so on the instant," he said. The two young people stood close together, their shadows confounded in one, and there did not seem time to draw a breath before they were alone, with no sound or trace remaining to prove that the discussion in which a moment before their hearts had been beating so loudly had ever existed at all. Oona looked after the stranger with a gasp. She clung to Walter, holding his arm tight. "Where has he gone?" she cried in a piercing whisper. She trembled so after her boldness that she would have fallen but for his sustaining arm. "Who is he? Where has he gone? That is not the way to the beach. Call after him, call after him, and tell him the way." Walter did not make any reply. He drew her arm closer threw his, and turned with her towards the house. As for Oona, she seemed incapable of any thought but that this strange intruder might be left on the isle. "He will get into the orchard and then among the rocks. He will lose himself," she cried; "he may fall into the water. Call to him, Lord Erradeen—or stop, we will send Hamish. Here is Hamish. Oh, Hamish! the gentleman has taken the wrong way——" "It will just be a boat that has come for my lord," said Hamish. "I tellt them my lord was biding all night, but nothing would satisfee them, but I had to come up and get his lordship's last word." "Oh, he is not going, Hamish! but there is a gentleman—" Walter interrupted her with an abruptness that startled Oona. "Let them see that every one is on board—and return at once," he said. "Oh there will just be everybody on board that ever was, for none has come ashore," said Hamish. "What was you saying about a gentleman, Miss Oona? There will be no gentleman. It is joost Duncan and another man with him, and they cried upon me, Hamish! and I answered them. But there will be no gentleman at all," Hamish said. CHAPTER II. It was very dark upon Loch Houran that night. Whether nature was aware of a dark spirit, more subtle and more powerful than common man, roaming about in the darkness, temporarily baffled by agencies so simple that their potency almost amused while it confounded him—and shrank from the sight of him, who could tell? but it was dark, as a night in which there was a moon somewhere ought never to have been. The moon was on the wane, it was true, which is never like her earlier career, but all trace and influence of her were lost in the low-lying cloud, which descended from the sky like a hood, and wrapped everything in gloom. The water only seemed to throw a black glimmer into the invisible world where all things brooded in silence and cold, unseen, unmoving. The only thing that lived and shone in all this mysterious still universe was one warm window, full of light, that shone from the isle. It was a superstition of the simple mistress of the house that there should be no shutter or curtain there, so that any late "traveller by land or water" might be cheered by this token of life and possible help. Had that traveller, needing human succour, been led to claim shelter there, it would have been accorded fearlessly. "Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold." The little innocent household of defenceless women had not a fear. Hamish only, who perhaps felt a responsibility as their sole possible defender, might have received with suspicion such an unexpected guest. The mysterious person already referred to—whose comings and goings were not as those of other men, and whose momentary discomfiture by such simple means perplexed yet partially amused him, as has been said, passed by that window at a later hour and stood for a moment outside. The thoughts with which, out of the external cold and darkness, which affected him not at all, he regarded the warm interior where simple human souls, sheltering themselves against the elements, gathered about their fire, were strange enough. The cold, which did not touch him, would have made them shiver; the dark, which to his eyes was as the day, would have confused their imaginations and discouraged their minds; and yet together by their fire they were beyond his power. He looked in upon their simplicity and calm and safety with that sense of the superiority of the innocent which at the most supreme moment will come in to dash all the triumphs of guile, and all the arts of the schemer. What he saw was the simplest cheerful scene, the fire blazing, the lamp burning steadily, a young man and a girl seated together, not in any tender or impassioned conjunction, but soberly discussing, calculating, arguing, thought to thought and face to face; the mother, on the other side, somewhat faded, smiling, not over wise, with her book, to which she paid little attention, looking up from time to time, and saying something far from clever. He might have gone in among them, and she would have received him with that same smile and offered him her best, thinking no evil. He had a thousand experiences of mankind, and knew how their minds could be worked upon and their imaginations inflamed, and their ambitions roused. Was he altogether baffled by this simplicity, or was there some lingering of human ruth in him, which kept him from carrying disturbance into so harmless a scene? or was it only to estimate those forces that he stood and watched them, with something to learn, even in his vast knowledge, from this unexpected escape of the fugitive, and the simple means by which he had been baffled for the moment, and his prey taken from him? For the moment!—that was all. "Come, come now," Mrs. Forrester said. "You cannot argue away like that, and fight all night. You must make up your bits of differences, and settle what is to be done; for it is time we had the Books, and let the women and Hamish get to their beds. They are about all day, and up early in the morning, not like us that sit with our hands before us. Oona, you must just cry upon Mysie, and let them all come ben. And if you will hand me the big Bible that is upon yon table— since you are so kind, Lord Erradeen." At this simple ceremonial—the kindly servant-people streaming in, the hush upon their little concerns, the unison of voices, from Oona's, soft with youth and gentle breeding, to the rough bass of Hamish, in words that spectator knew as well as any—the same eyes looked on, with feelings we cannot attempt to fathom. Contempt, envy, the wonder of the wise over the everlasting, inexplicable superiority of the innocent, were these the sentiments with which he gazed? But in the night and silence there was no interpreter of these thoughts. How he came or went was his own secret. The window was closed soon after, the lights extinguished, and the darkness received this little community of the living and breathing, to keep them warm and unseen and unconscious till they should be claimed again by the cheerful day. The household, however, though it presented an aspect of such gentle calm, was not in reality so undisturbed as it appeared. In Oona's chamber, for one, there was a tumult of new emotions which to the girl were incomprehensible, strange, and terrible, and sweet. Lord Erradeen was but a new acquaintance, she said to herself, as she sat over her fire, with everything hushed and silent about her; nevertheless the tumult of feeling in her heart was all connected with him. Curiously enough, the strange encounter in the garden—of which she had received no explanation—had disappeared from her thoughts altogether. The rise and sudden dawn of a new life in her own being was more near and momentous than any mysterious circumstances, however unlike the common. By-and-by she might come to that—in the mean time a sentiment "nova, sola, infinita," occupied all her consciousness. She had known him during the last week only: three times in all, on three several days, had they met; but what a change these three days had made in the life that had been so free and so sweet, full of a hundred interests, without any that was exclusive and absorbing. In a moment, without knowing what was coming, she had been launched into this new world of existence. She was humbled to think of it, yet proud. She felt herself to have become a sort of shadow of him, watching his movements with an anxiety which was without any parallel in her experience, yet at the same time able to interpose for him, when he could not act for himself, to save him. It seemed to Oona suddenly, that everything else had slipped away from her, receding into the distance. The things that had occupied her before were now in the background. All the stage of life was filled with him, and the events of their brief intercourse had become the only occupation of her thoughts. She wondered and blushed as she wandered in that maze of recollections, at her own boldness in assuming the guidance of him; yet felt it to be inevitable—the only thing to be done. And the strange new thrill which ran through her veins when he had appealed to her, when he had implored her to stand by him, came back with an acute sweet mixture of pleasure and pain. She declared to herself, Yes!—with a swelling of her heart—she would stand by him, let it cost her what it might. There had been no love spoken or thought of between them. It was not love: what was it? Friendship, fraternity, the instinctive discovery of one by another, that divination which brings those together who can help each other. It was he, not she, who wanted help—what did it matter which it was? in giving or in receiving it was a new world. But whether it was a demon or an angel that had thus got entrance into that little home of peace and security—who could tell? Whatever it was, it was an inmate hitherto unknown, one that must work changes both in earth and Heaven. Everything that could trouble or disturb had vanished from the dark world outside before Oona abandoned her musings —or rather before she felt the chill of the deep night round her, and twisted up her long hair, and drew aside the curtains from her window as was her custom that she might see the sky from her bed. There had been a change in the midnight hours. The clouds at last had opened, and in the chasm made by their withdrawal was the lamp of the waning moon "lying on her back" with a sort of mystic disturbance and ominous clearness, as if she were lighting the steps of some evil enterprise, guiding a traitor or a murderer to the refuge of some one betrayed. Oona shivered as she took refuge in the snow-white nest which had never hitherto brought her anything but profound youthful repose, and the airy flitting dreams of a soul at rest. But though this momentary chill was impressed upon her senses, neither fear nor discouragement were in her soul. She closed her eyes only to see more clearly the face of this new influence in her life, to feel her pulses tingle as she remembered all the events of the three days' Odyssey, the strange magical history that had sprung into being in a moment, yet was alive with such endless interest, and full of such a chain of incidents. What was to be the next chapter in it? Or was it to have another chapter? She felt already with a deep drawing of her breath, and warned herself that all would probably end here, and everything relapse into vacancy—a conclusion inconceivable, yet almost certain, she said to herself. But this consciousness only excited her the more. There was something in it of that whirl of desperation which gives a wild quickening to enjoyment in the sensation of momentariness and possible ending—the snatching of a fearful joy. This sudden end came, however, sooner than she thought; they had scarcely met at the breakfast table when Lord Erradeen begged Mrs. Forrester to allow him to send for his servant, and make his arrangements for his departure from the isle, instead of returning to Auchnasheen. "I have not felt safe or at ease, save here, since I came to the loch," he said, looking round him with a grateful sense of the cheerful quiet and security. His eyes met those of Oona, who was somewhat pale after her long vigil and broken rest. She had recognised at once with a pang the conclusion she had foreseen, the interruption of her new history which was implied in the remorseless unintentional abruptness of this announcement. He was going away; and neither felt any inducement to stay, nor any hesitation in announcing his resolution. She had known it would be so, and yet there was a curious pang of surprise in it which seemed to arrest her heart. Notwithstanding, as in duty bound, she met his look with a smile in her eyes. "Hoots," said Mrs. Forrester, "you flatter the isle, Lord Erradeen. We know that is just nonsense; but for all that, we take it kind that you should like our little house. It will always be found here, just faithful and friendly, whenever you come back. And certainly ye shall send for your man or make what arrangements suits you. There's the library quite free and at your service for any writing you may have to do, and Hamish will take any message to Auchnasheen, or wherever you please. The only thing that grieves me is that you should be so set on going to-day." "That must be—that must be!" cried Walter: and then he began to make excuses and apologies. There were circumstances which made it indispensable—there were many things that made him anxious to leave Auchnasheen. No, it was not damp—which was the instant suggestion of Mrs. Forrester. There were other things. He was going back to Sloebury to his mother (Mrs. Forrester said to England), and it was so recently that he had entered upon his property, that there was still a great deal to do. After he had made this uncompromising statement of the necessities that he had to be guided by, he looked across the table at Oona once more. "And Miss Forrester is so kind as to take in hand for me the settlement of the cotters. It will be her doing. I hope they will not blame me for that alarm yesterday, which was no fault of mine; but the new arrangement will be your doing altogether." "I shall not take the credit," said Oona. "I had not even the boldness to suggest it. It was your own thought, and they will bless you so, that wherever you are, at Sloebury or the end of the world, you must feel your heart warm——" She said this with great self-command; but she was pale, and there was a curious giddiness stealing over her. She seemed to feel the solid ground slip away from under her feet. "My heart," he said, looking at her with a grateful look, "will always be warm when I think of the Isle, and all that has been done for me here." "Now, Lord Erradeen," said Mrs. Forrester, "you will just make Oona and me vain with all these bonnie speeches. We are always glad to be friendly and neighbourlike, but what have we been able to do?—just nothing. When you come back again and let your friends see a little more of you, we will all do what we can to make the loch agreeable. But I hope it will be warmer weather, and more pleasure in moving about. You will be back no doubt, if not sooner, in time for the grouse?" He grew pale in spite of himself, and Oona, looking at him, felt the steady earth slip more and more away. "I don't know," he said, hurriedly, "when I may come back—not before I—not sooner than I can——I mean there are a great many things to look after; and my mother——" His eyes seemed to seek hers again as if asking her sympathy, and appealing to her knowledge. "Not before I must— not sooner than I can help," that was what he meant to say. Oona gave him a faint smile of response. It was so wonderful that when she understood him so completely, he should understand her so little, and never suspect that there was anything cruel in those words. But she made the response he required, and strengthened him by that instinctive comprehension of him in which he put so strange a trust. There was an eagerness in all his preparations for going away which he almost forced upon her notice, so strong was his confidence in her sympathy. He lost no tim...
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What the Sigma 38 Class Association does for Members?
Represents the views and opinions of members to the RYA, RORC, JOG, SRCA and other yacht racing clubs to progress Sigma 38 racing.
Identify and sustains suitable sponsors for Sigma 38 Events, in particular the Nationals where we try to reduce costs for competitors.
Organises a number of get together throughout the year and in particular the Annual Party and Prize Giving.
Your membership fee is invested in training, communication (internal and external), specialised Sigma 38 parts and Class prizes. All social events are non profit making and all committee members provide their services on a volunteer basis.


text:
Q: WebService with Tornado.web and Authentication. Do you have Example? I'm brand new in Tornado.web.
I just write an webservice in python with tornado. He is consumed by an desktop application. I want to require that the application communicates only after being authenticated.
I searched for examples, but can't found any applicable for my case.

A: you just add the @tornado.web.authenticated decorator, and specify to your application a login url where you specify the debug=True
settings = dict({
    "template_path": os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),"templates"),
    "static_path": os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),"static"),
    "cookie_secret": "make it harde to guess ;) ",
    "xsrf_cookies": True,
    "debug": False,
    "gzip": True,
    "login_url": "/#login",
    "site_url":"http://localhost:8000",
})

and finally, you inherit your classes from the one that controls the cookies existance:
class BaseHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
    @tornado.web.removeslash
    def get_current_user(self):
         return self.get_secure_cookie("name_of_your_cookie")

example:
class Test(BaseHandler):
    @tornado.web.authenticated
    def post(self):
        user = self.get_secure_cookie("name_of_your_cookie")
        # the rest of the code...

what will happens now, everytime someone tries to enter to a link that will use Test, the application will look if the cookie exists, else, it will be redirected to the login_url

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


October, 2017 (Huntington, NY) — With today's entertainment industry constantly changing and so many templates for creativity and exposure to choose from, it can be hard for artist, bands, and overall creators to find that one-stop-shop that encompanses multiple faccets of the business. But in the thriving hamlet of Huntington, NY, that all-in-one experience has become a reality at The Huntington Music Factory – 11 Lake Place (Huntington, NY 11743)! The home of D-City Studios and Fan Network News, Village Connection Radio, and the Rick Eberle Agency, the full on 360 production facility offers everything from music/photo/video production, website and merchandise design, Long Island's #1 Internet Radio and Television Facility, and a full-service Public Relations Agency.
D-City Studios is proud to be a part of so many different styles and genres in their productions with various artists, ranging in genres from Metal to Pop, Hip-Hop, Dance, and more! With a 2000 square foot Mega Live Rehearsal / Showcase and Multi Media facility that is pure vibe, the Studio's mission statement is to "Get the best out of each artist and song that we work with"! You will find styles ranging from Metal, Pop, Dance and more with a professional recording environment and humble setting that gives the artists a "relaxed" frame of mind and space which helps them to create and perform at their highest level. A fully functional Audio and Video Production studio, D-City also includes a Website Design Department as well as Photography and Graphic Design! The creation of Owner/Operator Don Chaffin, the Voices of Extreme frontman has toured the U.S.A. opening most recently for Tesla, as well as Godsmack, Foreigner, Disturbed, Alice in Chains, Powerman 5000, Dr. John, Steve Howe of Yes, Robbie Krieger of The Doors , Vanilla Fudge and more. The company also runs Fan Network News "The Latest and Greatest in Entertainment News" which hosts celebrity interviews and specials, local music and musicians, music and book reviews and more!
Village Connection is a full-service marketing company with a monthly digital magazine serving as the foundation of their business. Run by Founder and CEO Jim Savalli and Station Manager Stephen Miller, Village Connection has invited listeners, viewers, and readers to appreciate all that their community has to offer from world-class dining to shopping, history, art, nightlife and so much more for more than 20 Years. The digital LIVE magazine, website, social media network, and radio station serve as a resource for information on what to do and where to go in Huntington and the surrounding communities here on Long Island. However, the stations reach expands far beyond as they continually broadcast from studios all across the U.S. through the internet!
The Rick Eberle Agency is the place to go in NY for all things entertainment and media. Offering everything from publicity to social media, marketing, advertising, artist/venue/festival management, booking, and promotions- they are the the go-to for New York's entertainment industry elite. Founder/CEO Rick Eberle is an American Publicist, Talent Agent, Artist Manager, Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist and TV/Radio Personality. He currently hosts "Rising Stars Radio" on WHPC 90.3FM WHPC.
They've even come together for a BRAND NEW RADIO SHOW, "Good Morning Rock Stars", which will air Monday mornings between 9-11am featuring music from a great roster of local Long Island talent and discussion of the goings-on in today's music industry!
So for the ultimate all-in-one facility that can service ALL of your entertainment needs, make sure to check out The Huntington Music Factory at 11 Lake Place and bring your complete vision to reality!


text:
South Hills Middle
Principal: James Groethe
Assistant Principal: Aubrey Moench, Troy Monson
Address: 13508 S. 4000 West, Riverton, UT 84065
Mascot: White Tigers
School Colors: Blue, Green & Gray
Home Page: southhills.jordandistrict.org
About South Hills Middle
Accredited again in 2015, South Hills Middle School serves students of varied economic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Located in the rapidly growing city of Riverton, the school's spacious building and well-groomed campus are assets to the community. South Hills Middle School is a traditional story design featuring self-contained classrooms, shop and home economics areas, choral and band rooms, media center, auditorium, gymnasium, and office suite. The commodious building dates from 1998 and offers many amenities not included in Jordan District's older middle schools.
South Hills Middle School has been designated as a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Level Reform and is one of only eight schools in the State of Utah to receive this prestigious designation. Our faculty is recognized for their quality of instruction, individualized interventions for students, and their tradition of collaboration for student improvement and learning.
The school serves some 1,000 students in grades seven, eight and nine in the cities of Riverton and Bluffdale.
Students attend school on a regular nine-month, 180-day calendar with the summers off.
The curriculum meets or exceeds District and State core curriculum standards and includes a wide range of required and elective courses in the arts, career and technical education, music, theatre, dance, and world languages.
The pupil/teacher ratio is 1 to 26.30 in grades 7 and 8 and 1 to 27.00 in grade 9, but actual class sizes vary.
The 56-member faculty includes a mix of veteran and new educators. All are state certificated and well prepared in their teaching fields. Both teachers and administrators undergo formal evaluations each year.
In the 7th and 8th grades, students are grouped into interdisciplinary teams in science, English language arts, and social studies. These teams focus on cross-disciplinary connections, teamwork, and individual supports for the middle level learner.
Students can participate in a wide variety of co-curricular activities, including the National Junior Honor Society, student government, stage crew, PTSA student board, Tiger Squad, debate team, Science Olympiad, MESA, and an Art Matters group.
The school also offers a wide variety of academic interventions to support students' learning such as ZAP (Zeroes Aren't Permitted – a homework accountability system), a FLEX period where students are re-taught important concepts, raise their grades or participate in academically and socially enriching activities, a teacher advisory period where students are taught the TIGER Traits, after school tutoring, study skills classes, an online math tutoring program, academic coaching, motivational and behavioral modification groups, and other supports.
A full resource team, school psychologist, and teachers for students with behavioral disabilities and learning disorders are on staff to serve students. The educational and behavioral needs of students with disabilities can be met at a tiered level of instruction from inclusion co-taught classrooms, to pullout resource and self-contained classroom settings.
Our Counseling Center offers access to three knowledgeable and supportive counselors. The Center provides services, groups, academic coaching, career and college planning, and supports for a variety of issues or concerns students and parents may have as they navigate through the middle years.
There are teachers certified to teach and support second language learners at each grade level.
Computer science classes and specially equipped computer classrooms provide students with opportunities for technology training. Currently, the school boasts 7 desktop computer labs, one iPad mobile lab, and 14 Chromebook mobile labs.
Students have access to a beautiful media center with a diverse selection of reading material to suit readers of all tastes and preferences.
Students are expected to attend classes regularly and to comply with school and district rules and policies. A computer tracking system helps monitor attendance. Staff members work closely with any student who has problems.
An "Excellence Program" encourages students to do their best by rewarding academic achievement, good citizenship, exemplary attitudes, exceptional effort, etc.
Nutritious hot breakfasts and lunches are provided daily.
Bus service is provided for any who live two miles or more away from school.
School volunteers are an important asset to the school; therefore, we encourage parent participation and community volunteers on a daily basis. Our active and supportive PTSA organization coordinates these volunteer opportunities.
Visitors are always welcome and asked to stop by the office for a visitor's pass before going to classes or moving through the building.
Utah Aspire Plus
The Utah Aspire Plus Summative assessment is administered to students in grades 9-10 as an end-of-level assessment. Operating under a legislative mandate, the UA+ test provides a predictive ACT score range to individual students as well as a proficiency score at the school level and for individual students in English, Math, Reading and Science as they prepare to take the ACT college entrance exam in 11th grade. UA+ question items assess students' capacity to think analytically, make inferences, and connect learning and concepts across subjects. Utah Aspire Plus assessments provide information to assist in determining students' educational progress towards being ready for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.
Language Arts 51.7% N/A 45.6%
Mathematics 39.9% N/A 28.4%
Science 45.4% N/A 35.1%
RISE is a collection of computer-adaptive assessments given to Utah students beginning in grade 3 (science in grade 4) in English language arts (ELA), math and science. RISE assessments provide questions that assess students' ability to apply higher-order thinking skills and better emulate real tasks students may encounter in education and in life.
RISE assessments were developed through a joint effort on the part of Utah teachers, parents, test development experts, and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). The RISE assessment, together with the state's suite of assessments in grades K-12, provide information to assist in determining students' progress towards being prepared for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.
School Accountability Report Cards are issued for each public school once a year by the State of Utah. The 2017-18 school year marks the first report card under this new accountability system. Elementary and middle school report cards have four main grade categories: achievement, growth, English learner progress, and growth of the lowest 25%. High schools have one additional grade category entitled postsecondary readiness. For the 2017-18 school year, achievement and growth scores are calculated from the statewide end-of-year SAGE assessment. In future years, achievement and growth was calculated from the new Readiness. Improvement. Success. Empowerment. (RISE) assessment for grades 3-8 and the Utah Aspire Plus assessment for grades 9-10. The English learner progress category score is calculated from the annual administration of the WIDA test, which assesses students' language proficiency in English. For high schools, the postsecondary readiness score is calculated from 11th grade performance on the ACT, advanced coursework performance, and graduation rates. The state's School Accountability Report Cards are intended to inform educators, parents, and community stakeholders about school performance as they work collaboratively to improve student outcomes. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 school years.
Achievement 30 26 N/A N/A
Growth 29 23 N/A N/A
ELL Progress 4 8 N/A N/A
Growth of the Lowest 25% 18 17 N/A N/A

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In marginal weather, plan to arrive coastal via Dunalley. Dunalley is a VFR approach point for the class D airspace, and lies on the south-western edge of Blackman Bay. Look for the canal that cuts through the neck of the land. Listen to the Hobart ATIS on 128.45.
Remain at or below 2500ft and contact Hobart Tower on 118.1 with your inbound report at Dunalley.
Keep a good lookout for traffic, particularly around the area to the east of Dunalley, including the Lagoon Bay ALA, a short grass strip, as this is a training area for local flying schools.
From Dunalley, you will normally be cleared coastal, so just follow the coast. You will be able to identify the ATC check point of Primrose Sands by its location near the mouth of the Carlton River. If there is traffic at Hobart, you might be asked to remain outside class D or C airspace, and requested to call again for a clearance after a number of minutes.
At all times, keep a good lookout for traffic around Hobart Airport when in the vicinity. Remember that lifejackets are required whenever you are outside gliding distance from land.
Follow ATC instructions as you track to Cambridge Aerodrome.


text:
is a Japanese former alpine skier who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

External links

1961 births
Living people
Japanese male alpine skiers
Olympic alpine skiers of Japan
Alpine skiers at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Asian Games medalists in alpine skiing
Asian Games silver medalists for Japan
Alpine skiers at the 1986 Asian Winter Games
Medalists at the 1986 Asian Winter Games
20th-century Japanese people

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Wipro Enterprises Limited (WEL) brings to you a wide range of luminaires that will brighten up your home like never before.
Choose from a variety of fixtures and battens that blend with the overall persona of your rooms. Our range encompasses the latest T5 Battens as well as decorative fixtures Pattis.
Not only do they look elegant, these luminaires are designed to address your home's overall lighting needs. Needless to mention, every product from the house of Wipro is quality and reliability personified.
With our large selection of ballasts, we are equipped to serve lighting solutions for your signages and/or home décor.
Wipro offers an assortment of energy efficient aluminium T-5 battens. These are slick and aesthetically designed accompanied with robust and durable Pattis.


Should I spray a fungicide?
Its quite hard to see, but it sees they are "bleaching", how much sun do they get and did they dry out recently?
Hi. I am growing CPs and apparently purchased some SM to cover the substrate. However, compared to the ones I see on video tutorials, here, and other sources, the sphagnum dies, turning brown. In contrast with the remaining mosses which I placed in a terrarium, they grow well. Now, would it be better to just let my CPs grow without the SM or will they revive soon too?
I don't know how they do it, but my CPs need direct sunlight which kills the moss... any tips?


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xraydelta
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Stats for Fun and Profit: Revenge of the Nerds
Posted: February 12, 2013 | Author: brucem | Filed under: Measurement and Analytics | Tags: capacity, micro economics, online ads, online car sales, pricing strategy, solitaire, standard deviation, statistics, supply and demand | Leave a comment
As performance improvement professionals we need to not only improve processes at a macro level but also to improve the decision tools embedded in the process. The article below highlights several clever techniques for improving how capacity is matched to demand, increasing sales rates for things like online sales of cars, analyzing the effect of selection simplicity on buying behaviors, and customizing the algorithms that determine whether you see an online ad as well as which ad.
One particularly interesting use of data analysis is to use the frequency of search terms such as "job," "benefits," or "solitaire" (people out of work often have more time to kill) and the correlation to unemployment claims. As one can see in the chart at the bottom, the correlation as measured by standard deviation from the mean are striking, and could help policy makers use more timely measures rather than rear-view mirror data such as GDP and unemployment figures that lag by weeks.
From the November 24th 2012 edition of The Economist:
On the face of it, economics has had a dreadful decade: it offered no prediction of the subprime or euro crises, and only bitter arguments over how to solve them. But alongside these failures, a small group of the world's top microeconomists are quietly revolutionising the discipline. Working for big technology firms such as Google, Microsoft and eBay, they are changing the way business decisions are made and markets work.
Take, for example, the challenge of keeping costs down. An important input for a company like Yahoo! is internet bandwidth, which is bought at group level and distributed via an internal market. Demand for bandwidth is quite lumpy, with peaks and troughs at different times of the day. This creates a problem: because spikes in demand must be met, firms run with costly spare capacity much of the time.
This was one of the first questions that Preston McAfee, a former California Institute of Technology professor, looked at when he arrived at Yahoo! in 2007. Mr McAfee, who now works for Google, found that uses of bandwidth fall into two categories: urgent (displaying a web page) and delayable (backups and archiving). He showed how a two-part tariff (high prices when demand peaks, low ones otherwise) could shift less time-sensitive tasks to night-time, allowing Yahoo! to use costly bandwidth more efficiently.
The solution—two types of task, two prices—has intuitive appeal. But economists' ideas on how to design markets can seem puzzling at first. One example is the question of how much detail an online car auctioneer should reveal about the condition of the vehicles on offer. Common sense would suggest some information—a car's age and mileage—is essential, but that total transparency about other things (precise details on subpar paintwork) might deter buyers, lowering the auctioneer's commissions. Academic theory suggests otherwise: in some types of auction more information always raises revenues.
To test the idea, Steve Tadelis of the University of California at Berkeley (now also working for eBay) and Florian Zettelmeyer of Northwestern University set up a trial, randomly splitting 8,000 cars into two groups. The first groups were auctioned with standard information, including age and mileage. The second had a detailed report on the car's paintwork. The results were striking: cars in the second group had better chances of a sale and sold for higher prices. This effect was most pronounced for cars in poorer condition: the probability of a sale rose by 23%, with prices up by 5%. The extra information meant that buyers were able to spot the type of car they wanted. Competition for cars rose, even the scruffier ones.
But more information is not always better. Studies show that shoppers overwhelmed by choice may simply walk away. Mr Tadelis tested whether it would be better to tailor eBay's auctions to users' experience level. The options for new users were narrowed, by removing sellers who are more difficult to assess (for example those who had less-than-perfect feedback on things like shipping times). When new users had a simpler list of sellers to choose from, the number of successful auctions rose and buyers were more likely to use eBay again. Tailoring the market meant gains for buyers, sellers and eBay.
The desire to use theory to challenge conventional thinking is one reason economists are valuable to firms, says Susan Athey, of Stanford University and Microsoft. When Ms Athey arrived at the software giant in 2007 it faced what was seen as an unavoidable trade-off: online advertising was good for revenues, but too much would deter users. If advertisers gained, users would lose. But economic theory challenges this, showing that if firms are dealing with two groups (advertisers and users, say), making one better off often benefits the other too.
Ms Athey and Microsoft's computer scientists put that theory to work. One idea was to toughen the algorithm that determines whether an ad is shown. This means ads are displayed fewer times, so advertisers lose out in the short-term. But in the longer run, other forces come into play. More relevant ads improve the user experience, so user numbers rise. And better-targeted ads mean more users click on the advert, even if it is shown less often. Empirical evidence showed that although advertisers would respond only after some time, the eventual gain was worth the wait. Microsoft made the change.
Microeconomists have their sights on problems outside their home turf too. At the moment the policies picked by central banks and finance ministries are based on old news, since things like GDP, inflation and unemployment are measured with long lags. A team at Google headed by its chief economist, Hal Varian, is using search-engine data to provide more timely measures. Search terms like "job", "benefits" and "solitaire" are closely correlated with unemployment claims (see chart). These types of relationship help construct new indexes that offer a real-time picture of the economy. If policymakers start to use these in a systematic way, their decisions could be based on how the economy looked yesterday, rather than months ago.
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Q: How to pause an application when minimizing a window? I'm following an Excel video-course on my PC, so I need to have both excel and the video-course program opened in two different windows to switch from one to another. I was wondering if there is a way to automatically pause the application running the video-course when I have to minimize its window to work on Excel sheet.
In general, can ubuntu 12.10 allow to automatically suspend/pause/freeze an application when clicking on the 'minimize window' button?

A: For videos specifically there is SMPlayer that supports the functionality you're searching for. Install it via the software center or by typing in a terminal:
sudo apt-get install smplayer

Then set SMPlayer to pause when minimized by heading to Options -> Preferences -> General -> Pause when minimized:

I am using UMPlayer in that example, but the same procedure works with SMPlayer as well.
Here's a screenshot from the SMPlayer Preferences dialog: