noon
As he was so very good natured , he was certain to become quite an acquisition to the school . There are no more cruel , or perhaps thoughtless people in the world than a number of school-boys , under certain conditions . The peculiar dress and the broken language of little Nick excited laughter at once , and this soon turned into ridicule . Nick was beset continually at recess and at noon by the boys , who immediately christened him `` Dutchy . '' He laughed and did not seem to mind it , for his philosophy was that no words applied to him could injure him , and so long as the boys kept their hands off he did not care . Among the pupils was Herbert Watrous , a spruce young gentleman from the city , who dressed better than the others , and who threw out hints about the sparring lessons he had taken at home , and his wish that he might soon have a chance to show his playmates how easily he could vanquish an opponent , much larger than himself , by reason of his `` science . '' He was fully four years older than Nick , and much taller -- a fact which Herbert regretted as the Pennsylvania Hollander was too insignificant for him to pick a quarrel with .