Early Education. 7 



down, while David was equally resolved, if possible, to 

 keep up. 



As the pupils read their chapter straight through, 

 verse about, he knew in advance which verse would 

 naturally come to his turn as dux, and took care to 

 be well up in it ; but, in case the master might change 

 the order of beginning, he learned the whole chapter 

 as well as he could, often running up to the teacher's 

 desk to ask the meaning of difficult words. As it 

 turned out, he managed to keep his place both in the 

 forenoon and afternoon. Next morning he took a 

 Bible with him, and, since both this and his inquiring 

 glance explained his expectation, the teacher said, 

 " You have managed so well that I cannot draw 

 back from my word, although you might be as well 

 for a time in the Testament." Having thus advanced 

 through the classes which took their titles from 

 having their reading-lessons respectively in the Book 

 of Proverbs, the New Testament, and the Bible at 

 large, he was next promoted to the privilege of learn- 

 ing to write. He had just done one page of long 

 strokes, when his mother, requiring to have him as 

 soon off her hands as she could, obtained an engage- 

 ment for him to herd cows during harvest-time. Thus, 

 when he was only eight years old, ended his twelve 

 months' schooling. 



Many a man who has become illustrious in litera- 

 ture or science may well ask himself what his own 

 performance would have been had his ambition been 

 checked at the outset, and all the culture of his mind 

 abruptly brought to an end almost before it had 

 well begun, in the unripe years of childhood. With 



