458 NATURAL EXPEDIENTS FOR SUPPLYING 
months ago, he was removed to the neighbouring town 
school of Hale, conducted by Mr Crampton, under whom 
he made rapid progress; and the lad is now able, with 
very little help, to read a chapter in the Bible. The most 
interesting incident, however, in his education remains yet 
to be stated. His teacher, a well-informed and humane 
man, being soon interested in the case of his pupil, whom 
he found very tractable, and observing how successfully he 
could find a substitute for hands, soon conceived the possi- 
bility of instructing his pupil to write, and the attempt has 
been crowned with complete success. The manner in which 
he performs the operation is as follows. The paper is fixed 
to the table by means of a small weight. The boy first 
seizes the pen with his teeth, from which, by his own un- 
assisted dexterity, it is lodged, in a proper position, on the 
soft integuments of the right stump, and retained, as usual, 
by the pressure of the left; then, by a conjoined mo- 
tion of both arms, but more particularly by the guidance 
of the left arm, the pen is drawn along the paper with most 
remarkable facility. The advancement the boy has made, 
after a tuition of six months, is very surprising ; it rivals, 
if it do not surpass, the proficiency of such of his com- 
rades as are of equal age with himself, or who have had 
the same opportunity of instruction. 
The Society, in examining the specimen of Mark Yar- 
wood's penmanship, which I beg leave to submit to them, 
will, no doubt, be of opinion, that, among the various means 
of which Mark Yarwood has availed himself, to obtain, 
from his limited means, the effect of operations which have 
ever been considered as strictly manual, the most import- 
ant acquirement is that of his being able to write ; and, 
that this art may, under his peculiar circumstances, be 
so perfected as to render him essential service in his 
pursuits of life, is a very reasonable anticipation. But 
