188 
POOR BOYS. 
“but I never saw any good come of poring 
over books. It may do well enough for 
those that haven’t any thing to do but amuse 
themselves; but it a’n’t the thing for poor 
folks.” 
“It makes poor folks rich folks some¬ 
times,” remarked Richard, good-naturedly. 
“ Some of the most learned and useful men 
in the world have begun poor boys and 
worked themselves up. I recollect hearing 
my grandfather tell of a friend of his who 
used to take his Greek grammar with him 
when he went out to milk, and stick it in 
a crack of the fence to keep it open, so that 
he could look at it now and then while he 
milked; and he is now one of the most 
learned professors in the country. Dr. 
Franklin was a poor boy; so was Mr. Web¬ 
ster ; and so have been many others who are 
now rich and respected. My grandfather’s 
family were poor, I know; and he got his 
education by working for it.” 
Mrs. Short looked but half convinced. 
“It may do for men, perhaps; but it a’n’t 
the thing for women, anyway. My father 
always said the Bible and the cookery-book 
were library enough for any woman, and 
