Come hither, my dear! said Mr. Wiseman. and do not be afraid. Nobody will hurt you. you?

Eleven last May, sir.

A well-grown boy of your age, indeed. dare say?

Yes, sir.

What, are you a good hand at marbles?
Pretty good, sir.

Stand by me,
How old are

You love play, I

And can spin a top and drive a hoop, I suppose?
Yes, sir.

Then you have the full use of your hands and fingers!

Yes, sir.

Can you write, Samuel?

I learned it a little, sir, but I left it off again.

And why so?

Because I could not make the letters.

No! why, how do you think other boys do? Have they more fingers than you?

No, sir.

Are you not able to hold a pen as well as a marble?
Samuel was silent.

Let me look at your hand.

I see nothing here to hinder you from writing as well as any boy in the school. You can read, I suppose?

Yes, sir.

Tell me, then, what is written over the school-room door? Samuel, with some hesitation, read, WHATEVER MAN HAS

DONE MAN MAY DO.

Pray, how did you learn to read? Was it not with taking pains?

Yes, sir.

Well,

taking more pains will enable you to read better. Do you know anything of the Latin grammar? No, sir.

Have you never learned it?

I tried, sir, but I could not get it by heart.

Why, you can say some things by heart. I dare say you can tell me the names of the days of the week in their order, Yes, sir, I know them.

And the months in the year, perhaps?

Yes, sir.

And you could probably repeat the names of your brothers and sisters, and all your father's servants, and half the people in the village besides?

I believe I could, sir

Well, and is hic, hæc, hoc, more difficult to remember than

these?

Samuel was silent.

Have you learned a ything of accounts?

I went into addition, sir, but I did not go on with it.
Why so?

I could not do it, sir.

How many marbles can you buy for a penny?

Twelve new ones, sir.

And how many for a half-penny?

Six.

And how many for two-pence?

Twenty-four.

If you were to have a penny a day, what would that make in a week?

Seven-pence.

But if you paid two-pence out of that, what would you have left?

Samuel studied a while, and then said, five-pence.

Right. Why, here you have been practising the four great rules of arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Learning accounts is no more than this. Well, Samuel, I see what you are fit for. I shall set you about nothing but what you are able to do; but observe, you must do it. We have no I can't here. Now, go among your schoolfellows.

Samuel went away, glad that his examination was over, and with more confidence in his powers than he had felt before.

The next day he began business. A boy less than himself was called out to set him a copy of letters, and another was appointed to hear him in grammar. He read a few sentences in English, that he could perfectly understand, to the master himself. Thus by going on steadily and slowly, he made a sensible progress. He had already joined his letters, got all the declensions perfectly, and half the multiplication-table, when Mr. Wiseman thought it time to answer his father's letter; which he did as follows:

SIR, I now think it right to give you some information concerning your son. You perhaps expected it sconer, but I always wish to avoid hasty judgments. You mentioned in your letter that it had not yet been discovered which way his genius pointed. If by genius you meant such a decided bent of mind to any one pursuit as will lead to excel with little or ao labor or instruction, I must say that I have not met with

Buch a quality in more than three or four boys in my life and your son is certainly not among the number. But if you mean only the ability to do some of those things which the greater part of mankind can do when properly taught, I can affirm that I find in him no peculiar de ficiency. And whether you choose to bring him up to trade or to some practical profession, I see no reason to doubt that he may in time become sufficiently qualified for it. It is my favorite maxim, sir, that everything most valuable in this life may generally be acquired by taking pains for it. Your son has already lost much time in the fruitless expectation of finding out what he would take up of his own accord. Believe me, sir, few boys will take up anything of their own accord but a top or a marble. I will take care, while he is with me, that he loses no more time this way, but is employed about things that are fit for him, not doubting that we shall find him fit for them. I am, sir, yours, &c.,

SOLON WISEMAN.

Though the doctrine of this letter did not perfectly agree with Mr. Acres' notions, yet being convinced that Mr. Wiseman was more likely to make something of his son than any of his former preceptors, he continued him at his school for some years, and had the satisfaction to find him going on in a steady course of gradual improvement. In due time a profession was chosen for him, which seemed to suit his temper and talents, but for which he had no particular turn, having never thought at all about it. He made a respectable figure in it, and went through the world with credit and usefulness, though without a genius.

Mrs. Barbauld.

ARITHMETIC.

PART I.

SECTION I.

A.* 1. How many thumbs have you on your right hand? how many on your left? how many on both together?

2. How many hands have you?

3. If you have two nuts in one hand, and one in the other, how many have you in both?

4. How many fingers have you on one hand?

5. If you count the thumb with the fingers, how many will it make?

6. If you shut your thumb and one finger, and leave the rest open, how many will be open?

7. If you have two cents in one hand, and two in the other, how many have you in both?

8. James has two apples, and William has three; if James gives his apples to William, how many will William have?

9. If you count all the fingers on one hand, and two on the other, how many will there be?

10. George has three cents, and Joseph has four; how many have they both together?

The first questions in this section are intended for very young children. It will be well for the instructor to give a great many more of this kind. Older pupils may omit these.

11. Robert gave five cents for an orange, and two for an apple; how many did he give for both?

12. If a custard cost six cents, and an apple two cents, how many cents will it take to buy an apple and A custard?

13. If you buy a pint of nuts for five cents, and an orange for three cents, how many cents would you give for both? how many more for the nuts than for the orange?

14. If an ounce of figs is worth six cents, and a half a pint of cherries is worth three cents, how much are they both worth?

15. Dick had five plums, and John gave him four more; how many had he then?

16. How many fingers have you on both hands? 17. How many fingers and thumbs have you on both hands?

18. If you had six marbles in one hand, and four in the other, how many would you have in the one more than in the other? how many would you have in both hands?

19. David had seven nuts, and gave three of them to George; how many had he left?

20. Two boys, James and Robert, bought seven marbles apiece; James gave Robert four of his; how many had each then?

21. A boy, having eleven nuts, gave away three of them; how many had he left?

22. If you had eight cents, and your papa should give you five more, how many would you have?

23. A man bought a sheep for eight dollars, and a calf for seven dollars; what did he give for beth?

21. A man bought a barrel of flour for eight dollars, and sold it for four dollars more than he gave for it; how much did he sell it for?

25. A man bought a hundred-weight of sugar for