"If you please, sir, I have got that into my head, and also the third
one," said Ishmael, interrupting him.
"What! do you mean to say that you have committed three of these lessons
to memory?" inquired the surprised tutor.
"Yes, sir, while I was waiting for you to be at leisure."
"Extraordinary! Well, I will see if you can recite them," said Mr.
Green, opening the book.
Ishmael was perfect in his recitation.
All schoolmasters delight in quick and intelligent pupils; but Mr. Green
especially did so; for he had a true vocation for his profession. He
smiled radiantly upon Ishmael as he asked: "Do you think, now, you can take three of these ordinary lessons for one
every day?"
"Oh, yes, sir; if it would not be too much trouble for you to hear me,"
answered our boy.
"It will be a real pleasure; I shall feel an interest in seeing how fast
a bright and willing lad like yourself can get on. Now, then, put away
your geography, and bring me the Universal History that you will find in
your desk."
In joy, Ishmael went back to his seat, lifted the lid of his desk, and
found in the inside a row of books, a large slate, a copy-book, pens,
ink, and pencils, all neatly arranged.
"Am I to use these?" he inquired of Walter Middleton.
"Oh, yes; they are all yours; my mother put them all in there for you
this morning. You will find your name written on every one of them,"
replied the youth.
What treasures Ishmael had! He could scarcely believe in his wealth and
happiness! He selected the Universal History and took it up to the
tutor, who, in consideration of his pupil's capacity and desire, set him
a very long lesson.
In an hour Ishmael had mastered this task also, and taken it up to his
teacher.
His third book that morning was Murray's English Grammar.
"I do not think I shall set you a lesson of more than the ordinary
length this time, Ishmael. I cannot allow you to devour grammar in such
large quantities as you have taken of geography and history at a meal.
For, grammar requires to be digested as well as swallowed; in other
words, it needs to be understood as well as remembered," said Mr. Green,
as he marked the lesson for his pupil.
Ishmael smiled as he went back to his seat.
To ordinary boys the study of grammar is very dry work. Not so to
Ishmael. For his rare, fine, intellectual mind the analysis of language
had a strange fascination. He soon conquered the difficulties of his
initiatory lesson in this science, and recited it to the perfect
satisfaction of his teacher.
And then the morning's lessons were all over.