One morning, going earlier than usual to the garden, he found Miss Ford there, the governess of the children.  She was promenading one of the wide alleys, and pensively reading a favorite author.  This occurred morning after morning, and Lewis thought he would be so glad if she would only spend a few minutes teaching him to read!  He knew that she was from the free states, where they did not keep slaves, and he thought, perhaps, if she knew his desire to read she would help him.  But morning after morning passed, and she seemed to take very little notice of him.  Finally, he one day observed her looking at a beautiful magnolia blossom, the first that had come out.  It was quite on the top of the tree.  She evidently wanted it, and Lewis drew near, hoping that she would ask him to get it for her, and so she did.  Lewis was delighted, she thanked him so kindly.  After this he found occasion to say:  “I think missus must be very happy, she can read.”

The lady looked surprised, and then pitiful.  “And would you like to read?”

“Indeed, there is nothing in this world would make me more happy,” said Lewis.

“It is a pity so simple a wish cannot be gratified,” said she to herself.  “Perhaps I could find time; if I thought so I might rise a little earlier.  Could you come here by sunrise every morning?”

“O yes, missus, indeed I could.”

“Come, then, to-morrow morning.”

That was a happy day for Lewis.  His first lesson was quite a success.  He had not forgotten all his letters.  After this he went on prosperously, having a half hour lesson every fair morning.

Lewis studied very hard, and made excellent progress.  The difficulties that formerly troubled him now disappeared, for he had a teacher whom he could consult upon every word.  Miss Ford gave him a few pence to buy candles with, and all his evenings were spent in assiduous devotion to his new task.

The thoughts of his new acquisitions made him so happy that he worked more diligently, and appeared far more cheerful than formerly.  Mr. Johns observed it, and remarked that the boy had turned out “a better bargain than he expected.”

When it was known in the house that Miss Ford was teaching Lewis, there was some consultation about it, and Mr. Johns approached the lady with a long face, to talk the matter over.  However, she had altogether the advantage of him, for she laughed most uncontrollably at his concern, assured him that this was her intellectual play, and that she enjoyed the matter very much as she would teaching tricks to a parrot or monkey.  “Surely, now, you would not deprive me of such an innocent amusement,” said she, with mock lamentation.

“No; but my dear Miss Ford,” said the gentleman, trying to appear serious, “it is not best for these people to know too much.”

“O, that is too good!” she replied, with a laugh.  “Do you expect him to rival a Henry Clay or an Andrew Jackson?” and then she went on telling some such funny mistakes and ludicrous blunders of the boy, that Mr. Johns could resist no longer, and he joined in the laugh.  There was evidently no such thing as pinning her fast to serious reasoning on the subject, and as she stood very high in Mr. John’s good graces, he concluded he might about as well let her do as she liked.