“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.

This had been a forenoon of varied pleasures to Ishmael.  The gates of the Temple of Knowledge had been thrown open to him.  All three of his studies had charmed him:  the marvelous description of the earth’s surface, the wonderful history of the human race, the curious analysis of language—­each had in its turn delighted him.  And now came the recreation hour to refresh him.

The girls all went to walk on the lawn in front of the house.

The boys all went into the shrubberies in the rear; and the day pupils began to open their dinner baskets.

Ishmael took a piece of bread from his pocket.  That was to be his dinner.

But presently a servant came out of the house and spoke to Walter Middleton; and Walter called our boy, saying: 

“Come, Ishmael; my father has sent for you.”

Ishmael put his piece of bread in his pocket and accompanied the youth into the house and to the dining-room, where a plain, substantial dinner of roast mutton, vegetables, and pudding was provided for the children of the family.