respectively, and, indeed, of every article about the house; he learned the price of tea, sugar, coffee, and molasses.  This information, to be sure, formed a part of his mother’s course of instruction; but it was strange how he took to it.  Systematically and unceasingly, she pursued it.  Oh! how she rejoiced in her youngest child.  How she thanked God for answering her prayers.  I had forgotten to state that there was considerable difficulty in deciding what name to give the boy.  Mrs. Meeker had an uncle, a worthy minister, by the name of Nathaniel.  Mr. Meeker suggested that the new-comer be called after him.  His wife did not like to object; but she thought Nathaniel a very disagreeable name.  Her cousin, the rich dry-goods merchant in New-York, who had four daughters and no sons, was named Hiram.  Hiram was a good name, not too long and very expressive.  It sounded firm and strong.  It was a Bible-name, too, as well as the other.  In fact, she liked it, and she thought her cousin would be gratified when he learned that she had named a child for him.  There were advantages which might flow from it, it was not necessary to specify, Mr. Meeker could understand to what she alluded Mr. Meeker did not understand; in fact, he did not trouble his head to conjecture; but it was settled Hiram should be the name, and our hero was baptized accordingly.  He was a good boy; never in mischief, never a truant, never disobedient, nor willful, nor irritable, nor obstinate.  ‘Too good for this world;’ that is what folks said.  ’Such an astonishing child—­too wise to live long.’  So it was prophesied; but Hiram survived all these dismal forebodings, until the people gave up and concluded to let him live.

We pass over his earlier days at school.  At twelve, he was sent to the academy in the village, about a mile distant.  He was to receive a first-rate English education, ‘no Latin, no Greek, no nonsense,’ to use his mother’s language; but the real substantials.  Hiram proved to be an excellent scholar.  He was especially good in figures.  When he came to study bookkeeping, he seemed as happy as if he were reading a romance.  He mastered with ease the science of single and double entry.  He soon became fascinated with the beauties of his imaginary business.  For his instructor had prepared for him a regular set of books, and gave him problems, from day to day, in mercantile dealings, which opened up to the youth all the mysteries of ‘Dr.’ and ‘Cr.’  Out of these various problems, he constructed quite a little library of account-books, which he numbered, and which were representations of various descriptions of trade, and marked with the name of some supposed company, and labeled ‘Business Successful,’ or ‘Business Unsuccessful,’ as the case might be.

We must now turn from Hiram, engaged in diligently pursuing his studies, and enter on another topic.

CHAPTER II.