After Thomas had been a short time at school, he began to feel rather discouraged on several accounts. In the first place, he was abashed by being laughed at by many of the boys, for his awkward manners, and incorrect mode of speaking: he found that little things, which he had never thought of before; and which seemed to him of no importance, yet gave the greatest dunce in the school an opportunity of making him appear ridiculous. He was discouraged also by finding it more wearisome than he had expected, to be obliged to apply to his learning so many hours of the day: and he was a little vexed too, when he discovered some branches of knowledge which he had never even heard mentioned before, and of which he found it difficult to comprehend the nature, and which yet seemed to be quite familiar to many boys in the school five years younger than himself. As his memory had been very little exercised, except in learning hymns and chapters from the Bible at home, he found his tasks in the Latin Grammar rather burdensome: these difficulties, however, diminished every month: and every day he felt a fresh pleasure in the acquirement of knowledge, and in the employment of his understanding.
“A year ago,” said Thomas to himself, “I hardly knew enough to know that I was ignorant: now, I have just learned enough to make me understand that I am still ignorant.”
THE END.
Printed by John Hill, 32, Water Lane, Blackfriars.
Transcriber’s Notes
A few minor errors in punctuation and spacing were fixed.
[Page 72]: “I am acqainted” changed to “I am acquainted”
[Page 79]: “half overtuned” changed to “half overturned”
[Page 144]: “Farmer Rana” changed to “Farmer Rand”
[Page 154]: “window-cill,” changed to “window-sill,”