“Never mind, Emily,” said Jane Gifford; “we all like him; all of the girls are on the side of the redemptioner.”
“My brother Stillman thinks the reason he learns so fast, is because he is so old, and sees the need of it, and makes a business of learning, as a young boy wouldn’t; and not knowing anybody, and being so by himself, has nothing to take off his attention. Still. says if he knew all the boys and girls, and had brothers and sisters, and went with them, to bees and apple-parings, and singing schools, and parties, and spelling schools, he wouldn’t learn half so fast; but now he’ll learn as much and more this winter, than a small boy would in three years,” said Eliza Russell.
The friends of James could hardly contain themselves till school was out. Arthur Nevins had invited Peter, Bertie, the Edibeans, and Ned Conly, to take supper with him, and have a real “howl of triumph,” and had sent Elmer home at recess to tell his mother she would have seven hungry school boys at supper time. After a bountiful supper, they sat down to eat nuts and apples, and to congratulate each other upon the success of all their plans.
“The master,” said Ned Conly, “is going to put James into arithmetic soon.”
“He’s got all the multiplication by heart now,” said Bertie, “and every night after supper, father and grandpa give him sums to do in his head, and he can add, and subtract, and multiply, and divide, and makes handsome figures. When he first came to our house he didn’t know how long a year was, but called four years four times reaping wheat, and couldn’t tell the clock; but now he can tell how many months there are in a year, and how many days in a year, and how many hours in a day, and minutes in an hour, and all about it. I think that’s a good deal for a boy to do in one fall and winter, starting from nothing. He is fast learning to handle tools, too, and can dovetail, and plane and saw and handle a broad axe.”
The first question asked by Bert when he reached home, was,—“Mother, where is James?”
“Gone to bed.”
“And grandfather, too?”
“Yes, James said the whole of his multiplication table, and didn’t miss a figure, and then your father and grandfather gave him sums to do in his head.”
“Did he tell you what happened at school to-day?”