What a treasury of happiness to the poor boy, hungering and thirsting for knowledge, who had scarcely ever seen three books or a dozen pictures in his life before, and who had scarcely any conception of any world beyond the horizon of his natural vision!
And as yet he had seen only a few index pictures of North America.
South America and all the Western Hemisphere was to follow in that delightful book.
“Oh, you never can know how much I thank you for this beautiful book!” he exclaimed, with enthusiasm.
“Why, don’t I tell you I am ever so much obliged to you for liking it so well!” said Gloria, her own blue eyes dancing with the delight of delighting.
Over and over he turned the bewitching pages, finding more and more pleasure as he went on even to the end of the book—the picture of the Cape of Good Hope, with Cape Colony.
He had taken some time to look through the volume, pausing long over each picture. So when he closed it, he arose and said:
“I could sit all day and night and look at this book, and forget to eat or sleep, I do believe; but I reckon it is time for us to go now.”
“No, sit down again. I have got something else to show you,” she answered.
He obediently reseated himself, and she put in his hand “The First Book of History,” profusely illustrated with pictures of battles and conventions and portraits of military heroes and statesmen.