“Seems to me it’s throwin’ away letters to use all them,” he said.
“How would you spell it?” asked his young teacher.
“T-h-r-u,” said Dick.
“Well,” said Fosdick, “there’s a good many other words that are spelt with more letters than they need to have. But it’s the fashion, and we must follow it.”
But if Dick was ignorant, he was quick, and had an excellent capacity. Moreover he had perseverance, and was not easily discouraged. He had made up his mind he must know more, and was not disposed to complain of the difficulty of his task. Fosdick had occasion to laugh more than once at his ludicrous mistakes; but Dick laughed too, and on the whole both were quite interested in the lesson.
At the end of an hour and a half the boys stopped for the evening.
“You’re learning fast, Dick,” said Fosdick. “At this rate you will soon learn to read well.”
“Will I?” asked Dick with an expression of satisfaction. “I’m glad of that. I don’t want to be ignorant. I didn’t use to care, but I do now. I want to grow up ’spectable.”
“So do I, Dick. We will both help each other, and I am sure we can accomplish something. But I am beginning to feel sleepy.”
“So am I,” said Dick. “Them hard words make my head ache. I wonder who made ’em all?”