“Thank you,” replied Louis, “but I have no skates this winter. I had a pair once, but they are worn out.”
“Then I will lend you mine, and I will slide for a little while. I shall like that quite as well. Do come,” urged William; and, as he spoke, he approached the desk, and looked at the picture which Louis was drawing.
“Why, Louis!” he said, with an expression of surprise, “I had no idea that you could draw so beautifully. You almost equal our drawing-master. Who taught you?”
“No one,” replied Louis. “I love to draw. If it were not wrong to neglect other duties, I would spend every day in doing nothing else.”
“Why do you not take lessons with the rest of us, Louis? I am sure our drawing-master would be proud of such a pupil. How you would laugh at our strange-looking pictures!”
“Mr. Grant is very kind, to give me so many other advantages,” answered Louis; “I should not like to ask the privilege of a seat at the drawing-tables, and then the pencils and paper are quite an expense. And if I learned to paint, it would be still more expensive; but, oh! I should love to learn so much,” and his face grew bright with pleasure at the very thought.
“You must learn, Louis; I am resolved that you shall,” said William; “but come now, and have one good play before school.”
Thus urged, Louis joined his companions, and, encouraged by William’s example, all received him kindly, and were careful to allow him equal rights with themselves, and not to wound his feelings by foolish jokes and sarcastic observations.
About fifteen minutes before the hour for school to commence, William saw Mr. Grant enter the school-house, and, quietly leaving his play-fellows, he hastened to follow him.
Taking from Louis’s desk the picture upon which he had been so busily engaged at noon, he presented it to the teacher, saying,—