78 Turnaside Cottage.

 

land was more useful so, and he believed it was
a good thing to enclose commons now that the
population of the land was so much increased.
My father was very angry about it, and made me
miserable for a week by declaring that he should
sell Monna. He ended, however, by hiring the
ficld on the other side of our garden hedge, and
buying another cow to make it worth while. And
as the new cow paid proper respect to Monna, and
always let her go through the gate first, both she
and I were well satisfied with this arrangement.

I now often had whole afternoons to spend over
my books, and my learning got on capitally. After
much cntreaty on my part, I had begun Greck,
though Mr. Hurst shook his head at himself as he
gave way to my importunities. “TI fear,’ he said,
“it will do him little good, and may lead to dis
content.”

I should be much more likely to be discontented
if I might not learn it, I declared. And I would
not neglect cleaning the potatoes, or sweeping out
the yard for it; and—blushing very much—I
wanted to be a schoolmaster some day.

“Nay, if that be so,” said Mr. Hurst; and he
never again objected to my learning anything.