40 Fred the Apprentice.

The service which he had just rendered to the
family, the proof of the superiority of mind that
he displayed even in the choice of his reward,
spoke so strongly in his favour, that he was
received in a most flattering manner by the
tutor and his pupils. They highly praised Fred’s
laudable ambition. Every one gladly tried, and
made it a point of duty, to assist the apprentice
as much as possible in his studies. P

The habit that Frederick had now got into,
of fixing his whole attention upon any subject
that he was for the time engaged in, was as
useful to him in his new studies as it had been
previously. This method, joined to the deter-
mination of always thoroughly understanding
the reason of everything step by step as he went
along, admirably prepared his understanding to
master the difficulties in acquiring a knowledge
of mathematics and languages. Thus he made
rapid progress in these two branches, without,
however, interfering with his other work. His-
tory, geography, and drawing were not neglected,
—mechanical drawing in particular,—and he was
in time able to make drawings of the most com-
plicated machinery.

After three years of instruction, Fred was