THE ARITHMETIC LESSON. 7 29

position. I had bought it with the price of effort, and

eal valued it accordingly. Ah! my father understood
how fine a thing it is to make. us rely properly upon
ourselves. )

Poor Charley had hard work to maintain his ground:
He blushed, and stammered, and made some droll
blunders, until at length he was obliged to confess that
he knew nothing about his sum, and thus lost his stand:
ing in the class, z

“I thought young Hill and Jones belonged to this
class,” said Squire Hall, one of the committee; at the
same time looking around to sée where they were.

“Their parents wish them to be excused from the
recitation,” answered the master.

“They are not where they ought to be, then. We
want to see every boy at his post in his class,” said the
squire, who kept his eye upon the standing and cha-
racter of évery boy in the school.

The squire’s good opinion was worth having,:for it

‘was generally formed upon true grounds, and his esti-

mate of character was almost invariably correct. Jones