gan, too, to look about for something
to do. He was anxious for a job in a store or
an office, where be could wear good clothes
and not have to work hard at manual labor.

This is a common desire of country boys
who go to town to live.

The trouble was, however, that he knew
next to nothing of business of any kind. Was
this the fault of his education, thus far? His
school education, I mean. I ask the question.

He finally concluded to take a course in a
school that advertised to fit a person to
engage in any business whatever in three
months, without regard to age, sex, or
previous condition. He went to this school.

I have no quarrel with institutions that
make a business of fitting young men and
women to engage in commercial pursuits. I
know of many excellent institutions of this
kind. But I nevertheless submit the record of
"Dodd" Weaver in his connection with this
college, so called.

The man at the head of the institution was
a brisk, nervous sort of person, a shrewd
fellow, and given to much flourishing with a pen,
which was to him much mightier than any
sword. He could whirl off a scroll-winged eagle
on a blank sheet of foolscap, in a twinkling--a
royal bird, with a banner in his beak, on
which was inscribed "Go to ---- college," and
which the king of birds was bearing towards
the sun for advertising purposes. He could
also add a column of figures with wonderful
rapidity, and occasional accuracy! He was a
believer in lightning methods and processes
everywhere. His own education had been
wrought out on that plan. He was seeking a
fortune by the same route. He drew crowds
of boys into his school. It was through them
he made his money.

"Dodd" had much skill with a pen, as will
be remembered by his sketching Mr. Bright's
face on the board one afternoon. He took to
the practice in writing with some alacrity, but
for the rest of the work he soon did as the
others did--studied little, and in lieu of a
recitation listened to a long and disjointed talk by
"the professor." He was held to no account
for his work, and whether it was right or
wrong made little difference. He found that
his teacher would profess to know things of
which he knew he was ignorant, and, in a
word, that there was an air of shoddy, not to
say dishonesty, about the whole institution.

This did not trouble him greatly, however.
It was only in keeping with what he
conceived he had finally discovered the whole