weeping by himself. These symptoms plainly
evinced the recovery of his feelings, to which his governor thought it
now high time to make application; and therefore by little and little
altered his behaviour from the indifference he had put on, to the
appearance of more regard and attention. This produced a favourable
change in the boy, whose eyes sparkled with satisfaction one day, when
his master expressed himself, with a show of surprise, in these words:
"So, Perry! I find you don't want genius, when you think proper to
use it." Such encomiums kindled the spirit of emulation in his little
breast; he exerted himself with surprising alacrity, by which he soon
acquitted himself of the imputation of dullness, and obtained sundry
honorary silver pennies, as acknowledgments of his application; his
school-fellows now solicited his friendship as eagerly as they had
avoided it before; and in less than a twelvemonth after his arrival,
this supposed dunce was remarkable for the brightness of his parts;
having in that short period learnt to read English perfectly well, made
great progress in writing, enabled himself to speak the French language
without hesitation, and acquired some knowledge in the rudiments of
the Latin tongue. The usher did not fail to transmit an account of
his proficiency to the commodore, who received it with transport, and
forthwith communicated the happy tidings to the parents.

Mr. Gamaliel Pickle, who was never subject to violent emotions, heard
them with a sort of phlegmatic satisfaction, that scarce manifested
itself either in his countenance or expressions; nor did the child's
mother break forth into that rapture and admiration which might
have been expected, when she understood how much the talents of her
first-born had exceeded the hope of her warmest imagination. Not but
that she professed herself well pleased with Perry's reputation;
though she observed that in these commendations the truth was always
exaggerated by schoolmasters, for their own interest; and pretended to
wonder that the usher had not mingled more probability with his
praise. Trunnion was offended at her indifference and want of faith
and believing that she refined too much in her discernment, swore that
Jennings had declared the truth, and nothing but the truth; for he
himself had prophesied, from the beginning, that the boy would turn out
a credit to his family. But by this time Mrs. Pickle was blessed with
a daughter, whom she ha