.

The monarch of all he surveyed, which in the case of the boy was only
one page of the English Reader, was diligently spelling out the next
line, which he proceeded to pronounce like one long word with surprising
velocity:

"My-right-there-is-none-to-dispute."

There was another pause.

"Hold down your book," said the master.

"Yes, hold down your book," said Josiah Crawford. "What do ye cover yer
face for? There's nuthin' to be ashamed of. Now try again."

Nathaniel lowered the book and revealed the singular struggle that was
going on in his mind. He had to spell out the words to himself, and in
doing so his face was full of the most distressing grimaces. He
unconsciously lifted his eyebrows, squinted his eyes, and drew his mouth
hither and thither.

"From the cen-t-e-r, center; center, all round _to_ the sea,
I am lord of the f-o-w-l _and_-the-brute."

The last line came to a sudden conclusion, and was followed by a very
long pause.

"Go on," said Andrew Crawford, the master.

"Yes, go on," said Josiah. "At the rate you're goin' now you won't get
through by candle-light."

Nathaniel lifted his eyebrows and uttered a curiously exciting--

"O"--

"That boy'll have a fit," said Aunt Olive. "Don't let him read any more,
for massy sake!"

"O--What's that word, master? S-o-l-i-t-u-d-e, so-li-tu-de.
O--So-li-tu-de."

"O Solitude, where are the charms?" read Mr. Andrew Crawford,

"That sages have seen in thy face?
Better dwell in the midst of alarms
Than reign in this horrible place."

Nathaniel followed the master like a race-horse. He went on smoothly
until he came to "this horrible place," when his face assumed a startled
expression, like one who had met with an apparition. He began to spell
out _horrible_, "h-o-r-, hor--there's your hor, _hor_; r-i-b-, there's
your _rib_, horrib--"

"Don't let that boy read any more," said Aunt Olive.

Nathaniel dropped his book by his side, and cast a far-away glance into
the timber.

"I guess I ain't much of a reader," he remarked, dryly.

"Stop, sir!" said the master.

Poor Nathaniel! Once, in attempting to read a Bible story, he read, "And
he smote the Hittite that he died"--"And he smote him Hi-ti-ti-ty, that
he _did_" with great emphasis and brief self-congratulation.

In wonderful contrast to Nathaniel's efforts was the reading in concert
by the whole class. Here was shown fine preparation for a forest school.
The reading