ne when Nat was four
years old--"thinking on his own hook"--men of mark think
for themselves--"niggers' work"--great men not ashamed of
useful work--the harvest-day--Frank's surprise--Nat as a peddler--his
sister--his drawings--Samuel Budgett, Dr. Kitto,
and the rich merchant peddling--"creep before you can walk"--the
errand-boy and his success--what his culture of squashes
shows 1-17

CHAPTER II.

UPWARD AND ONWARD.

Winter--in school--proposition to declaim--the dialogue, "Alexander
the Great and a Robber"--Nat is the robber--his reason--sympathy
for the poor and unfortunate--the dialogue learned
and spoken--Nat's eloquence--some boys who declaim poorly
at first make orators at last--Demosthenes--Daniel Webster--Nat
declaiming before visitors--the petition for shorter lessons--Nat
won't sign it--Sam Drake's predicament--the teacher hears
of the movement--his remarks about dull scholars--Newton,
Dr. Barrows, Adam Clarke, Chatterton, Napoleon, etc.--necessity
of application 17-27

CHAPTER III.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

The bright summer-time--sport at Frank's--the dog "Trip"
playing hy-spy--the boys hiding--Trip finding them--the result
of the first game--the second game--the court scene--talk
about it with Sylvester Jones--Nat goes to court--the prisoners
are two of his schoolmates--his sympathy for them--examination
of witnesses--the remarks of the justice--Nat proposes to
plead their case--the sensation and result--what was said of
it--another instance of Nat's sympathy--what it
foreshadowed--Howard--Wilberforce--Buxton 28-37

CHAPTER IV.

THE WILD CHERRIES.

The excursion--John's proposition--decision to go--the cherry-tree--is
it wild?--a discussion--filling their caps--surprised
by the owner--their escape--Nat's and Frank's caps left behind--the
owner carries them to the house--Nat's resolve to go to his
house--rapping at the door--his explanation and confession--the
caps restored with a plenty of cherries--the end thereof 38-47

CHAPTER V.

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Bathing--a passion for it--a particular swim--Nat the best
swimmer--swimming under water--a trial--a game of ball--Nat
the best player--the result of the game--remarks of spectators--the
fastest runner--a principle to be best--excelled in athletic
sports through same elements of character that made him excel in
school--the b