oy is reading
during his evenings, and at other spare moments, he is out of mischief,
and that is something in these days. There are parents in this town who
never know that their sons are spending their leisure time well, because
they are so often getting into bad scrapes. I guess if we could look
into the tavern some evenings, we should find some of them there smoking
and drinking."

"Wall," replied the old lady, "that may all be true enough, but too many
edicated men are worse than none at all."

"Not if they earn their living, as Nat does, and get an education into
the bargain," said one of the former speakers. "There is no danger that
our sons and daughters will know too much. Most of them are satisfied
with knowing too little."

"Wall, edication is good enough in its place," added Mrs. Lane, "but
what does Nat 'spect to do with it in the machine-shop? You won't make
me b'lieve that larning is good for anybody who will have no use for it.
'Spose a farmer studies the lor, what good will it do him if he only
farms it? It will do him more hurt than good, because he will be nuther
one thing nor 'tother. If we have farmers, let's have farmers, and if we
have machinists, let's have machinists."

"Perhaps Nat will not always work at his trade," suggested one of the
company. "There are many self-made men who are now serving society much
better than they would be if they had continued to work at manual
labor."

"Yis, that's it," exclaimed the old lady, with some earnestness; "that
is jist what it will come to. These boys who take so to book larning
will stop working soon as they b'lieve they can get their bread and
butter by their wits. That's jist what I meant in the fust place. I hear
'um tell that Nat goes to Boston nights to hear some great speakers, and
comes home afterwards, and I thinks it is ventersome. I'd never let a
son of mine do it, in this world."

"Why? why?" inquired two or three voices at once.

"Why? a good reason why. You never know'd a boy who can be trusted in
Boston nights. You don't know where they'll go to, and if ye do, there
are sharpers on the lookout to lead them into evil. And who knows but
robbers might seize him on his way back? I should think the boy was
crazy."

"It is only an illustration of his energy and perseverance, Mrs. Lane,"
said one of the ladies. "He is determined to know something, though he
has no time to learn except in his leisure hours; and it is really
surprising h