e neighborhood."
He acted upon this principle himself from his boyhood; and so did Nat,
whether he was fully conscious of it or not. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the
great painter, said that his success resulted mainly from one principle
upon which he had acted, namely, "_to make every picture the best_."

Buxton, of whom we have spoken already, had as much force of character
in his youth as almost any boy who ever lived. His determination was
invincible, and his energy and perseverance were equal to his
resolution. The consequence was that he became famous for boating,
shooting, riding, and all sorts of fieldsports, though he cared little
for any thing else. But when, at last, his attention was turned to
self-improvement and philanthropy, by the influence of the Gurney
family, he carried the same qualities with him there, and through them
won a world-wide fame. It was thus with Sir Walter Scott, who was second
to no one in his youth for his dexterity and proficiency in athletic,
games, and the various forms of recreation. He could "spear a salmon
with the best fisher on the Tweed, and ride a wild horse with any hunter
in Yarrow." The same energy and unconquerable will helped him achieve
that herculean labor afterwards, of paying off a debt of six hundred
thousand dollars, with his pen. The Duke of Wellington acknowledged the
same principle, when he said, as he stood watching the sports of boys on
the play-ground of Eton, where he spent his juvenile years, "It was
there that the battle of Waterloo was won."

Twenty-five years after Nat bore off the palm in athletic games, an
early associate asked him to what he owed his success, and he answered,
in a vein of pleasantry, "To swimming under water." Whatever may have
been his meaning, it is not at all difficult to discover the same
elements of character in squash-raising, declamation, and arithmetic,
that appear in the games he played.

His skill in the water served him a good purpose one day, or rather, it
served another boy well. Nat and two or three of his companions were at
play near the factory, when some one cried out, "A boy in the water!"

In an instant Nat sprung, followed by his companions, and made for the
water, when lo! a little boy was seen struggling to keep from sinking.
He had carelessly ventured too near and fallen in, and must have
perished but for the timely aid thus rendered him. Nat plunged in after
him, and his play-fellows did the same, or brought rails,