"Well, I advise you to cultivate your talent for drawing. These animals
are well done, too. Practise will give you an ability in this line,
which may prove of real service to you in future years."

George had drawn animals, also, in the book, and he had given wings to
some birds with a flourish of his pen, showing both taste and tact
in the use of the pen. George was not a boy who believed in
_flourishes_, except those executed in ink. His interest in the art of
penmanship drew his attention to these as ornamental and ingenious.

"A facile use of the pen will always be serviceable to you," he said to
George. "No one can become too skilful in wielding it. But it requires
much careful practise."

"I have discovered that," answered George. "I do not expect to excel in
the art of penmanship."

"You may, with your application and perseverance," responded his
teacher. "'Perseverance conquers all things,' it is said, and I believe
it."

"But I have not time for everything," remarked George. "Odd moments are
all the time I can devote to such things."

"And odd moments have done much for some boys," added his teacher.
"Fragments of time well improved have made some men illustrious."

"It will take larger fragments of time than I have to make me
illustrious," suggested George, dryly.

"Perhaps not; you are not authorized to come to such a conclusion.
There are too many facts known to warrant it. Your industry and
resolution are equal to it."

George accepted the compliment in silence with his usual modesty,
considerably encouraged by his teacher's words to persevere in doing
things well.

This copy-book, containing sketches of his companions and pen-pictures
of birds and beasts, has been carefully preserved with others. It is a
valuable relic, too, as showing that George was not always the sedate,
serious boy he has generally been represented to be; for some of these
sketches border upon the comical, and evidently were intended to bring
a smile over the faces of his school-mates. Mixed with his usually
grave and practical way of doing things, they show more of the cheerful,
roguish boy than is accorded to George by writers in general.

Another copy-book contains many extracts, in prose and poetry, which
particularly interested George at the time. He was in the habit of
preserving in this way choice bits of prose and poetry for future use.
They were copied in his clear, fair handwriting, with every _i_ dotted
and eve