better qualified than Hobby to teach the young. Mr. Washington was
a wise man, and he saw that George's school would prove far more
beneficial to him when enforced by such lessons as he himself could
impart at home. Thus Hobby's school really became a force in the
education of George, because it was ably supported by the home school.
Otherwise that first school which George attended might have proved of
little value to him.

George became Mr. Hobby's most important pupil, because he was an
example of obedience, application, method and thoroughness.

"George always does his work well," Mr. Hobby would say, exhibiting his
writing-book to the school. "Not one blot, no finger-marks, everything
neat and clean."

In contrast with some of the dirty, blotted pages in other
writing-books, that of George was a marvel of neatness and excellence.

"It is just as easy to do the best you can as it is to do poorly," Mr.
Hobby continued, by way of rebuke and encouragement to dull and careless
scholars. "George does not have to work any harder to be thorough than
some of you do to be scarcely passible. He is a little more careful,
that is all."

His writing-book, held up to the view of the school with the one most
badly defaced, honored George's thoroughness, and sharply reproved the
other boy's carelessness. Mr. Hobby sought to arouse dull scholars by
encouragement full as much as he did by punishment. Hence, George's
neat, attractive writing-book, contrasted with one of the opposite
qualities, became a stimulus to endeavor. All could keep their fingers
clean if they would, even if they had to go to the banks of the
Rappahannock to wash them; and no pupil was fated to blot his book, as
Mr. Hobby very plainly showed; so that George's example was a constant
benediction to the school.

"The scholar who does as well as he can in one thing will do as well as
he can in another," said Mr. Hobby. "George has the best writing-book in
school, and he is the best reader and speller. It is because his rule is
to do the best he can."

It was not expected that George would fail in spelling. He did fail
occasionally on a word, it is true, but so seldom that his schoolmates
anticipated no failure on his part. In spelling-matches, the side on
which he was chosen was expected to win. If all others failed on a word,
George was supposed to be equal to the occasion.

"Well, George, we shall be obliged to depend on you to help us out of
this diffic