etimes, when he was careless, or in a hurry, the sums were
wrong: however, I am happy to say that did not happen very often.
Besides all these things, Charles learned grammar, and geography, and
could decline many Latin nouns; which was very well for a little boy not
quite seven years old. But of all his lessons he liked geography best,
he liked to find out places in the maps, and to know whereabouts the
different countries were that he heard people talk of; and then his papa
was often kind to tell him amusing stories about the inhabitants of
those countries, and he also told him what things are brought from them:
for instance, Charles knew that tea grows in China, which is in Asia;
and sugar in the West-Indies; that the rose-wood that his mamma's chairs
and card tables were made of, grew in a country called Brazil in South
America; and that the raisins in the plum-pudding on Christmas day, were
dried grapes, and came from Spain.

"Papa," said Charles one night, when he was, as usual, telling his papa
what he had done in the course of the day,--"I wish I might learn more
geography, instead of any grammar; I like it so much better: I like
geography very much, but I do not like grammar at all."

"What is your objection to grammar, Charles?" said his papa.

"Oh, why--there is nothing amusing in it."

"And do you not think there is some other reason for learning, besides
being amused?"

"Yes; I think we learn that we may grow wise; but I don't want to leave
off learning, papa; I only want to learn something else, instead of
grammar?"

Mr. Barber laughed, and told Charles, that no other kind of knowledge
would be of much use to him without grammar, since nothing else would
teach him to speak or write like a gentleman.

"Don't I speak like a gentleman now, papa?"

"You speak pretty well for a little boy, my dear; but you often make
mistakes, which we think nothing of now, because we know that when you
have learnt a little more grammar, you will know better; but if you were
to make such mistakes when you are a man, you would be thought an
ignorant person, and not be treated with respect."

"Can you tell me of any mistakes I make now papa?"

[Illustration: LITTLE CHARLES LEARNING GEOGRAPHY.]

"Oh yes, I think I could very soon tell you of a great many. Just now,
when you were standing at the window, I heard you say,--'There goes two
white horses!' now that was a very great blunder, Charles."

"Was it, papa;--why?"