the sexton after a moment's reflection, "the best course will
be to go to school, at present. Knowledge is power, and a good education
will help you to make money by and by. I approve your resolution, my
lad, and if you keep it resolutely in mind I have no doubt you will
accomplish your object. But the quickest road to success is through the
schoolroom. At present you are not able to earn much. Two or three years
hence will be time enough."

Paul's face brightened as the sexton said this. He instinctively felt
that Mr. Cameron was right. He had never forgotten his father's dying
injunction, and this was one reason that impelled him to run away from
the Almshouse, because he felt that while he remained he never would
be in a situation to carry out his father's wishes. Now his duty was
reconciled with his pleasure, and he gratefully accepted the sexton's
suggestions.

The next Monday morning, in accordance with the arrangement which had
just been agreed upon, Paul repaired to school. He was at once placed in
a class, and lessons were assigned him.

At first his progress was not rapid. While living in Wrenville he had
an opportunity only of attending a country school, kept less than six
months in the year, and then not affording advantages to be compared
with those of a city school. During his father's sickness, besides, he
had been kept from school altogether. Of course all this lost time could
not be made up in a moment. Therefore it was that Paul lagged behind his
class.

There are generally some in every school, who are disposed to take
unfair advantage of their schoolmates, or to ridicule those whom they
consider inferior to themselves.

There was one such in Paul's class. His name was George Dawkins.

He was rather a showy boy, and learned easily. He might have stood a
class above where he was, if he had not been lazy, and depended too much
on his natural talent. As it was, he maintained the foremost rank in his
class.

"Better be the first man in a village than the second man in Rome,"
he used to say; and as his present position not only gave him the
pre-eminence which he desired, but cost him very little exertion to
maintain, he was quite well satisfied with it.

This boy stood first in his class, while Paul entered at the foot.

He laughed unmercifully at the frequent mistakes of our hero, and
jeeringly dubbed him, "Young Stupid."

"Do you know what Dawkins calls you?" asked one of the boys.

"No. Wh