ement, "how should you like to go to school and qualify yourself
to be a minister? You are as fond of your books as James is of
printing, or John of making candles!"

"I should like to go to school well enough," replied Benjamin, after
some hesitation; "but I don't know about the rest of it."

"You are old enough now," continued his father, "to think about a
trade or profession. Your elder brothers have their trades, and,
perhaps, you ought to give your service to the Church. You like to
study, do you not?"

"Yes, sir; the best of anything I do." A very correct answer, since he
began to read so young, that he could not remember the time when he
could not read his Bible.

"It will cost a good deal to keep you at school and educate you, and
perhaps I shall not be able to do it with so large a family to
support. I have to be very industrious now to make my ends meet. But
if you are diligent to improve your time, and lend a helping hand at
home, out of school hours, I may be able to do it."

"When shall I begin, if you decide to let me go?"

"Immediately. It is a long process to become qualified for the
ministry, and the sooner you begin the better."

"Uncle Benjamin," as he was called in the family, a brother of our
little hero's father, sat listening to the conversation, and, at this
point, remarked, "Yes, Benjamin, it is the best thing you can do. I am
sure you can make very rapid progress at school; and there ought to be
one preacher in the family, I think."

"So many people have told me," added his father. "Dr. Willard (his
pastor) said as much to me not long ago, and I am fully persuaded to
make the trial."

"It won't be a severe trial, either," said Uncle Benjamin. "The thing
can be accomplished more easily than at first appears. I tell you what
it is, Benjamin," addressing himself to the boy, "when you are
qualified for the office, I will give you my large volume of
short-hand sermons, and the reading of these will improve your manner
of sermonizing."

This uncle had recently come over from England, and was boarding in
the family. He was a very intelligent man, quite a literary character
for the times, and had been accustomed to take down the sermons to
which he listened, in short-hand, until he had preserved a large
manuscript volume of them, which he valued highly. It was this volume
which he promised to bequeath to his nephew when he should become
qualified to enter the ministry.

This interview oc