reless ones do not take the right part of speech they want.

Result: "_He felt_"--"_Il feutra_"; "_He left_"--"_Il gaucha_."

With my experience of certain French dictionaries published in England,
I do not wonder that English boys often trust in Providence for the
choice of words, although I cannot help thinking that as a rule they
are most unlucky.

Very few boys have good dictionaries at hand. I know that Smith and
Hamilton's dictionary (in two volumes) costs twenty shillings. But what
is twenty shillings to be helped all through one's coaching? About the
price of a good lawn-tennis racket.

I have seen boys show me, with a radiant air, a French dictionary they
had bought for six-pence.

They thought they had made a bargain.

Oh, free trade! Oh, the cheapest market!

Sixpence for that dictionary! That was not very expensive, I own--but
it was terribly dear.

* * * * *

When an English boy is about to write out his French exercise, he
invariably begins by heading the copy

"FRENCH,"

written with his best hand, on the first line.

This is to avoid any misunderstanding about the language he is going to
use.

I have often felt grateful for that title.

* * * * *

Children are very great at titles and inscriptions.

Give them a little penny pocket-book, and their keen sense of ownership
will make them go straightway and write their name and address on the
first page. When this is done, they will entitle the book, and write on
the top of each page: "Memorandum Book."

When I was at school, we French boys used to draw, on the back of the
cover of our books, a merry-Andrew and a gibbet, with the inscription:

"Aspice Pierrot pendu,
Quod librum n'a pas rendu.
Si librum redidisset,
Pierrot pendu non fuisset."

I came across the following lines on some English boys' books:

"Don't steal this book for fear of shame,
For here you see the owner's name;
Or, when you die, the Lord will say:
'Where is that book you stole away?'"

* * * * *

Boys' minds are like a certain place not mentioned in geographies: they
are paved with good intentions. Before they begin their work, they
choose their best nib (which always takes some time). This done, they
carefully write their name and the title of the exercise. FRENCH looks
magnificent. They evidently mea