"Now, Ishmael, my lad, Hannah and me are going over to spend the evening at Brown's, who is overseer at Rushy Shore; and you might's well go with us; there's a nice lot o' gals there. What do you say?" "Thank you, Uncle Reuben, but I wish to read this evening," said the youth. "Now, Ishmael, what for should you slave yourself to death?" "I don't, uncle. I work hard, it is true; but then, you know, youth is the time for work, and besides I like it," said the young fellow cheerfully. "Well, but after hoeing and weeding and raking and planting in the garden all the morning, and bothering your brains over them distracting 'count books all the afternoon, what's the good of your going and poring over them stupid books all the evening?" "You will see the good of it some of these days, Uncle Reuben," laughed Ishmael. "You will wear yourself out before that day comes, my boy, if you are not careful," answered Reuben. "I always said the fetched books would be his ruin, and now I know it," put in Hannah. Ishmael laughed good-humoredly; but Reuben sighed. "Ishmael, my lad," he said, "if you must read, do, pray, read in the forenoon, instead of working in the garden." "But what will become of the garden?" inquired Ishmael, with gravity. "Oh, I can put one of the nigger boys into it." "And have to pay for his time and not have the work half done at last." "Well, I had rather it be so, than you should slave yourself to death." "Oh, but I do not slave myself to death! I like to work in the garden, and I am never happier than when I am engaged there; the garden is beautiful, and the care of it is a great pleasure as well as a great benefit to me; it gives me all the outdoor exercise and recreation that I require to enable me to sit at my writing or reading all the rest of the day." "Ah, Ishmael, my lad, who would think work was recreation except you? But it is your goodness of heart that turns every duty into a delight," said Reuben Gray; and he was not very far from the truth. "It is his obstinacy as keeps him everlasting a-working himself to death! Reuben Gray, Ishmael Worth is one of the obstinatest boys that ever you set your eyes on! He has been obstinate ever since he was a baby," said Hannah angrily. And her mind reverted to that old time when the infant Ishmael would live in defiance of everybody. "I do believe as Ishmael would be as firm as a rock in a good cause; but I don't believe that he could be obstinate in a bad one," said Reuben decidedly. "Yes, he could! else why does he persist in staying home this evening when we want him to go with us?" complained Hannah. Now, strength of will is not necessarily self-will. Firmness of purpose is not always implacability. The strong need not be violent in order to prove their strength. And Ishmael, firmly resolved as he was to devote every hour of his leisure to study, knew very well when to make an exception to his rule, and sacrifice his inclinations to his duty. So he answered: