“I’m tellin’ ye,” roared Silas, “that Dan ought to have the New Yorks up here for one game anyway. That boy is a credit to Rodman an’ everybody what lives here! He can pitch th’ legs off a brass monkey! I never see such a ball-player.” “He plays a very good game,” remarked Mr. Borden smiling pleasantly at Dan as he spoke. “Aren’t you afraid, Silas, that you’ll spoil him with your flattering words?” “Not a bit! Ye can’t spoil Dan. I hear ye’re goin’ off t’ school with this Borden boy, Dan.” “Yes,” said Dan quietly. “Well, education’s a great thing. I wish I had some o’ it.” “You have,” remarked Mr. Borden. “Who? You mean me? I may be a fool ’bout some things, but I guess I ain’t such a fool as t’ not know that I don’t know nothin’.” “One of the wisest men that ever lived once said that he thought the men who didn’t know and knew enough to know that they didn’t know were very wise.” “Shucks!” sniffed Silas, his round freckled face nevertheless betraying his deep pleasure. “I guess I c’n make a harness that can stan’ the strain o’ five ton, but when ye’ve said that ye’ve said th’ whole thing. Now, here’s Walter. Th’ other day I see in th’ Rodman ‘Reflector’ some newfangled words. If I rec’lect aright they was ‘sick transum glory Monday’――――” “_Sic transit gloria mundi_,” interrupted Walter laughingly. “That’s jes’ exackly what I said,” declared Silas. “I didn’t know no more what they mean than ’s if they been words that Julius Cæsar spoke.” “Perhaps he did,” said Walter. “They are Latin words.” “Ye don’t tell me. Well, Mr. Borden, I couldn’t make head nor tail t’ ’em. A ‘sick transum’ an’ ‘Monday’ was all th’ sense there was. But that boy o’ yourn he come ’long an’, sir, he read ’em jes’ ’s easy ’s if he was fallin’ off a log. Yes, sir. Now, ye see, he had th’ education and I had none.” “What did Walter say the words meant?” inquired Mr. Borden dryly. “I disremember, but it was something ’bout glory.” “Do you think Walter or Dan could mend a horse-collar?” “Dan might; I’m not so sure o’ your boy, that is, jes’ at th’ present time. Course he could learn.” “Then he’d be better educated after he had learned.” “Sewin’ horse-collars isn’t education!” sniffed Silas. “I think it is or may be.” “How d’ye make that out? I never went t’ school much. I c’n make out th’ scores in th’ Rodman ‘Reflector’ an’ I c’n chalk up th’ charge for fixin’ Deacon Stillman’s horse-collar, but I never went t’ school none whatever.” “Going to school does not necessarily mean obtaining an education.” “Go on! I guess ye’re tryin’ t’ stuff me.” “Suppose a boy should go to school and not learn?” “His teachers will give him th’ learnin’.” “Unfortunately that is one of the things no teacher can give――at least he can’t give it unless a boy takes it.” “I guess th’ may be somethin’ in that, same’s ye c’n lead a hoss up t’ th’ water but if he takes a notion he won’t drink, then th’ whole o’ jumpin’ creation can’t make him swallow a cupful.”