And now a change began to come over Jim. He left his younger brothers in unhectored peace. He had not much to say, but ever he watched Andy from the corner of a jealous eye, and listened for him to speak. All his pugnacity was engaged in what seemed to be a profitless struggle with the speech of the grammar. "I _will_ larn it yet," he repeated over and over. And even while the words were in his mouth, if he had had less obstinacy in his make-up, he would have yielded himself to despair. But a good thing happened to him. Miss Slocum, not knowing his ignoble motive, and seeing a very earnest child striving to improve himself, set about helping him in every possible way. One day she called him to her. "Jim," she said, "asking me questions is slow work. Suppose I correct you every time you make a mistake?" "Yes, ma'am," answered Jim vaguely, not knowing the meaning of _correct_. "You don't understand me?" "No, ma'am." "_Correct_ means to make right. Suppose I set you right whenever you go wrong?" "That's it!" cried Jim enthusiastically. "That's it! I can larn that way sure." "_Learn_, not _larn_, Jim." Jim looked at her. "'Tis learn and not larn I'll be sayin'," he declared. "Not _I'll be sayin'_," corrected Miss Slocum, "but _I'll say_." "_Learn_, not _larn_, and _I'll say_, not _I'll be sayin'_," amended the obedient Jim, and then he sped away. And that night he did what never a child of Mrs. O'Callaghan's had done before. The family were at supper. Pat, paying good heed to his tongue, was manifestly improving, and the widow was congratulating him in her own way. "What did I be sayin' to you, Pat dear? Did I be tellin' you you wasn't too old to larn? And I'll be sayin' it again, so I will." "_Larn's_ not the right of it," interrupted Jim. "_Learn's_ what you ought to be sayin'. _I'll be sayin'_ ain't right, nayther," he continued. "It's _I'll say_," and he looked very important. Pat and Andy regarded him in displeased astonishment, but the widow could take care of her own. "And it's glad I am to see that you know so much, Jim," she said quietly. "What more do you know? Let's hear it." Thus brought to book Jim grew confused. He blushed and stammered under the unfavorable regard of his mother and two older brothers, and finally confessed that he knew nothing more. At which Barney and Tommie nudged each other. They did not understand what all the talk was about, but they could see that Jim was very red in the face, and not at all at his ease, and their beforetime hectored little selves rejoiced.