"Then I will try it, and I hope I can hold out, for if I could only get an education I think I could find some lighter work to do that would be better for me. I don't feel very strong now, but I hope I can stand it. When shall I commence?" "You may come any evening." "You are at home every night, are you?" "Yes, every evening except Sunday--then I go to church." "I should think you would go out with the boys and have some fun." "I can't do that and study too." "Do you study now? I thought you were a good scholar." "Yes; I have not missed an evening since I came into the mill." "What are you studying?" "I am studying mathematics and practising penmanship most of the time. They will be most useful to me if ever I get into business." "I am afraid it would be too much trouble, then, for you to teach me." "Oh, don't worry about that. I have plenty of books, too, that you can use, so you need not buy any," said Fred, wishing to encourage his friend as much as possible, though he well knew that his offer would be no little inconvenience to himself. In the course of a few evenings Carl asked his uncle, after they had finished supper, if he could go over to Mr. Worthington's for a little while; and after receiving a favorable answer he went up stairs and put on another suit. It was the best the poor boy had, though the coat fitted him badly, owing to his deformity. All the garments, moreover, were made from inexpensive material, and had been in service so long that they showed much wear. Those of my readers who know nothing of poverty, or even want, would doubtless consider a suit of this kind almost unfit for gunning or fishing; but as it was the only dress suit which Carl had, he kept it neat and clean. He put on a white collar, a well worn blue necktie, and thus attired was soon on his way to his friend's house. XXVI. Fred found, much to his surprise, that Carl was something of a scholar, as he could read well and write a very fair hand. He had thoroughly mastered an elementary arithmetic, learning all of the tables and rules so as to apply them readily and correctly. "When did you learn so much about mathematics?" asked Fred. "You have had no teacher." "Well, I got a little idea of it before going into the mill, enough so that I managed to work my way through the book after getting around again from my sickness. Since then I have been through the book so many times that I know it almost by heart." "Why didn't you get a more advanced book, instead of spending so much time on this one?" "That is just what I wanted, but couldn't buy one." "Almost any one would have given or lent you one, the same as I am going to let you use my books. It is too bad that you have been kept back for the want of suitable books; but what you have been over you have learned so thoroughly that it is worth about as much to you as if you had been through several higher arithmetics, and knew none of them well. Have you ever studied geography?"