It was a new thing to them, and it proved quite an incentive to most of the pupils. Several tried hard for it; but it was pretty well understood before the term was half through who would have the book. None were surprised when, at the close of the last day of school, the teacher said:

“James! step this way.”

James lost no time in obeying.

“This book,” passing the Testament to him, “is yours. I think you have fairly earned it as the best scholar in school. I have no fault to find with any scholar; but your remarkable progress entitles you to the book.”

The pupils were all satisfied; James was a happy boy, and his mother wept tears of joy.

From the time that James was permitted to be himself in school, his advancement was remarkable. Every teacher regarded him as a boy of uncommon talents, and every scholar was attracted to him as by magnetic influence. He read every book that he could beg or borrow; yet he was efficient to assist Thomas on the farm at six years of age. He went to school whenever there was a school; but that was only a few weeks in a year. He improved his evenings and leisure time at home, however, and all the books at hand were read over and over, until he was perfectly familiar with their contents. His mental appetite was always craving, nor was it ever gorged by excess of food. It appeared to be capable of appropriating and digesting all that the times and locality could furnish.

About this time the Garfield and Boynton children formed a kind of club for improvement in spelling. The spelling-book became the field of their exploits. They studied it enthusiastically, and drilled each other in its contents, as if they meant to master it. The result was great proficiency in spelling—all of them excelling their companions at school. The drill was of great advantage to them in spelling matches, when the winter school was going; especially to James, who became quite an enthusiast in that branch. He was the best speller in school, when more than half the pupils were older than he. Some of them said James could spell every word in the book correctly. Whether he could or not, in choosing sides for a spelling-match, James was sure to be the first one chosen.