Part 25 (1/2)
”'Taint lawful to use fire-arms,” said d.i.c.k.
”Now, d.i.c.k,” said Fosd.i.c.k, ”before we begin, I must find out how much you already know. Can you read any?”
”Not enough to hurt me,” said d.i.c.k. ”All I know about readin' you could put in a nutsh.e.l.l, and there'd be room left for a small family.”
”I suppose you know your letters?”
”Yes,” said d.i.c.k, ”I know 'em all, but not intimately. I guess I can call 'em all by name.”
”Where did you learn them? Did you ever go to school?”
”Yes; I went two days.”
”Why did you stop?”
”It didn't agree with my const.i.tution.”
”You don't look very delicate,” said Fosd.i.c.k.
”No,” said d.i.c.k, ”I aint troubled much that way; but I found lickins didn't agree with me.”
”Did you get punished?”
”Awful,” said d.i.c.k.
”What for?”
”For indulgin' in a little harmless amoos.e.m.e.nt,” said d.i.c.k. ”You see the boy that was sittin' next to me fell asleep, which I considered improper in school-time; so I thought I'd help the teacher a little by wakin' him up. So I took a pin and stuck into him; but I guess it went a little too far, for he screeched awful. The teacher found out what it was that made him holler, and whipped me with a ruler till I was black and blue. I thought 'twas about time to take a vacation; so that's the last time I went to school.”
”You didn't learn to read in that time, of course?”
”No,” said d.i.c.k; ”but I was a newsboy a little while; so I learned a little, just so's to find out what the news was. Sometimes I didn't read straight and called the wrong news. One mornin' I asked another boy what the paper said, and he told me the King of Africa was dead.
I thought it was all right till folks began to laugh.”
”Well, d.i.c.k, if you'll only study well, you won't be liable to make such mistakes.”
”I hope so,” said d.i.c.k. ”My friend Horace Greeley told me the other day that he'd get me to take his place now and then when he was off makin' speeches if my edication hadn't been neglected.”
”I must find a good piece for you to begin on,” said Fosd.i.c.k, looking over the paper.
”Find an easy one,” said d.i.c.k, ”with words of one story.”
Fosd.i.c.k at length found a piece which he thought would answer. He discovered on trial that d.i.c.k had not exaggerated his deficiencies.
Words of two syllables he seldom p.r.o.nounced right, and was much surprised when he was told how ”through” was sounded.
”Seems to me it's throwin' away letters to use all them,” he said.
”How would you spell it?” asked his young teacher.
”T-h-r-u,” said d.i.c.k.