were both poor. One was but a shoemaker's apprentice, while
the other was a pupil teacher earning but a miserable weekly pittance.
One could do the parts of speech; the other could not. One had
struggled with the pans asinorum; the other had never seen it. I may
mention that the young pupil teacher is now a curate in the Church of
England. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and a prizeman of
Clare College. But to return to the little shoemaker.

"After returning home from Llanrwst, he disburthened his heart to his
mother, and told her that shoemaking, which until now he had pursued
with extraordinary zest, could no longer interest him. His mother, who
was equal to the emergency, sent the boy to a teacher of the old
school, who had himself worked his way from the plough. After the
exercise of considerable diplomacy, an arrangement was arrived at
whereby the youth was to go to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays, and make shoes during the remaining days of the week. This
suited him admirably. That very night he seized upon a geography, and
began to learn the counties of England and Wales. The fear of failure
never left him for two hours together, except when he slept. The plan
of work was faithfully kept; though by this time shoemaking had lost
its charms. He shortened his sleeping hours, and rose at any moment
that he awoke--at two, three, or four in the morning. He got his
brother, who had been plodding with him over shorthand, to study
horticulture, and fruit and vegetable culture; and that brother shortly
after took a high place in an examination held by the Royal
Horticultural Society. For a time, however, they worked together; and
often did their mother get up at four o'clock in the depth of winter,
light their fire, and return to bed after calling them up to the work
of self-culture. Even this did not satisfy their devouring ambition.
There was a bed in the workshop, and they obtained permission to sleep
there. Then they followed their own plans. The young gardener would
sit up till one or two in the morning, and wake his brother, who had
gone to bed as soon as he had given up work the night before.

Now he got up and studied through the small hours of the morning until
the time came when he had to transfer his industry to shoemaking, or go
to school on the appointed days after the distant eight o'clock had
come. His brother had got worn out. Early sleep seemed to be the best.
They th