y it by ten
years, and there you have one hundred weeks,--nearly two years of mental
culture. Multiply it by twenty, and you have about four years of this
intellectual discipline. Multiply it once more by fifty years (and he
who lives to three score years and ten, beginning thus in boyhood, will
have even more time than that for improvement), and you have nearly ten
years of mental discipline. If we could gather up all the wasted moments
of the young, who prefer a jack-knife to a book, what a series of years
we could save for literary purposes! Nat's pocket was worth a cart-load
of those who never hold any thing more valuable than money. If some kind
friend had proposed to give him one well filled with gold in exchange
for his, he would have made a poor bargain had he accepted the offer.

In regard to finding lost opportunities, few persons are ever so
fortunate. Here and there one with the decision, and patient persevering
spirit of Nat makes up for these early losses, in a measure, but they
have to pay for it at a costly rate. Nat thought so when he struggled to
master grammar without a teacher. Deeply he regretted that he let slip a
golden opportunity of his early boyhood, when he might have acquired
considerable knowledge of this science. But his perseverance in finally
pursuing the study furnishes a good illustration of what may be done.

"What do you say to starting a debating society, Charlie?" inquired Nat,
on the same day they discussed their grammar experience.

"I would like it well; and I think we could get quite a number to join
it. Where could we meet?"

"We could probably get the use of the school-house, especially if a
number of the scholars should join us. For such a purpose, I think there
would be no objection to our having it."

"Let us attend to it at once," said Charlie. "Marcus and Frank will
favor the movement, and I dare say we can get fifteen or twenty in a
short time. Some will join it who do not think of debating, for the sake
of having it go."

This reference to Marcus renders it necessary to say, that he had left
the district school, and was learning the hatter's trade. During Nat's
three years' absence, he was intimate with Frank and Charlie, and was
disposed to improve his leisure time in reading. He was such a youth as
would readily favor the organization of a debating society, and become
an active member.

"Come over to our house early to-night," said Nat, "and we will see what
w