,--nimbly, manfully, promptly, and politely he went and delivered it.
He performed these little things so well that he was soon promoted to a
more important post. Here, too, he was equally faithful and thorough,
and his employers saw that he possessed just the qualities to insure
success. They promoted him again; and before he was twenty years old he
was the head clerk of the establishment. He was not much past his
majority when he was admitted as a partner to the firm; and now he
stands at the head of the well-known house, a man of affluence,
intelligence, and distinction. Had he been ashamed to carry a bundle or
sweep a store when he was a boy, by this time his friends would have had
abundant reason to be ashamed of him.

This chapter of Nat's early experience in squash culture, was quite
unimportant at the time. It is still only a memorial of _boyish_ days;
but it was a good beginning. It shows as clearly as the most
distinguished service he afterwards rendered to his fellow men, that
hopefulness, industry, perseverance, economy of time, self-reliance, and
other valuable traits, were elements of his character.

CHAPTER II.

UPWARD AND ONWARD.

It was winter,--about three months after the sale of the squashes. The
district school was in progress, and a male teacher presided over it.

"Scholars," said the teacher one day, "it is both pleasant and
profitable to have an occasional declamation and dialogue spoken in
school. It will add interest, also, to our spelling-school exercises in
the evening. Now who would like to participate in these exercises?"

Nat was on his feet in a moment; for he was always ready to declaim, or
perform his part of a dialogue. The teacher smiled to see such a little
fellow respond so readily, and he said to Nat,

"Did you ever speak a piece?"

"Yes, sir, a good many times."

"Do you like to declaim?"

"Yes, sir, and speak dialogues too."

"What piece did you ever speak?"

"'My voice is still for war,'" replied Nat.

"A great many boys have spoken that," added the teacher, amused at Nat's
hearty approval of the plan.

"Will you select a piece to-night, and show it to me to-morrow morning?"
he asked.

"Yes, sir; and learn it too," answered Nat.

Only four or five scholars responded to the teacher's proposition, and
Frank Martin was one, Nat's "right hand man" in all studies and games.
The teacher arranged with each one for a piece, and the school was
dismissed. As s