w can't skate some on
this glare ice, he better give his skates to somebody who can."

Frank's remark was drawn out by the fact that Nat was already considered
the best skater in the village. He could skate more rapidly, and perform
more feats on his skates than any one else. His ability had been fully
tested again and again; and by this time there seemed to be a sort of
expectation among the boys that he would be "first best" in whatever he
undertook. For this reason they hardly attempted to compete with him,
but yielded the first place to him as a matter of course.

Away went Nat up the pond, and Charlie exclaimed,

"See him go! What a fellow Nat is! any thing he undertakes has to go.
See him skate now on one foot, and now he is skating backwards!"

"And he does it just as easy as a boy knows his father," said John.

For nearly an hour skating was enjoyed, when all concluded that their
suppers would be waiting, and so they separated for home.

On the following day, soon after school began in the morning, the
teacher brought up the subject of a grammar class, evidently
dissatisfied that certain boys did not remain after school, on the
previous afternoon, to join it. He remarked "that there were several
boys in school, who might study grammar as well as not," and he went on
to call the names of some, and turning to Nat and Charlie, who sat
together, he said, "Both of you need to begin this study at once. It
would have been better if you had undertaken it before; but it is not
too late now. You will never regret it hereafter. I want both of you to
join the class," and he uttered the last sentence as if he meant it.

Neither Nat nor Charlie made any reply at the time; but at recess they
went to the teacher and made known their feelings.

"We never expect to do any thing that will require a knowledge of
grammar," said Nat. "It will do well enough for rich men's sons."

"Perhaps both of you will be lawyers, ministers, legislators, or
governors yet," replied the teacher, smiling. "Poorer boys than you have
risen to occupy as important places, and the like may happen again."

"None of the scholars like grammar," said Charlie; "they say it is dry
and uninteresting, and hard to understand."

"If it is so," answered the teacher, "that is no reason why it should
not be studied. We have to do some very unpleasant things in this world.
If you live to become men, you will find that you cannot have every
thing to your tast