marked "L. A.;" starboard aft, "S. A.;" and starboard forward
"S. F." I soon learned these letters, and for what they were placed on
the timbers.

My work was now, to keep fire under the steam box, and to watch the ship
yard while the carpenters had gone to dinner. This interval gave me a
fine opportunity for copying the letters named. I soon astonished myself
with the ease with which I made the letters; and the thought was soon
present, "if I can make four, I can make more." But having made these
easily, when I met boys about Bethel church, or any of our play-grounds,
I entered the lists with them in the art of writing, and would make the
letters which I had been so fortunate as to learn, and ask them to
"beat that if they could." With playmates for my teachers, fences and
pavements for my copy books, and chalk for my pen and ink, I learned
the art of writing. I, however, afterward adopted various methods of
improving my hand. The most successful, was copying the _italics_
in Webster's spelling book, until{134} I could make them all without
looking on the book. By this time, my little "Master Tommy" had grown to
be a big boy, and had written over a number of copy books, and brought
them home. They had been shown to the neighbors, had elicited due
praise, and were now laid carefully away. Spending my time between the
ship yard and house, I was as often the lone keeper of the latter as
of the former. When my mistress left me in charge of the house, I had a
grand time; I got Master Tommy's copy books and a pen and ink, and, in
the ample spaces between the lines, I wrote other lines, as nearly like
his as possible. The process was a tedious one, and I ran the risk
of getting a flogging for marring the highly prized copy books of the
oldest son. In addition to those opportunities, sleeping, as I did, in
the kitchen loft--a room seldom visited by any of the family--I got a
flour barrel up there, and a chair; and upon the head of that barrel
I have written (or endeavored to write) copying from the bible and the
Methodist hymn book, and other books which had accumulated on my hands,
till late at night, and when all the family were in bed and asleep. I
was supported in my endeavors by renewed advice, and by holy promises
from the good Father Lawson, with whom I continued to meet, and pray,
and read the scriptures. Although Master Hugh was aware of my going
there, I must say, for his credit, that he never executed his threat to