t to read till they were ten years
old.

Mrs. Peterkin was in despair. Perhaps, if their books were taken from
them even then, they might forget what they had learned. But no, the
evil was done; the brain had received certain impressions that could not
be blurred over.

This was long ago, however. The little boys had since entered the public
schools. They went also to a gymnasium, and a whittling school, and
joined a class in music, and another in dancing; they went to some
afternoon lectures for children, when there was no other school, and
belonged to a walking-club. Still Mr. Peterkin was dissatisfied by the
slowness of their progress. He visited the schools himself, and found
that they did not lead their classes. It seemed to him a great deal of
time was spent in things that were not instructive, such as putting on
and taking off their india-rubber boots.

Elizabeth Eliza proposed that they should be taken from school and
taught by Agamemnon from the Encyclopaedia. The rest of the family might
help in the education at all hours of the day. Solomon John could take
up the Latin grammar, and she could give lessons in French.

The little boys were enchanted with the plan, only they did not want to
have the study-hours all the time.

Mr. Peterkin, however, had a magnificent idea, that they should make
their life one grand Object Lesson. They should begin at breakfast, and
study everything put upon the table,--the material of which it was made,
and where it came from.

In the study of the letter A, Agamemnon had embraced the study of music,
and from one meal they might gain instruction enough for a day.

"We shall have the assistance," said Mr. Peterkin, "of Agamemnon, with
his Encyclopaedia."

Agamemnon modestly suggested that he had not yet got out of A, and in
their first breakfast everything would therefore have to begin with A.

"That would not be impossible," said Mr. Peterkin. "There is Amanda, who
will wait on table, to start with--"

"We could have 'am-and-eggs," suggested Solomon John Mrs. Peterkin was
distressed. It was hard enough to think of anything for breakfast, and
impossible, if it all had to begin with one letter.

Elizabeth Eliza thought it would not be necessary. All they were to do
was to ask questions, as in examination papers, and find their answers
as they could.

They could still apply to the Encyclopaedia, even if it were not in
Agamemnon's alphabetical course.

Mr. Peterkin sug