valued friend; there is not a more pleasing companion to be found in the
whole town of Education than he. But you are yet far too young, Master
Dick, to make the acquaintance of so superior and intellectual a man.
His goods are not yet for you, though in time you may make them your
own. Attend at present to your carpets and your grates; furnish your
cottage with facts from General Knowledge; a day perhaps may arrive when
you will be ready for things more abstruse, and then I'll introduce you
myself both to the Ologies and to Mr. Chemistry, which latter will, I
have no doubt, display to you all his magazine of wonders."

"Always putting off!" muttered Dick between his teeth; "always treating
one like a mere child. I shall have long enough to wait if I wait for
the introduction of slow Mr. Learning. I can do very well without it,
and shall certainly try some day whether, by putting a bold face on the
matter, I am not able to make my own way to the favour of Mr.
Chemistry!"

These last words were only overheard by Pride, for Dick had already
entered his cottage. In a few minutes more the sound of his busy hammer
told that he was already setting vigorously to work to nail down his
History carpet.

"How comparatively slowly the two other children make their way up the
hill!" said Learning, who stood watching Lubin and Nelly. "Why, the boy
has twice sat down to rest on his bundle; and now, surely my spectacles
must be at fault, can he be rolling his carpet up the hill, instead of
carrying it on his shoulder! In a fine miry state it will be by the time
that he reaches his dwelling!"

Surely enough the lazy boy was getting on with his History carpet in the
laziest of ways, pushing instead of bearing, rolling it along as if it
were a snowball, and seeming to be quite regardless of the fact that the
path was covered with mud! Have none of my readers done the same, been
content to get up a task in _any way_, however slothful and careless?

"Are you not ashamed of that?" exclaimed Mr. Learning, pointing to the
dirty roll of carpet, as Lubin gained the top of the hill.

"Oh, sir, the mud will rub off when it is dry," said the boy with an air
of unconcern; "the inner side, where the pattern is, cannot be soiled in
the least."

"Unroll it and see," said stern Mr. Learning.

Lubin slowly obeyed, and had certainly little cause to be pleased with
the condition of his new purchase. The pattern, which was full and rich,
represent