t present trouble the
reader with what passed between us. Jackson appeared to be very
melancholy after the conversation we had had on religious matters, and
was frequently agitated and muttering to himself.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

I did not on the following day ask him to resume his narrative relative
to my father and mother, as I perceived that he avoided it, and I
already had so far changed, as to have consideration for his feelings.
Another point had now taken possession of my mind, which was, whether it
were possible to learn to read those books which I had found in the
chest, and this was the first question that I put to Jackson when we
arose on that morning.

"How is it possible?" replied he. "Am I not blind--how can I teach
you?"

"Is there no way?" replied I, mournfully.

"Let me think.--Yes, perhaps there is a way--at all events we will try.
You know which book I told you was the Prayer-book?"

"Oh yes! The small, thin one."

"Yes--fetch it here. Now," said he, when I put it into his hand, "tell
me; is there a straight line down the middle of the page of the book, so
that the words and letters are on both sides of it?"

"Yes, there is," replied I; "in every page, as you call it, there is a
black line down the middle, and words and letters (I suppose they are)
on both sides."

"And among the letters there are some larger than others, especially at
the side nearest to the margin."

"I don't know what margin is."

"I mean here," replied he, pointing to the margin of the page.

"Yes, there are."

"Well then, I will open the book as near as I can guess at the Morning
Service, and you tell me if you can find any part of the writing which
appears to begin with a large round letter, like--what shall I say?--the
bottom of a pannikin."

"There is one on this leaf, quite round."

"Very well--now get me a small piece of stick, and make a point to it."

I did so, and Jackson swept away a small place on the floor of the
cabin.

"Now," said he, "there are many other prayers which begin with a round
O, as the letter is called; so I must first ascertain if this one is the
one I require. If it is, I know it by heart, and by that shall be able
to teach you all the letters of the alphabet."

"What's an alphabet?"

"The alphabet is the number of letters invented to enable us to read and
write. There are twenty-six of them. Now look, Frank; is the next
letter to O the shape of this?" and he drew with th