ined for her a great deal of that kind of respect which
worldly prosperity always commands. The store-keepers were anxious to
have her custom. Those who had money to lend were always very ready to
let her have it, if at any time she wished to make up a sum for a new
investment: and all the ladies of the village were willing that their
daughters should go out to her little farm to visit Bella, and to
have Bella visit them in return. Thus Mary Erskine found that she was
becoming quite an important personage.

Her plan of teaching herself and her children succeeded perfectly. By
the time that she had thoroughly learned to write her own name, she
knew half of the letters of the alphabet, for her name contained
nearly that number. She next learned to write her children's names,
Bella Forester and Albert Forester. After that, she learned to write
the names of all the months, and to read them when she had written
them. She chose the names of the months, next after the names of
her own family, so that she might be able to date her letters if she
should ever have occasion to write any.

Mary Bell set copies for her, when she came out to see her, and Mary
Erskine went on so much faster than Bella, that she could teach her
very well. She required Bella to spend an hour at her studies every
day. Thomas made a little desk for her, and her mother bought her a
slate and a pencil, and in process of time an arithmetic, and other
books. As soon as Mary Erskine could read fluently, Mary Bell used to
bring out books to her, containing entertaining stories. At first Mary
Bell would read these stories to her once, while she was at her work,
and then Mary Erskine, having heard Mary Bell read them, could read
them herself in the evening without much difficulty. At length she
made such progress that she could read the stories herself alone, the
first time, with very little trouble.

Thus things went on in a very pleasant and prosperous manner, and this
was the condition of Mary Erskine and of her affairs, at the time when
Malleville and Phonny went to pay her their visit, as described in the
first chapter of this volume.

CHAPTER X.

THE VISIT TO MARY ERSKINE'S.

Malleville and Phonny arrived at Mary Erskine's about an hour after
Beechnut left them. They met with no special adventures by the way,
except that when they reached the great pine-tree, Phonny proposed to
climb up, for the purpose of examining a small bunch which he saw