directly, what that letter is."

"I'll tell my _mar_." Whack! "O law! O law!"

"What letter is that?"

Johnny, with his mouth open, panting, and the tears on his cheeks,
answered indignantly, "Stop till I tell Sarah."

Whack came the cane again, and a fresh burst from Johnny.

"What letter's that?"

"I won't tell," roared Johnny; "I won't tell--that I won't."

Whack--whack--whack, and a pause. "I told you before, that's the letter
B. What letter is that? Tell me directly."

Johnny, by way of reply, made a snatch at the cane. Whack--he caught
it, certainly, but not exactly as he would have wished. Johnny then
snatched up the book, and dashed it to the corner of the room. Whack,
whack. Johnny attempted to seize Mr Bonnycastle with his teeth.
Whack, whack, whack, whack; and Johnny fell on the carpet, and roared
with pain. Mr Bonnycastle then left him for a little while, to recover
himself, and sat down.

At last Johnny's exclamations settled down in deep sobs, and then Mr
Bonnycastle said to him, "Now, Johnny, you perceive that you must do as
you are bid, or else you will have more beating. Get up immediately.
Do you hear, sir?"

Somehow or another, Johnny, without intending it, stood upon his feet.

"That's a good boy; now you see, by getting up as you were bid, you have
not been beaten. Now, Johnny, you must go and bring the book from where
you threw it down. Do you hear, sir? bring it directly!"

Johnny looked at Mr Bonnycastle and the cane. With every intention to
refuse, Johnny picked up the book and laid it on the table.

"That's a good boy; now we will find the letter B. Here it is: now,
Johnny, tell me what that letter is."

Johnny made no answer.

"Tell me directly, sir," said Mr Bonnycastle, raising his cane up in
the air. The appeal was too powerful. Johnny eyed the cane; it moved,
it was coming. Breathlessly he shrieked out, "B!"

"Very well indeed, Johnny--very well. Now your first lesson is over,
and you shall go to bed. You have learned more than you think for.
To-morrow we will begin again. Now we'll put the cane by."

Mr Bonnycastle rang the bell, and desired Master Johnny to be put to
bed, in a room by himself, and not to give him any supper, as hunger
would, the next morning, much facilitate his studies. Pain and hunger
alone will tame brutes, and the same remedy must be applied to conquer
those passions in man which assimilate him with brutes. Johnny was
cond