d at once to instruct them
in the art of making B. This the young learners of the alphabet found
to be somewhat more difficult of execution, but appeared to like it
none the less on that account, and, after its curves were mastered,
were much delighted with this acquisition to their stock of
accomplishments.

While this second lesson was yet in progress, Dirk and one or two
other fishermen came up from their boats, and stopped to look on, with
wonder and astonishment written on their countenances.

"I don' know," said Dirk, shaking his head as he eyed the mystic
characters traced before him; "we be all poor folk, anyhow, an' this
do beat me! Why, what be this?" he exclaimed, pointing at a letter
staring up at him from the sand at his feet.

"That be A!" said half a dozen voices at once.

"An' what be this?" said Hark Darby, pointing to a character by his
feet.

"That be B!" chorused the voices again.

The two fishermen exchanged wondering glances. "That do beat me!" said
poor Dirk, regarding the letters before him with much awe. "Ah, lad,"
turning to Noll, "my little gal w'u'd liked yer teaching, an' yer B's
an' A's, eh?" and Dirk drew his hand across his eyes.

Noll went home much encouraged after this second alphabet lesson. Time
and patience would do something for these Culm children, after all, he
thought. And could he have the patience and skill which was necessary?
"I'll try,--I'll try hard for it!" he thought, "and pray Christ to
keep me from losing my patience and courage. It's his work, and he'll
help me to teach them, and by winter there'll be something
accomplished." And of his help he had great need, for patience and
courage were often sorely tried in the days which followed, and it was
not always his pupils' obtuseness which brought the greatest strain to
bear upon them. One old fish-wife, the oldest woman in the village,
had regarded the whole plan of teaching the children as suspicious and
ill-omened.

"It be a bad day fur us, lads," she warned, standing on Dirk's
door-step among the fishermen, and looking frowningly upon Noll as he
instructed his pupils in the making of U. "It be no good fur yer chile
to be ther', Hark Darby, learnin' ye don' know what! Yes, lads, I say
it be an evil day, and ye'll find no good cum from it! I warn ye, I
warn ye!" shaking her skinny forefinger and solemnly nodding her head.
Noll's face flushed at these words, and he half resolved to go home,
and