ially to the ladies.

It is true that Master James had an uncommonly comfortable opinion of
himself, a full faith that there was nothing in creation that he could
not learn and could not do; and this faith was maintained with an
abounding and triumphant joyfulness, that fairly carried your sympathies
along with him, and made you feel quite as much delighted with his
qualifications and prospects as he felt himself. There are two kinds of
self-sufficiency; one is amusing, and the other is provoking. His was
the amusing kind. It seemed, in truth, to be only the buoyancy and
overflow of a vivacious mind, delighted with every thing delightful, in
himself or others. He was always ready to magnify his own praise, but
quite as ready to exalt his neighbor, if the channel of discourse ran
that way: his own perfections being more completely within his
knowledge, he rejoiced in them more constantly; but, if those of any one
else came within the same range, he was quite as much astonished and
edified as if they had been his own.

Master James, at the time of his transit to the town of Newbury, was
only eighteen years of age; so that it was difficult to say which
predominated in him most, the boy or the man. The belief that he could,
and the determination that he would, be something in the world had
caused him to abandon his home, and, with all his worldly effects tied
in a blue cotton pocket handkerchief, to proceed to seek his fortune in
Newbury. And never did stranger in Yankee village rise to promotion with
more unparalleled rapidity, or boast a greater plurality of employment.
He figured as schoolmaster all the week, and as chorister on Sundays,
and taught singing and reading in the evenings, besides studying Latin
and Greek with the minister, nobody knew when; thus fitting for college,
while he seemed to be doing every thing else in the world besides.

James understood every art and craft of popularity, and made himself
mightily at home in all the chimney corners of the region round about;
knew the geography of every body's cider barrel and apple bin, helping
himself and every one else therefrom with all bountifulness; rejoicing
in the good things of this life, devouring the old ladies' doughnuts and
pumpkin pies with most flattering appetite, and appearing equally to
relish every body and thing that came in his way.

The degree and versatility of his acquirements were truly wonderful. He
knew all about arithmetic and histor