“Yes,” said Marco, “I can do that.”

“The next half-hour is for writing,” said Forester.  “I will set you some copies.”

So Forester took a writing-book, which he had prepared, and wrote Marco some copies, one on the top of each page.  Marco looked over him while he wrote.  It is very important that a child should see his teacher write his copies, for thus he will see how the letters should be formed.  Forester wrote four or five copies for Marco, and while he was writing them he gave him particular instructions about the manner of holding his pen, and shaping the letters.

“Now,” said Forester, “you can not possibly have occasion to come to me about your writing; for here are pages enough for you to write upon for several days, and you have plenty of pens.”

“But I should think you would want to see whether I write it well,” said Marco.

“I shall examine it carefully to-morrow morning,” said Forester.

“Very well,” said Marco; “after the writing will come the recess.”

“Yes,” said Forester, “and then the reading.”

“What shall I read?” asked Marco.

Forester then rose and went to one of the book-shelves, where there was a set of books, entitled the American Encyclopedia.  There were thirteen octavo volumes in the set.  It was rather too high for Marco to reach it, and so Forester took all the volumes down and placed them on a lower shelf, not far from the window, in a place where Marco could get easy access to them.

“There,” said Forester; “there is your library.  The American Encyclopedia is a sort of a dictionary.  When your reading hour comes, you may take down any volume of this Encyclopedia, and turn to any article you please.  Or you may think of any subject that you would like to read about, as for instance, boat, cannon, camel, eagle, trout, horse, or any other subject, and take down the proper volume and find the article.  You can find it by the letters which are printed on the backs of the volumes.”

“Let us look now,” said Marco, “and see what it says about trouts.”

“No, not now,” replied Forester; “when your reading hour comes, you may read what you choose.  Only you must have a piece of paper at hand, and write upon it the title of every article which you read, and show it to me the next morning, because I shall wish to know what you have been reading, and perhaps to question you about it.  Now you understand your work, do you not?”

“Yes,” said Marco; “and what are you going to do?”

“O, I’m going to study my law-books.”

“Shall you stay here and study?”

“Yes,” replied Forester, “I shall be here most of the time.  Sometimes I shall be called into the other room, perhaps, on business with my lather; but that need not make any difference with you.”

“Only, then there will be nobody to watch me,” said Marco.

“O, I shall not watch you any, even when I am here.  I shall pay no attention to you at all.  I can judge to-morrow morning, when I come to look at your work and give you new instructions, whether you have been industrious or not.