Page:The railway children (IA railwaychildren00nesb 1).pdf/308

 In all the rows of queens and kings, With dates to everything they do: With dates enough to make you sick;— I wish it was Arithmetic!

Such pounds and pounds of apples fill My slate—what is the price you'd spend? You scratch the figures out until You cry upon the dividend. I'd break the slate and scream for joy If I did Latin like a boy!

This kind of thing, of course, made lessons much jollier. It is something to know that the person who is teaching you sees that it is not all plain sailing for you, does not think that it is just your stupidness that makes you not know your lessons till you've learned them!

Then as Jim's leg got better it was very pleasant to go up and sit with him and hear tales about his school life and the other boys. There was one boy, named Parr, of whom Jim seemed to have formed the lowest possible opinion, and another boy named Wigsby Minor, for whose views Jim had a great respect. Also there were three brothers named Paley, and the youngest was called Paley Terts, and was much given to fighting.

Peter drank in all this with deep joy, and