and the rhymes too, helped him occasionally to the pronunciation of a
word.

The farther he got on, the faster he got on; and before six weeks were
over, he could read anything he was able to understand pretty well at
sight.

By this time, also, he understood all the particulars as to how a shoe
is made, and had indeed done a few stitches himself, a good deal of
hammering both of leather and of hob-nails, and a little patching, at
which last the smallness of his hands was an advantage.

At length, one day, he said to the shoemaker--

"Shall I read a little poem to you, Hector?"

"You told me you couldn't read, Willie."

"I can now though."

"Do then," said Hector.

Looking for but a small result in such a short time, he was considerably
astonished to find how well the boy could read; for he not merely gave
the words correctly, but the sentences, which is far more difficult;
that is, he read so that Hector could understand what the writer meant.
It is a great thing to read well. Few can. Whoever reads aloud and does
not read well, is a sort of deceiver; for he pretends to introduce one
person to another, while he misrepresents him.