and if it looks right nice, I'll give you an orange."

"What shall I do with dis yer book, then, Miss Mely?" hastily asked Tidy,
as she stooped to pick up the book, and felt herself trembling
all over that she had dared to put her fingers upon it.

"That? Oh, that's no good; throw it away,--we never use it now,--
or keep it yourself, if you want to," said she, after a second thought.

It was done. The book was quickly deposited in a safe place, and the
clearing up proceeded rapidly. The orange was a small consideration;
for had she not got a book, her heart's desire, and now she could
learn to read.

She could learn all alone; she would be her own teacher.
If she got into a very narrow place she would get Uncle Simon
to help her out. No one else on the estate knew how to read,
and he didn't know much, but no doubt he could be of some assistance.
Such was Tidy's inward plan.

After this, the little girl might have been seen every evening
stretched at full length on the cabin floor, her head towards
the fireplace, where the choicest pine knots were kindled
into a cheerful blaze, with her spelling-book open before her.
She was "clambering" up the rough way of knowledge.

Did she accomplish her purpose? To be sure she did. Little reader,
did you ever make up your mind to do any thing and fail?
There's an old proverb that says, "Where there's a will there's a way;"
and this is true. Resolution and energy, patience and perseverance,