on a blank sheet of foolscap, in a twinkling--a
royal bird, with a banner in his beak, on
which was inscribed "Go to ---- college," and
which the king of birds was bearing towards
the sun for advertising purposes. He could
also add a column of figures with wonderful
rapidity, and occasional accuracy! He was a
believer in lightning methods and processes
everywhere. His own education had been
wrought out on that plan. He was seeking a
fortune by the same route. He drew crowds
of boys into his school. It was through them
he made his money.

"Dodd" had much skill with a pen, as will
be remembered by his sketching Mr. Bright's
face on the board one afternoon. He took to
the practice in writing with some alacrity, but
for the rest of the work he soon did as the
others did--studied little, and in lieu of a
recitation listened to a long and disjointed talk by
"the professor." He was held to no account
for his work, and whether it was right or
wrong made little difference. He found that
his teacher would profess to know things of
which he knew he was ignorant, and, in a
word, that there was an air of shoddy, not to
say dishonesty, about the whole institution.

This did not trouble him greatly, however.