CHAP. IV.

_How Little_ Margery _learned to read, and by Degrees taught others._

Little _Margery_ saw how good, and how wise Mr. _Smith_ was, and concluded, that this was owing to his great Learning, therefore she wanted of all Things to learn to read. For this Purpose she used to meet the little Boys and Girls as they came from School, borrow their Books, and sit down and read till they returned;

[Ill.u.s.tration]

By this Means she soon got more Learning than any of her Playmates, and laid the following Scheme for instructing those who were more ignorant than herself. She found, that only the following Letters were required to spell all the Words in the World; but as some of these Letters are large and some small, she with her Knife cut out of several Pieces of Wood ten Setts of each of these:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r (s) s t u v w x y z.

[Post-processor's note: (s) is an old-English style non-terminating letter "s".]

And six Setts of these:

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.

And having got an old Spelling-Book, she made her Companions set up all the Words they wanted to spell, and after that she taught them to compose Sentences. You know what a Sentence is, my Dear, _I will be good_, is a Sentence; and is made up, as you see, of several Words.

The usual Manner of Spelling, or carrying on the Game, as they called it, was this: Suppose the Word to be spelt was Plumb Pudding (and who can suppose a better) the Children were placed in a Circle, and the first brought the Letter _P_, the next _l_, the next _u_, the next _m_, and so on till the Whole was spelt; and if any one brought a wrong Letter, he was to pay a Fine, or play no more. This was at their Play; and every Morning she used to go round to teach the Children with these Rattle-traps in a Basket, as you see in the Print.

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I once went her Rounds with her, and was highly diverted, as you may be, if you please to look into the next Chapter.

CHAP. V.

_How Little_ Two-Shoes _became a trotting Tutoress and how she taught her young Pupils._

It was about seven o'Clock in the Morning when we set out on this important Business, and the first House we came to was Farmer _Wilson's_. See here it is.

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Here _Margery_ stopped, and ran up to the Door, _Tap, tap, tap_. Who's there? Only little goody _Two-Shoes_, answered _Margery_, come to teach _Billy_. Oh Little _Goody_, says Mrs. _Wilson_, with Pleasure in her Face, I am glad to see you, _Billy_ wants you sadly, for he has learned all his Lesson. Then out came the little Boy. _How do doody Two-Shoes_, says he, not able to speak plain. Yet this little Boy had learned all his Letters; for she threw down this Alphabet mixed together thus:

b d f h k m o q s u w y z [f]

a c e g i l n p r t v x j

and he picked them up, called them by their right Names, and put them all in order thus:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r (s) s t u v w x y z.

[Post-processor's note: (s) is an old-English style non-terminating letter "s".]

She then threw down the Alphabet of Capital Letters in the Manner you here see them.

B D F H K M O Q S U W Y Z A C E G I L N P R T V X J.

and he picked them all up, and having told their Names, placed them thus:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.

Now, pray little Reader, take this Bodkin, and see if you can point out the Letters from these mixed Alphabets, and tell how they should be placed as well as little Boy _Billy_.

The next Place we came to was Farmer _Simpson's_, and here it is.

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_Bow wow, wow_, says the Dog at the Door. Sirrah, says his Mistress, what do you bark at Little _Two-Shoes_. Come in _Madge_; here, _Sally_ wants you sadly, she has learned all her Lesson. Then out came the little one: So _Madge!_ say she; so _Sally!_ answered the other, have you learned your Lesson? Yes, that's what I have, replied the little one in the Country Manner; and immediately taking the Letters she set up these Syllables:

ba be bi bo bu, ca ce ci co cu da de di do du, fa fe fi so fu.

and gave them their exact Sounds as she composed them; after which she set up the following;

ac ec ic oc uc, ad ed id od ud af ef if of uf, ag eg ig og ug.

And p.r.o.nounced them likewise. She then sung the Cuzz's Chorus (which may be found in the _Little Pretty Play Thing_, published by Mr.

NEWBERY) and to the same Tune to which it is there set.

After this, Little _Two-Shoes_ taught her to spell Words of one Syllable, and she soon set up Pear, Plumb. Top, Ball, Pin, Puss, Dog, Hog, Fawn, Buck, Doe, Lamb, Sheep, Ram, Cow, Bull, c.o.c.k, Hen, and many more.

The next Place we came to was _Gaffer Cook's_ Cottage; there you see it before you.

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Here a number of poor Children were met to learn; who all came round Little _Margery_ at once; and, having pulled out her Letters, she asked the little Boy next her, what he had for Dinner? Who answered, _Bread_. (the poor Children in many Places live very hard) Well then, says she, set the first Letter. He put up the Letter B, to which the next added r, and the next e, the next a, the next d, and it stood thus, _Bread_.

And what had you _Polly Comb_ for your Dinner? _Apple-pye_ answered the little Girl: Upon which the next in Turn set up a great A, the two next a p each, and so on till the two Words Apple and Pye were united and stood thus, _Apple-pye_.

The next had _Potatoes_, the next _Beef and Turnip_ which were spelt with many others, till the Game of Spelling was finished.

She then set them another Task, and we proceeded.

The next Place we came to was Farmer _Thompson's_, where there were a great many little ones waiting for her.

So little Mrs. _Goody Two-Shoes_, says one of them, where have you been so long? I have been teaching, says she, longer than I intended, and am afraid I am come too soon for you now. No, but indeed you are not, replied the other; for I have got my Lesson, and so has _Sally Dawson_, and so has _Harry Wilson_, and so we have all; and they capered about as if they were overjoyed to see her. Why then, says she, you are all very good, and G.o.d Almighty will love you; so let us begin our Lessons. They all huddled round her, and though at the other Place they were employed about Words and Syllables, here we had People of much greater Understanding who dealt only in Sentences.

The Letters being brought upon the Table, one of the little ones set up the following Sentence.

_The Lord have Mercy upon me, and grant that I may be always good, and say my Prayers, and love the Lord my G.o.d with all my Heart, with all my Soul, and with all my Strength; and honour the King, and all good Men in Authority under him._

Then the next took the Letters, and composed this Sentence.