The Bobbin Boy

The patch of squashes-counting chickens before they are

hatched-ifs-ducks, and the bright side-explanation-hopeful

Nat-Nathaniel Bowditch-Sir Humphrey Davy-Buxton-benefit

of hopefulness-the squashes coming up-Frank Martin-"all

play and no work"-Ben Drake-scene when Nat was four

years old-"thinking on his own hook"-men of mark think

for themselves-"niggers' work"-great men not ashamed of

useful work-the harvest-day-Frank's surprise-Nat as a peddler-his

sister-his drawings-Samuel Budgett, Dr. Kitto,

and the rich merchant peddling-"creep before you can walk"-the

errand-boy and his success-what his culture of squashes

shows 1-17

Winter-in school-proposition to declaim-the dialogue, "Alexander

the Great and a Robber"-Nat is the robber-his reason-sympathy

for the poor and unfortunate-the dialogue learned

and spoken-Nat's eloquence-some boys who declaim poorly

at first make orators at last-Demosthenes-Daniel Webster-Nat

declaiming before visitors-the petition for shorter lessons-Nat

won't sign it-Sam Drake's predicament-the teacher hears

of the movement-his remarks about dull scholars-Newton,

Dr. Barrows, Adam Clarke, Chatterton, Napoleon, etc.-necessity

of application 17-27

The bright summer-time-sport at Frank's-the dog "Trip"

playing hy-spy-the boys hiding-Trip finding them-the result

of the first game-the second game-the court scene-talk

about it with Sylvester Jones-Nat goes to court-the prisoners

are two of his schoolmates-his sympathy for them-examination

of witnesses-the remarks of the justice-Nat proposes to

plead their case-the sensation and result-what was said of

it-another instance of Nat's sympathy-what it

foreshadowed-Howard-Wilberforce-Buxton 28-37