room, near a window. She came forward to look at the letter. "Yes, Jonas," said she, "you write beautifully. I wish you'd teach me to write like that." "Very well," said Jonas, "that I can do." "How can you do it?" said Isabella. "Why, we can have an evening school, these long evenings," replied Jonas. "You get through your spinning in time to have half an hour for school before bed-time." "Half an hour wouldn't be enough," said Amos. "O, yes," replied Jonas; "half an hour every day will amount to a great deal in three months." "Yes," said the farmer, "that's a very good plan; you shall have an evening school, and Jonas shall teach you;--an excellent plan." "What shall we study?" said Isabella. "Whatever you want to learn," replied Jonas. "You say you want to learn to write; that will do for one thing." "And I want to learn more arithmetic," said Amos. "Very well," said Jonas. "We'll have an evening school, half an hour every evening, beginning at eight o'clock. Have you got any school-books in the house, Isabella?" Isabella said there were some on a shelf up stairs. "Well," said Jonas, "bring them to me, and I'll look over them, and form a plan." Isabella brought Jonas the school-books, and he looked them over, but said nothing then about his plan. He reflected upon the subject until the next day, because he did not wish to propose any thing to them, until it was well matured. The next evening, at eight o'clock, Isabella put up her spinning, and took a seat by the fire, to hear Jonas's plan. Amos sat by a table at the back side of the room. The farmer's wife was sitting upon the settle, knitting; and the farmer himself was asleep in his arm-chair, at the opposite corner. "Now," said Jonas, "I like the plan of having an evening school, and I am willing to be either teacher or pupil; only, if I am teacher, I must _direct_, and you must both do as I say."