From Canal Boy to President

aptain Letcher, complacently. "I ta

inion of learning, regarded the cana

hat," he answere

I'll ask you a few questions, and find out how much you know.

e With Dr

stions," said the boy. "I'

ousin in the different branches he had enumerated. The questions were not very hard, fo

omptly and accurately, to the in

tter p

y more question

n't think

y I ask

," answered the capt

shoemaker sent out and had changed. He paid his customer forty-five dollars in change, and the latter walked off with the boots. An hour later he ascertained th

. He lost fifty dol

t's quite right,"

back fifty dollars in good money, and

changing the bill. He received fifty dollars i

es

t his customer m

es

e dollars and a pair of boots. The other

ut it's rather puzzling at first

es

-better than I expected. Hav

t a

s that he could not answer. He began to form a new opinion of his young cousin, who, though

got ahead of me, though I didn't expect it. A boy with s

I to be do

er qualified than I am to-day, and yet

bute to his acquirements, espec

e said. "I'm too young to ke

l. You know enough, but you need more muscle. I'll tell you what I advise. Stay with me this summer-it won't do you any hurt, an

n," said James, thoughtfully. "I d

probable that the conversation which has just been detailed, and the discovery that he was quite equal in knowle

s as a canal-boy must be attended t

the boat approached the town of Akron, where there w

it, another boat had reached the same lock from the opposite direction. Now

e boat might enter the lock, when a voice was heard through the darkn

right as you,"

commenced tur

iven that it will not do to have both lower and upper gates op

d. Both boats were near the lock, their head-lights shining as bright as

upon to interfere lest the

ned to h

here first

ed the bowman, "but I'm boun

fected by the spirit of antagon

e answered, and it seemed likel

an attentive listener to what had been said. He had

apping Captain Letcher on the ar

ng to law, it does not; bu

l not," rep

n, naturally surprised at such

does not b

is remonstrance he would have stood out against the claims of the rival bo

men, "Jim is right. L

with the Evening Star, were angry. It irritated them to be obliged to give u

ee. When breakfast was cal

tter with you,

ing a

for giving up th

ours. The other boa

an. You'd better go back to the farm and chop wood or milk cows, for a man

r wrong; but James had already begun to reflect upon the immutable principles of right or wrong, and he di

n later on (we shall tell the story in due season) he showed that he was willing