But he soon learned how to roll a hoop and play tag and ball and yard off and how to run like a horse when I sat on his shoulders.

It was rather hard on him, after his work in the fields, but he felt his responsibility and applied himself with due diligence and became a very promising child.

I also gave strict attention to his talent for story-telling.

It improved rapidly.

Being frank in my criticism he was able to profit by all his failures in taste and method, so that each story had a fierce bear in it and a fair amount of growling by and by.