And then when he did take a start in his studies, he advanced with a
speed that astonished his teacher. At the age of twelve there was not
a girl or boy in school (and some of them were several years older than
he) who could hold his own with him. I took some credit to myself for
all this, for I believed it was largely due to the common-sense I used
in his early youth. The foundation was strong and secure, and the
building erected upon it was upon solid rock.
During the last two or three years I suffered from a great fear.
Between the school-house and our home was a mill-pond, which in many
places was fully a dozen feet deep. I knew what a temptation this was
to the boys during the long, sultry summer weather, and there was not a
day when a dozen youngsters, more or less, were not frolicking and
splashing in it.
One afternoon, when I sauntered thither, I found fully a score of them
in the height of enjoyment, and the wildest and most reckless fellow
was my Bob. When he observed me standing on the shore he was so
anxious to astonish me that he ventured into the water up to his chin,
I shouted to him to come to shore, for he was in fearful peril, and it
needed only a few inches further advance for him to drown before help
could reach him.
"Bob," said I, in a voice and manner that could not be mistaken, "if
you ever do that again I'll whip you within an inch of your life.
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