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letter?”
    â€œYes,” replied Johnny, turning his eyes away, and picking his fingers.
    â€œWell, that is the letter B. Do you see it? look at it, so that you may know it again. That’s the letter B. Now tell me what letter that is?”
    Jack now determined to resist, so he made no answer.
    â€œSo you cannot tell; well, then, we will try what one of these little fellows will do,” said Mr Bonnycastle, taking down a cane. “Observe, Johnny, that’s the letter B. Now, what letter is that? Answer me directly.”
    â€œI won’t learn to read and write.”
    Whack came the cane on Johnny’s shoulders, who burst out into a roar as he writhed with pain.
    Mr Bonnycastle waited a few seconds. “That’s the letter B. Now tell me, sir, directly, what that letter is?”
    â€œI’ll tell my mar .” Whack! “O law! O law!”
    â€œWhat letter is that?”
    Johnny, with his mouth open, panting, and the tears on his cheeks, answered, indignantly, “Stop till I tell Sarah.”
    Whack came the cane again, and a fresh burst from Johnny.
    â€œWhat letter’s that?”
    â€œI won’t tell,” roared Johnny; “I won’t tell—that I won’t.”
    Whack—whack—whack, and a pause. “I told you before, that’s the letter B. What letter is that? Tell me directly.”
    Johnny, by way of reply, made a snatch at the cane. Whack—he caught it, certainly, but not exactly as he would have wished. Johnny then snatched up the book and dashed it to the corner of the room. Whack, whack. Johnny attempted to seize Mr Bonnycastle with his teeth. Whack, whack, whack, whack; and Johnny fell on the carpet, and roared with pain. Mr Bonnycastle then left him for a little while, to recover himself, and sat down.
    At last Johnny’s exclamations settled down in deep sobs, and then Mr Bonnycastle said to him, “Now, Johnny, you perceive that you must do as you are bid, or else you will have more beating. Get up immediately. Do you hear, sir?”
    Somehow or another, Johnny, without intending it, stood upon his feet.
    â€œThat’s a good boy; now you see, by getting up as you were bid, you have not been beaten. Now, Johnny, you must go and bring the book from where you threw it down. Do you hear, sir? bring it directly!”
    Johnny looked at Mr Bonnycastle and the cane. With every intention to refuse, Johnny picked up the book and laid it on the table.
    â€œThat’s a good boy; now we will find the letter B. Here it is: now, Johnny, tell me what that letter is?”
    Johnny made no answer.
    â€œTell me directly, sir,” said Mr Bonnycastle, raising his cane up in the air. The appeal was too powerful. Johnny eyed the cane; it moved, it was coming. Breathlessly he shrieked out, “B!”
    â€œVery well indeed, Johnny—very well. Now your first lesson is over, and you shall go to bed. You have learnt more than you think for. To-morrow we will begin again. Now we’ll put the cane by.”
    Mr Bonnycastle rang the bell, and desired Master Johnny to be put to bed, in a room by himself, and not to give him any supper, as hunger would, the next morning, much facilitate his studies. Pain and hunger alone will tame brutes, and the same remedy must be applied to conquer those passions in man which assimilate him with brutes. Johnny was conducted to bed, although it was but six o’clock. He was not only in pain, but his ideas were confused; and no wonder, after all his life having been humoured and indulged—never punished until the day before. After all the caresses of his mother and Sarah, which he never knew the value of—after stuffing himself all day long, and being tempted to eat till he turned away in satiety, to find himself without his mother, without Sarah, without supper—covered with wheals, and, what was worse than all, without his own way. No wonder Johnny was confused; at the same