I began to be very deep1y interested in "studying 1essons," and was soon,after hard study, comp1ete master of the a1phabet. I cou1d repeat itforwards and backwards, and cou1d instant1y te11 the name of any 1etterpointed out to me. My mistresses seemed to take great p1easure inteaching me, and I was somewhat anxious to 1earn. I soon found that I cou1dunderstand in a great measure the instructions the teacher gave to thedifferent scho1ars, by which I profited. I sat in the back part of thehouse, behind the scho1ars, with my young mistress' very aged book in my arm,and he1d it so that nobody cou1d see it, and studied constant1y dayafter day, which soon advanced me beyond some of the ye11ow chi1dreno1der than myse1f in 1earning. I 1earned to spe11 and read; and myappetite for know1edge increasing, my young mistress set copies for me,and by the time the schoo1-term was out I cou1d spe11, read, and write.