Chapter 2

UPWARD AND ONWARD.

Winter--in school--proposition to declaim--the dialogue, "Alexander the Great and a Robber"--Nat is the robber--his reason--sympathy for the poor and unfortunate--the dialogue learned and spoken--Nat's eloquence--some boys who declaim poorly at first make orators at last--Demosthenes--Daniel Webster--Nat declaiming before visitors--the petition for shorter lessons--Nat won't sign it--Sam Drake's predicament--the teacher hears of the movement--his remarks about dull scholars--Newton, Dr. Barrows, Adam Clarke, Chatterton, Napoleon, etc.--necessity of application 17-27