"
Grammar he saw no use for, and did not bother himself with it; but,
curiously enough, he was delighted with geography and toward the end of
the term bought a copy of Cornell's text-book, which was then used in
Maine schools.
What most interested him was to trace rivers on the maps and to learn
their names. Cities he cared nothing for; but he loved to learn about
the mountain ranges where pine and spruce grew.
"What places them would be for sawmills!" he exclaimed.
Much as he liked his new geography, however, he had grown violently
angry over the first lesson and declared with strong language that it
was all a lie! The master had read aloud to him the first lesson, which
describes the earth as one of the planets that revolve round the sun,
and which says that it is a globe or sphere, turning on its axis once in
twenty-four hours and so causing day and night.
Old Zack listened incredulously. "I don't believe a word of that!" he
declared flatly.
The master labored with him for some time, trying to convince him that
the earth is round and moves, but it was quite in vain.
"No such thing!" old Zack exclaimed. "I know better! That's the biggest
lie that ever was told!"
He quite took it to heart and continued talking about it after school.
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