"Nan! What is that letter?" I asked, pointing to A.

"Dunno, Miss."

"What is that round letter?"

"Done forgot, Miss Kitty."

"Well, what is that letter that looks like Miss Lizzy when she's
cross?"

"I disremember."

And thus it was all through the alphabet. Nan had forgotten the
whole. She could not be persuaded to try again.

"Laws, Miss Kitty," she cried. "I'se done learnt 'em onct. Does
white peoples learn 'em twicet?"

"Yes, Nan," said I. "If they forget the first time."

"Sho," said she with a queer twist of her black face. "I'd be 'shamed
to learn it twict. Ef 'twont stay in dis head first time, 'tan't no
good."

So I concluded to let the alphabet go for awhile and try spelling.

Nan learned this also quickly at first. After she had learned to
spell cat and many other words, I said, "Now, Nan, I'll teach you to