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Gutta Percha Willie: the Working Genius
BY
GEORGE MACDONALD
With eight black and white illustrations by Arthur Hughes
[Illustration: WILLIE'S HORSE-SHOEING FORGE.]
CONTENTS
I. WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE WAS II. WILLIE'S EDUCATION III. HE IS TURNED INTO SOMETHING HE NEVER WAS BEFORE IV. HE SERVES AN APPRENTICESHIP V. HE GOES TO LEARN A TRADE VI. HOW WILLIE LEARNED TO READ BEFORE HE KNEW HIS LETTERS VII. SOME THINGS THAT CAME OF WILLIE'S GOING TO SCHOOL VIII. WILLIE DIGS AND FINDS WHAT HE DID NOT EXPECT IX. A MARVEL X. A NEW ALARUM XI. SOME OF THE SIGHTS WILLIE SAW XII. A NEW SCHEME XIII. WILLIE'S NEST IN THE RUINS XIV. WILLIE'S GRANDMOTHER XV. HYDRAULICS XVI. HECTOR HINTS AT A DISCOVERY XVII. HOW WILLIE WENT ONXVIII. WILLIE'S TALK WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER XIX. A TALK WITH MR SHEPHERD XX. HOW WILLIE DID HIS BEST TO MAKE A BIRD OF AGNES XXI. HOW AGNES LIKED BEING A BIRD XXII. WILLIE'S PLANS BUDXXIII. WILLIE'S PLANS BLOSSOM XXIV. WILLIE'S PLANS BEAR FRUIT
ILLUSTRATIONS
BYARTHUR HUGHES
WILLIE'S HORSE-SHOEING FORGE (FRONTISPIECE)MRS WILSON'S STORIESWILLIE WITH THE BABYWILLIE TAKEN TO SEE A WATER-WHEELWILLIE TOLD HIS FATHER ALL ABOUT IT"THAT'S WILLIE AGAIN"WILLIE MAKES A BIRD OF AGNESWILLIE'S DREAM
Summary:
Gutta Percha Willie, the Working Geniusfor all reading ages. We and Williediscover the value of learning to be usefulwith our hands to do that which is good andbefore us.
Reading Level: for all reading ages.
THE HISTORY OF GUTTA-PERCHA WILLIE.
CHAPTER I.
WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE WAS.
When he had been at school for about three weeks, the boys called himSix-fingered Jack; but his real name was Willie, for his father andmother gave it him—not William, but Willie, after a brother of hisfather, who died young, and had always been called Willie. His name infull was Willie Macmichael. It was generally pronounced Macmickle, whichwas, by a learned anthropologist, for certain reasons about to appearin this history, supposed to have been the original form of the name,dignified in the course of time into Macmichael. It was his own father,however, who gave him the name of Gutta-Percha Willie, the reason ofwhich will also show itself by and by.
Mr Macmichael was a country doctor, living in a small village in athinly-peopled country; the first result of which was that he had veryhard work, for he had often to ride many miles to see a patient, andthat not unfrequently in the middle of the night; and the second that,for this hard work, he had very little pay, for a thinly-peopled countryis generally a poor country, and those who live in it are poor also,and cannot spend much even upon their health. But the doctor not onlypreferred a country life, although he would have been glad to havericher patients, and within less distances of each other, but he wouldsay to any one who expressed surprise that, with his reputation, heshould remain where he was—"What's to become of my little flock if Igo away, for there are very few doctors of my experience who would feelinclined to come and undertake my work. I know eve