Gutta-Percha Willie   By: George MacDonald (1824-1905)

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 ON XVIII. 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 BUD XXIII. WILLIE'S PLANS BLOSSOM XXIV. WILLIE'S PLANS BEAR FRUIT

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY ARTHUR HUGHES

WILLIE'S HORSE SHOEING FORGE (FRONTISPIECE) MRS WILSON'S STORIES WILLIE WITH THE BABY WILLIE TAKEN TO SEE A WATER WHEEL WILLIE TOLD HIS FATHER ALL ABOUT IT "THAT'S WILLIE AGAIN" WILLIE MAKES A BIRD OF AGNES WILLIE'S DREAM

Summary:

Gutta Percha Willie, the Working Genius for all reading ages. We and Willie discover the value of learning to be useful with our hands to do that which is good and before 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 him Six fingered Jack; but his real name was Willie, for his father and mother gave it him not William, but Willie, after a brother of his father, who died young, and had always been called Willie. His name in full was Willie Macmichael. It was generally pronounced Macmickle, which was, by a learned anthropologist, for certain reasons about to appear in 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 of which will also show itself by and by.

Mr Macmichael was a country doctor, living in a small village in a thinly peopled country; the first result of which was that he had very hard work, for he had often to ride many miles to see a patient, and that 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 country is 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 only preferred a country life, although he would have been glad to have richer patients, and within less distances of each other, but he would say to any one who expressed surprise that, with his reputation, he should remain where he was "What's to become of my little flock if I go away, for there are very few doctors of my experience who would feel inclined to come and undertake my work. I know every man, woman, and child in the whole country side, and that makes all the difference." You see, therefore, that he was a good kind hearted man, and loved his work, for the sake of those whom he helped by it, better than the money he received for it.