She had thus learned the names of all the letters in the word Mary, and had made herself considerably familiar with the forms of them; so that she not only knew exactly what she had to do in writing the letters, but she felt a strong interest in doing it.

She, however, made extremely awkward work in her first attempts at writing the letters.

She, nevertheless, steadily persevered.

She wrote the words, first in separate letters, and then afterwards in a joined hand, again and again, going down the paper.

She found that she could write a little more easily, if not better, as she proceeded,--but still the work was very hard.