At all events, he set out to master it.
[Illustration: Edward Bok at the age of six, upon his arrival in the United States.] Edward was now confronted by a three-cornered problem.

Like all healthy boys of his age he was fond of play and eager to join the boys of his neighborhood in their pastimes after school hours.

He also wanted to help his mother, which meant the washing of dishes, cleaning the rooms in which the family then lived, and running various errands for the needed household supplies.

Then, too, he was not progressing as rapidly as he wished with his school studies, and he felt that he ought to do everything in his power to take advantage of his opportunity to get an education.
Methodically he worked out a plan which made it possible to accomplish all three objects.

He planned that on one afternoon he should go directly home from school to help his mother, and as soon as he had finished the necessary chores that would make her life easier he would be free to go out and play for the rest of that afternoon.