A penny a week's a penny a week to a poor man, but I reckon I shall have to make shift to take in those numbers myself." Isaac did not take them in, however, for I used to take ours down to his cottage, and read them aloud to him instead.

He liked this much better than if he had had to read to himself--he said he could understand reading better when he heard it than when he saw it.

For my own part I enjoyed it very much, and I fancy I read rather well, it being a point on which Mrs.Wood expended much trouble with us.
"Listen, Isaac," said I on my next visit; "this is what I meant about the barge"-- and resting the Penny Number on the arm of my chair, I read aloud to the attentive bee-master--"'Goldsmith describes from his own observation a kind of floating apiary in some parts of France and Piedmont.

They have on board of one barge, he says, threescore or a hundred beehives----'" "That's an appy-ary if ye like, sir!" ejaculated Master Isaac, interrupting his pipe and me to make way for the observation.
"Somebody saw 'a convoy of _four thousand_ hives----' on the Nile," said I.
The bee-master gave a resigned sigh.

"Go on, Master Jack," said he.
"'-- well defended from the inclemency of an accidental storm,'" I proceeded; "'and with these the owners float quietly down the stream; one beehive yields the proprietor a considerable income.