As was too often the case, he was but half prepared.

The subject of the lesson was New York State.

Several of the questions put to Oscar were answered wrong, either wholly or in part.

When asked what great lakes bordered on New York, he replied: "Lake Erie and Lake Superior." When the question was given to another, and correctly answered, Oscar exclaimed: "That's what I meant--Erie and Ontario; but I was n't thinking what I said." This was somewhat of a habit with Oscar.

When he "missed" a question, he was very apt to say, after the next boy had answered it, "I knew, only I could n't think," or, "I was just going to say so." Another question put to him was, whether the water of the great New York lakes was fresh or salt.