▁later ▁years ▁wrote ▁of ▁her ▁daughter , ▁" I ▁once ▁indeed ▁knew ▁a ▁little ▁girl ▁who ▁was ▁as ▁eager ▁to ▁learn ▁as ▁her ▁instruct ors ▁could ▁be ▁to ▁teach ▁her , ▁and ▁who ▁at ▁two ▁years ▁old ▁could ▁read ▁sentences ▁and ▁little ▁stories ▁in ▁her ▁wise ▁book , ▁round ly , ▁without ▁sp elling ; ▁and ▁in ▁half ▁a ▁year ▁more ▁could ▁read ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁most ▁women ; ▁but ▁I ▁never ▁knew ▁such ▁another , ▁and ▁I ▁believe ▁never ▁shall ." ▁ ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁brother , ▁John ▁A ik in , ▁described ▁their ▁father ▁as ▁" the ▁best ▁parent , ▁the ▁wis est ▁coun s ell or , ▁the ▁most ▁affection ate ▁friend , ▁every ▁thing ▁that ▁could ▁command ▁love ▁and ▁v ener ation ". ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁father ▁prompt ed ▁many ▁such ▁t ributes , ▁although ▁Lucy ▁A ik in ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁excess ively ▁mod est ▁and ▁reserved . ▁Bar ba uld ▁developed ▁a ▁strong ▁bond ▁with ▁her ▁only ▁sib ling ▁during ▁child hood , ▁standing ▁in ▁as ▁a ▁mother ▁figure ▁to ▁him ; ▁they ▁eventually ▁became ▁literary ▁partners . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁Jo anna ▁Ba ill ie ▁commented ▁of ▁their ▁relationship : ▁" How ▁few ▁brothers ▁and ▁sister s ▁have ▁been ▁to ▁one ▁another ▁what ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁through ▁so ▁long ▁a ▁course ▁of ▁years !" ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 8 , ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁W arr ington ▁Academy , ▁half way ▁between ▁the ▁growing ▁industrial ▁cities