or to some quiet by-road, and talk over all the
doings of the week. And if Master Sunshine had done anything that
was mean or selfish, he was sure to tell about it then.

"Any boy can be good on Sunday, when his father is with him,"
explained Master Sunshine; "it's on the week-days, when there
isn't a man round, that he is most apt to get into trouble. And I
tell you the worst about me, father, so you won't think I'm a
better boy than I really am."

It was always so comforting to talk things over, even if he had
been doing wrong; for he was always sure of understanding and
sympathy and good advice.

"I often wish every boy and his father were chums like us," he
said once. "Now, when Tommy Dane gets in trouble, he is always
afraid to go to his father, and his mother is too busy to be
bothered; so he just has to go to some of the school-boys. Of
course, they don't know much better than he does; and their advice
is just as apt as not to be wrong, and poor Tommy finds himself in
worse trouble than ever.

"Only last week he burst the class foot-ball by standing on it,
and the boys said he must buy another. He had no money; but they
told him to sell something of his own, and use the money to buy
another ball. So he sent the silver mug that his aunt gave him
when he was a baby, up to town, and it sold for enough to buy a
new ball. Then the teacher wanted to know how it was that the boys
happened to have so much money, and Mrs. Dane missed the silver
mug. Mr. Dane came to the school and took Tommy home, and he was,
oh, so angry with him! He said, 'he was disgraced because his son
was a thief,'" and Master Sunshine's tone grew very indignant.

"You see, father, that if Tommy had only gone to some one like you
at the first, there would have been no trouble at all."

"And what do you think I would have advised in such a case?" asked
Mr. Norton, much interested in the little tale.

Master Sunshine looked at him wonderingly.

"Why, father," he said, "don't you remember about me breaking the
great pane of glass in the schoolhouse window? You lent me the
money to pay for having it put in, and I had to give you my
allowance for ever so long until I made it all up."

"But would Tommy's father have done as much for him?" questioned
Mr. Norton.

"If they were chums like you and me I am sure he would," answered
Master Sunshine promptly.

"And do you think Tommy did right to sell his mug?" asked Mr.
Norton, much interested