d told him one or two stories out of the Bible, showing
him the pictures. At night Hannah carried him home, and he went warm
and comfortable to bed.

"Mrs. Lovel grew every day fonder of little Marten; and, as the little
boy promised, he went to Mrs. Lovel's at breakfast, dinner, and supper;
and Mrs. Lovel took the same care of him as his mother would have done,
had she been living. She took charge of his clothes, mending them when
they wanted it; prepared warm and soft woollen stockings for him,
procured him a great-coat to wear in school, and got him some thick
shoes to play in. She also would see that he learned his lessons well
every day, to carry up to his master: she then practised him in reading
out of school hours, so that it was surprising how quickly he now got
on with his books. But the best of all was, that Mrs. Lovel from day to
day gave such holy teaching to little Marten as was best adapted to
make him a good man in after-life; and God blessed her teaching, and
the boy soon became all that she could desire.

"A little before Christmas, Squire Broom came over to Ashford to see
little Marten, and determined in his own mind, if he saw the child
unwell, or not happy, to take him home and bring him up amongst his own
children; for Mrs. Broom had said that she thought little Marten almost
too young to be at a public school, without a friend near him. Marten
was standing in Mrs. Lovel's parlour window, which looked into the
churchyard, when he saw Squire Broom's one-horse chaise draw up to the
school-house door. Without speaking a word, he ran downstairs, and
across the churchyard; and, taking Squire Broom's hand, as he stepped
out of the chaise:

"'I have got another mother, sir,' he said, 'a very good mother; and I
love her with all my heart; and her name is Lovel; and you must come to
see her.'

"'Why, my little man,' said Squire Broom, 'you look very well, and
quite fat.'

"When Squire Broom heard from the master what a kind friend Marten had
found, and was told by all his friends in Ashford what a worthy woman
Mrs. Lovel was (everybody in Ashford knew Mrs. Lovel's good character),
he was very much pleased on little Marten's account, and said his poor
mother's prayers were now answered.

"Little Marten could not be contented till he had brought Squire Broom
to see Mrs. Lovel, and to drink tea with her. During this visit, Mrs.
Lovel asked Mr. Broom if Marten might spend his Christmas holidays with
her