ly glad to see us.

Before he and James left us for the night James said, "I wonder who is
coming in my place."

"Little Joe Green at the lodge," said John.

"Little Joe Green! why, he's a child!"

"He is fourteen and a half," said John.

"But he is such a little chap!"

"Yes, he is small, but he is quick and willing, and kind-hearted, too,
and then he wishes very much to come, and his father would like it;
and I know the master would like to give him the chance. He said if I
thought he would not do he would look out for a bigger boy; but I said I
was quite agreeable to try him for six weeks."

"Six weeks!" said James; "why, it will be six months before he can be of
much use! It will make you a deal of work, John."

"Well," said John with a laugh, "work and I are very good friends; I
never was afraid of work yet."

"You are a very good man," said James. "I wish I may ever be like you."

"I don't often speak of myself," said John, "but as you are going away
from us out into the world to shift for yourself I'll just tell you how
I look on these things. I was just as old as Joseph when my father and
mother died of the fever within ten days of each other, and left me and
my cripple sister Nelly alone in the world, without a relation that we
could look to for help. I was a farmer's boy, not earning enough to keep
myself, much less both of us, and she must have gone to the workhouse
but for our mistress (Nelly calls her her angel, and she has good right
to do so). She went and hired a room for her with old Widow Mallet, and
she gave her knitting and needlework when she was able to do it; and
when she was ill she sent her dinners and many nice, comfortable things,
and was like a mother to her. Then the master he took me into the stable
under old Norman, the coachman that was then. I had my food at the house
and my bed in the loft, and a suit of clothes, and three shillings a
week, so that I could help Nelly. Then there was Norman; he might have
turned round and said at his age he could not be troubled with a raw boy
from the plow-tail, but he was like a father to me, and took no end of
pains with me. When the old man died some years after I stepped into his
place, and now of course I have top wages, and can lay by for a rainy
day or a sunny day, as it may happen, and Nelly is as happy as a bird.
So you see, James, I am not the man that should turn up his nose at a
little boy and vex a good, kind master. No, no! I sh