h the old kindly smile on his face, as he stretched out his thin
hand.

"`We'll be friends _now_, Jacob, won't we?' he said, with a twinkle in
his eye.

"I could not speak. The thought that I had brought him to this in spite
of his desire to be friendly, overwhelmed me. I could only seize his
hand, bury my face in the bed-clothes, and sob.

"`Never mind, Jacob,' he said cheerily; `I shall be all right soon, and
then we shall have the fight out--a little further from the black hole!'

"But Tom Turner did not get all right soon. He became worse and worse.
The wetting and the accident combined to throw him into a fever, which
left him to all appearance a confirmed invalid and a cripple, so that he
was obliged to give up all idea of returning to school.

"`I would not mind it so much,' he said to me, some months afterwards,
with a feeble effort to be cheery, `if it had not stopped my going to
school. You see, I had set my heart on being a learned man, and one has
not much chance of being that without a teacher. But God's will be
done. I don't grumble, Jacob, though I can't help wishing very hard
that it had been otherwise.'

"I formed a great resolve while he was speaking, but said no word about
it. I determined to apply myself, heart and soul, to study, until I
should not only reach but pass the point where Tom had left off, and
then I would become his teacher, carrying him on, step by step, as I
advanced!

"To make a long story short--I carried out my resolution. It was harder
work than I had expected, but I persevered. My love for Turner had
become intense. I felt like a high-pressure engine with extra steam on
and the safety-valve screwed down. The amazement of the boys at the
change in me may be imagined. The satisfaction of the master cannot be
imagined. I took no notice of either condition, but held on my way.
Soon I came up to Tom in learning; then shot past him; then revealed my
designs and took him in tow.

"Tom was charmed with the plan and inexpressibly grateful. When little
Spinks came to hear of it, he begged to be allowed to study along with
us in the sick-room. We agreed to this. Then Dr Tiddler was admitted,
and afterwards the Tadpole; so that our evening class flourished.

"But the best of it was, that Tom did _not_ become a confirmed invalid.
A new doctor, who came to live in our village, seemed to understand his
case better than the old one. At all events he effected an almost