come and see
him."

Ned's grandmother promised that she would; and then Tom told Ned that
Farmer Tomkyns had very kindly said he would employ Robert, his younger
brother, in place of himself.

"I am glad to hear it," said Ned.

"And so am I," said his grandmother. "It will be a great help to your
father, Tom, to have you taken quite off his hands, and one of your
brothers employed also."

Tom then said he had heard that Fred Morris had been caught stealing
some faggots, and taken before the magistrates, who had sent him to
prison.

The next day Farmer Tomkyns told Ned that in consequence of his good
behaviour since he had been in his service, he was going to raise his
wages.

"Now," said he to himself, "I shall very soon, I trust, be able to get
grandmother a cloak with my own earnings."

This thought, and the prospect of having another apricot tree, made him
feel happy; and so he told his grandmother.

"But, granny," added he, "do you know there is something that makes me
feel happier still than the thought of the cloak or the apricot tree
either; and that is poor Tom's good fortune, and"----

He stopped and hesitated.

"What were you going to say, my dear?" inquired his grandmother.

"And knowing that his good fortune is partly owing to me, I was going
to have said, grandmother," answered Ned, blushing; "only it sounds
like praising myself."

"It is very natural that you should feel glad at this, my dear boy,"
rejoined his grandmother, smiling kindly; "for there is no pleasure so
great as that we feel when conscious of having contributed to the
welfare and happiness of a fellow-creature."

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

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