cked the dictionary and the geography of
the world on a chair, and lifted Billy beside him. He heaped a plate
generously, cut the food, put a fork into Billy's little fist, and made
him eat slowly and properly. Billy did his best. Occasionally greed
overcame him, and he used his left hand to pop a bite into his mouth
with his fingers. These lapses Wesley patiently overlooked, and went on
with his general instructions. Luckily Billy did not spill anything
on his clothing or the cloth. After supper Wesley took him to the barn
while he finished the night work. Then he went and sat beside Margaret
on the front porch. Billy appropriated the hammock, and swung by pulling
a rope tied around a tree. The very energy with which he went at the
work of swinging himself appealed to Wesley.

"Mercy, but he's an active little body," he said. "There isn't a lazy
bone in him. See how he works to pay for his fun."

"There goes his foot through it!" cried Margaret. "Wesley, he shall not
ruin my hammock."

"Of course he shan't!" said Wesley. "Wait, Billy, let me show you."

Thereupon he explained to Billy that ladies wearing beautiful white
dresses sat in hammocks, so little boys must not put their dusty feet in
them. Billy immediately sat, and allowed his feet to swing.

"Margaret," said Wesley after a long silence on the porch, "isn't it
true that if Billy had been a half-starved sore cat, dog, or animal of
any sort, that you would have pitied, and helped care for it, and been
glad to see me get any pleasure out of it I could?"

"Yes," said Margaret coldly.

"But because I brought a child with an immortal soul, there is no
welcome."

"That isn't a child, it's an animal."

"You just said you would have welcomed an animal."

"Not a wild one. I meant a tame beast."

"Billy is not a beast!" said Wesley hotly. "He is a very dear little
boy. Margaret, you've always done the church-going and Bible reading for
this family. How do you reconcile that 'Suffer little children to come
unto Me' with the way you are treating Billy?"

Margaret arose. "I haven't treated that child. I have only let him
alone. I can barely hold myself. He needs the hide tanned about off
him!"

"If you'd cared to look at his body, you'd know that you couldn't find a
place to strike without cutting into a raw spot," said Wesley. "Besides,
Billy has not done a thing for which a child should be punished. He is
only full of life, no training, and with a boy's lo