pleased at Tom's confidence in her power. When the
bleeding was partly stopped, he asked her to find him a bit of rag, and
she scrambled under the dresser for a little piece she had hidden there
the day before. Meanwhile, Johnny ceased crying, he was so interested in
all the preparation for dressing his little wound, and so much pleased
to find himself an object of so much attention and consequence. The
baby, too, sat on the floor, gravely wondering at the commotion; and
thus busily occupied, they were quiet and out of mischief till Ann Jones
came in, and, having hung out her clothes, and finished that morning's
piece of work, she was ready to attend to her children in her rough,
hasty kind of way.

[Illustration p. 220: The Cut Finger.]

"Well! I'm sure, Tom, you've tied it up as neatly as I could have done.
I wish I'd always such an one as you to see after the children; but you
must run off now, lad, your mother was calling you as I came in, and I
said I'd send you--good-by, and thank you."

As Tom was going away, the baby, sitting in square gravity on the floor,
but somehow conscious of Tom's gentle helpful ways, put up her mouth to
be kissed; and he stooped down in answer to the little gesture, feeling
very happy, and very full of love and kindliness.

After breakfast, his mother told him it was school time, and he must set
off, as she did not like him to run in out of breath and flurried, just
when the schoolmaster was going to begin; but she wished him to come in
decently and in order, with quiet decorum, and thoughtfulness as to what
he was going to do. So Tom got his cap and his bag, and went off with
a light heart, which I suppose made his footsteps light, for he found
himself above half way to school while it wanted yet a quarter to the
time. So he slackened his pace, and looked about him a little more than
he had been doing. There was a little girl on the other side of the
street carrying a great big basket, and lugging along a little child
just able to walk; but who, I suppose, was tired, for he was crying
pitifully, and sitting down every two or three steps. Tom ran across the
street, for, as perhaps you have found out, he was very fond of babies,
and could not bear to hear them cry.

"Little girl, what is he crying about? Does he want to be carried? I'll
take him up, and carry him as far as I go alongside of you."

So saying, Tom was going to suit the action to the word; but the baby
did not choose t