o be the basket-maker's servant. When they were recalled, the
rich man, having acquired wisdom by his misfortunes, not only treated
the basket-maker as a friend during the rest of his life, but employed
his riches in relieving the poor.

_II.--Gentleman Tommy Learns to Read_

From this time forward Mr. Barlow and his two pupils used to work in
their garden every morning; and when they were fatigued they retired to
the summer-house, where Harry, who improved every day in reading, used
to entertain them with some pleasant story. Then Harry went home for a
week, and the morning after, when Tommy expected that Mr. Barlow would
read to him as usual, he found to his great disappointment, that
gentleman was busy and could not. The same thing happening the next day
and the day after, Tommy said to himself, "Now, if I could but read like
Harry, I should not need to ask anybody to do it for me." So when Harry
returned, Tommy took an early opportunity of asking him how he came to
be able to read.

"Why," said Harry, "Mr. Barlow taught me my letters; and then, by
putting syllables together, I learnt to read."

"And could you not show me my letters?" asked Tommy.

"Very willingly," was Harry's reply. And the lessons proceeded so well
that Tommy, who learned the whole alphabet at the very first lesson, at
the end of two months was able to read aloud to Mr. Barlow "The History
of the Two Dogs," which shows how vain it is to expect courage in those
who lead a life of indolence and repose, and that constant exercise and
proper discipline are frequently able to change contemptible characters
into good ones.

Later, Harry read the story of Androcles and the Lion, and asked how it
was that one person should be the servant of another and bear so much
ill-treatment.

"As to that," said Tommy, "some folks are born gentlemen, and then they
must command others; and some are born servants, and they must do as
they are bid." And he recalled how the black men and women in Jamaica
had to wait upon him, and how he used to beat them when he was angry.
But when Mr. Barlow asked him how these people came to be slaves, he
could only say that his father had bought them, and that he was born a
gentleman.

"Then," said Mr. Barlow, "if you were no longer to have a fine house,
nor fine clothes, nor a great deal of money, somebody that had all these
things might make you a slave, and use you ill, and do whatever he liked
with you."

Seeing tha