a reward for the boy's honesty, she gave him eighty pounds English
money. John's next difficulty was what to do with it. The captain
advised him to lay it out in hides, which would be valuable in England.
He did so, and on arriving at Hull, they brought one hundred and fifty
pounds.

John had not forgotten his mother. The captain gave him leave of absence
for a time, and taking a portion of his money with him, he started for
his native village. When he arrived there, he made his way to her house
with a beating heart. Each object told him it was home, and brought
bygone days to his mind. On coming to the house he saw it was closed. He
thought she might be dead; and as he slowly opened the gate and walked
up the path and looked about, his heart was ready to break. A neighbor
seeing him, said, "Ah, John, is that you?" and quickly told him that his
mother still lived--but as she had no means of support, she had gone to
the poor house. John went to the place, found his mother, and soon made
her comfortable in her own cottage. The sailor boy afterwards became
mate of the same vessel in which he first left the quay at Yarmouth.

NO PAY--NO WORK.

"Little boy, will you help a poor old man up the hill with this load?"
said an old man, who was drawing a hand cart with a bag of corn for the
mill.

"I can't," said the boy, "I am in a hurry to be at school."

As the old man sat on the stone, resting himself, he thought of his
youthful days, and of his friends now in the grave; the tears began to
fall, when John Wilson came along, and said,--"Shall I help you up the
hill with your load, sir?" The old man brushed his eyes with his coat
sleeve, and replied, "I should be glad to have you." He arose and took
the tongue of his cart, while John pushed behind. When they ascended the
top of the hill, the old man thanked the lad for his kindness. In
consequence of this John was ten minutes too late at school. It was
unusual for him to be late, as he was known to be punctual and prompt;
but as he said nothing to the teacher about the cause of his being late,
he was marked for not being in season.

After school, Hanson, the first boy, said to John, "I suppose you
stopped to help old Stevenson up the hill with his corn."

"Yes," replied John, "the old man was tired and I thought I would give
him a lift."

"Well, did you get your pay for it?" said Hanson, "for I don't work for
nothing."

"Nor do I," said John; "I didn't help h