Liberality's mother now be pleased, whom so
little had pleased heretofore?

But for poor Tom it was still possible to plan, to economize, to be
liberal--and by these means to pay his debts, and save the fair name
of which he had been as reckless as of everything else which he
possessed.

Madam Liberality had had many a hard struggle to get Tom a birthday
present, but she had never pinched and planned and saved on his behalf
as she did now. There is a limit, however, to the strictest economies.
It would have taken a longer time to finish her labour of love but
for "the other boys." They were good, kind fellows, and having had to
earn daily bread where larks do not fall ready cooked into the mouth,
they knew more of the realities of life than poor Tom had ever
learned. They were prosperous now, and often sent a few pounds to
Madam Liberality "to buy a present with."

"And none of your old 'Liberality' tricks, mind!" George wrote on one
occasion. "Fit yourself thoroughly out in the latest fashions, and do
us credit!"

But it all went to Tom's tailor.

She felt hardly justified in diverting George's money from his
purpose; but she had never told the boys of Tom's debts. There was
something of her old love of doing things without help in this, and
more of her special love for Tom.

It was not from the boys alone that help came to her. Madam
Liberality's godmother died, and left her fifty pounds. In one lump
she had now got enough to finish her work.

The acknowledgments of these last payments came on Tom's birthday.
More and more courteous had grown the tradesmen's letters, and Madam
Liberality felt a foolish pleasure in seeing how respectfully they all
spoke now of "Your lamented brother, Madam!"

The jeweller's bill was the last; and when Madam Liberality tied up
the bundle, she got out Tom's locket and put a bit of his hair into
it, and tied it round her throat, sobbing as she did so, "Oh, Tom, if
you _could_ have lived and been happy in a small way! Your debts are
paid now, my poor boy. I wonder if you know. Oh, Tom, Tom!"

It was her greatest triumph--to have saved Tom's fair name in the
place where he had lived so foolishly and died so sadly.

But the triumphs of childhood cast fewer shadows. There was no one now
to say, "Three cheers for Madam Liberality!"

* * * * *

It was a very cold winter, but Madam Liberality and Jemima, the
maid-of-all-work, were warmer than they h