hall, now jumping the old
iron-bound tables, or carving a bit of his name on them, then joining
in some chorus of merry voices; in fact, blowing off his steam, as we
should now call it.

This process was so congenial[4] to his temper, and Arthur showed
himself so pleased at the arrangement, that it was several weeks
before Tom was ever in their study before supper. One evening,
however, he rushed in to look for an old chisel, or some corks, or
other article essential to his pursuit for the time being, and, while
rummaging about in the cupboards, looked up for a moment, and was
caught at once by the figure of poor little Arthur. The boy was
sitting with his elbows on the table, and his head leaning on his
hands, and before him an open book, on which his tears were falling
fast. Tom shut the door at once, and sat down on the sofa by Arthur,
putting his arm round his neck.

[4] #Congenial#: agreeable.

"Why, young un! what's the matter?" said he, kindly. "You aren't
unhappy, are you?"

"Oh, no, Brown," said the little boy, looking up with great tears in
his eyes; "you are so kind to me, I'm very happy."

"Why don't you call me Tom? lots of boys do that I don't like half so
much as I do you. What are you reading, then? Hang it, you must come
about with me, and not mope yourself," and Tom cast down his eyes on
the book, and saw it was the Bible. He was silent for a minute, and
thought to himself, "Lesson Number 2, Tom Brown;" and said, gently:--

"I'm very glad to see this, Arthur, and ashamed that I don't read the
Bible more myself. Do you read it every night before supper, while I'm
out?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wish you'd wait till afterward, and then we'd read together.
But, Arthur, why does it make you cry?"

"Oh, it isn't that I'm unhappy. But at home, while my father was
alive, we always read the lessons[5] after tea; and I love to read
them over now, and try to remember what he said about them. I can't
remember all, and I think I scarcely understand a great deal of what I
do remember. But it all comes back to me so fresh that I can't help
crying sometimes to think that I shall never read them again with
him."

[5] #Lessons#: here, portions of Scripture.

ARTHUR'S HOME.

Arthur had never spoken of his home before, and Tom hadn't encouraged
him to do so, as his blundering schoolboy reasoning made him think
that Arthur would be softened and less manly for thinking of home. But
now he was fairly in