welcome guest. Uncle Nathan never felt right after
his removal from the position of guardian of his nephew. The care of
the money was taken from him, and he was deprived of the profits he
derived from boarding and clothing his ward. He realized that money had
been taken out of his pocket by the spirited conduct of Levi; and
taking money out of the miser's pocket was the sorest injury that could
be inflicted upon him.

But Levi behaved like a Christian. He did not forget that his uncle and
aunt lived in that old and dilapidated house, and he did his best to
keep the peace with them. In the most literal manner he returned good
for evil. It is true he could not respect his uncle, or get up a very
warm regard for him,--he was too mean, selfish, and unprincipled to win
the respect and regard of any decent person,--but he could treat him
with Christian kindness.

Mr. Gayles, since he had been Levi's guardian, had, by the advice of
Mr. Watson, given his ward a regular allowance of five dollars a week
for pocket money, independent of his actual expenses for clothing
himself. This money was spent in books, in improvements on The Starry
Flag, in charity, and for other proper purposes. Not a cent of it ever
went to the keeper of a grog-shop, billiard-saloon, or other place
which a young man should avoid; but not a little of it, in one way and
another, found its way into the comfortless abode of uncle Nathan.

Though his aunt, by the force of circumstances, had become almost as
mean as her husband, she was not a bad woman in other respects, and
Levi had considerable regard for her. She had but few joys in this
world, and one of them was reading the newspaper, when she was so
fortunate as to procure one, which was but seldom. Levi subscribed for
the Boston Journal for her, which came every day, and for a weekly
religious newspaper. The old lady had a splendid time every afternoon
reading her paper, and enjoyed a "rich season" every "Sabba' day" over
her Sunday paper.

Levi did more than this. He not only carried to the house a great many
fish he caught himself, but a leg of veal or lamb, a roasting-piece of
beef, a pair of chickens, or a turkey was not unfrequently laid upon
the kitchen table by him. Uncle Nathan ate the roast beef, the turkeys,
and the chickens, but he hated the giver none the less. It was a
shameful waste of money to buy such things; and these delicacies
reminded him of the dollars and half dollars that had s