intments. There were people who were mean enough
to deceive him, and people with no gratitude in their hearts.

One boy he found starving, in rags, and miserably ill. He fed him,
clothed him, had him doctored and nursed, and, when he was well, sent
him back to his parents in Norfolk. But neither boy nor parents ever
sent him one line of thanks.

Another starving, ragged boy he took into his house. He fed, clothed,
and taught him, and at last found him a good place on a ship, and sent
him to sea. Three times did this little scamp run away from the ship,
and turn up filthy, starving, and in rags. The third time Gordon found
him in the evening lurking at the door, half dead with hunger and cold.
The boy was much too dirty to be brought into the house with other
boys, and Gordon looked at him for a minute in silence. He then led
him to the stable, gave him a heap of clean straw in an empty stall to
sleep on, and some bread and milk for supper. Early next morning
Gordon appeared with soap, towels, a brush, a sponge, and a fresh suit
of clothes. He poured a bucket of hot water into the horse trough, and
himself gave him a thorough scrubbing.

[Illustration: Gordon appeared with soap, towels, a brush, a sponge,
and a fresh suit of clothes]

We do not know what afterwards became of the boy. It would be nice to
think that he was the unknown man who came to the house of Sir Henry
Gordon, when the news of General Gordon's death was heard, and wished
to give L25 towards a memorial to him. "All my success and prosperity
I owe to the Colonel," he said.

There were many boys--there are many men now--with good cause for
saying from their hearts, "_God bless the Colonel._"

A boy, who worked in a shop, stole some money from his master, who was
very angry, and said he would have him put in prison. The boy's
mother, in a terrible state of grief, came to Gordon and begged him to
help her. Gordon went to the boy's master, and persuaded him to let
the boy off. He then sent the little lad to school for twelve months,
and afterwards found him a berth at sea. The boy has grown up into an
honest, good man. "God bless the Colonel," he, too, can say.

Two afternoons a week Gordon went to the infirmary, to cheer up the
sick people there. And in all parts of Gravesend he would find out old
and bedridden men and women, sit with them, cheer them up with tales of
his days in Russia and China, and make them feel less lonely and l