in her aid.

"It's little I can do, sir, save the reading," said she, looking
slightly grave, as if too much was expected of her.

"But you can keep him from bad associates," replied her benefactor, "and
the half is done then. He loves this quiet place, and you can make it
pleasant to him here, so that he will see how much happier it is to live
peacefully and Christianlike than to be carousing and drinking as they
do in his own home. Poor Pat!" continued he, gazing thoughtfully into
the fire, "it's been a sad life to him, but the good is to come."

Nannie thought it had been a sad life to them all until Mr. Bond found
them out, but she felt that the future would be bright enough if they
might see his kind face once in awhile, and she did not trouble herself
with the past now, that was all over, and the days were as merry as
merry could be. To be sure her basket was heavy, and her feet weary
almost every day, but what cared she for that so long as she could come
to so glad a home, and have only kind words and loving faces about her.
Mr. Bond did not worry much about Pat after he saw his frank face
peering in at the door. "Come in, Pat," said he, as the lad shuffled
forward to greet him. "I'm glad to see you, my boy!"

"It's much changed ye are with the sickness," said Pat; "but ye're the
same in your heart, I'll ever believe."

Pat was greatly changed, too, his friend could plainly see that as he
scanned the boy's features. He had grown so manly, and seemed to feel
such a self-respect--not a bold, disagreeable assurance, but a sort of
rough, unassuming dignity that was both pleasant and becoming. He did
not sit down with his hat on, and his chair tilted backward, and chatter
and jabber as if he were of quite as much importance as his benefactor,
but stood respectfully, with uncovered head, and answered Mr. Bond's
questions modestly and politely, and waited to be asked before he made
himself at home in the presence of his superior.

A very pleasant time they all had in the nice attic, and they dwelt upon
it for many days afterward with a peculiar pleasure. It was not often
that Mr. Bond could come to see them now, for he was not as strong as
before his illness, and the snow came early to keep him in also, and
Nannie consoled herself by enumerating his virtues to Pat, who quite
agreed with her that "he was fit to be a saint."

CHAPTER XVI.

You need not step softly to-night, Pat, though the baby is sleepin