nd their brown shells cracked
at the master's table, they discovered that the most valuable part of
them was what could not be seen by outsiders, and could only be brought
to light by the master's hand."

"That's a kind of parable," said Roy when Mrs. Ford ceased speaking.

"Yes," she said, smiling; "most people are like the sparrows: they think
it is only the outside you should go by. Now, when I see a person for
the first time I always wonder what their soul is like. If that is
beautiful it doesn't matter about their body. And a little body may
contain a very big soul."

"Can we make our souls big?" asked Roy, with an anxious face.

"They should be growing, my boy, day by day. Put them into the
Gardener's keeping and He will make them grow. It isn't the handsome and
the strong who do all the good in the world; very often it is just the
other way."

"Then there is hope I may do something," said Roy, brightening up; "I
like that story about the walnuts, don't you, Dudley?"

"Yes, I'll think of it when I crack them next," said Dudley.

Tea was now brought in, and the boys did it full justice, and shortly
after they were on their homeward way.

"She's a jolly old thing," remarked Dudley, presently, "and her cake was
awfully good. I'm glad we went to see her."

Roy was unusually silent. Dudley continued--

"I expect you've got the biggest soul of us too, Roy; nurse is always
saying your soul is too big for your body."

"I wish I had no body sometimes," said Roy, with a sigh; "it gets so
tired and stupid."

"Well, we won't talk about souls and bodies any more," Dudley said,
quickly, "they aren't interesting. I say, do you think we could teach
Rob cricket?"

Rob was a topic which always interested Roy. He brightened up at once.

"We'll teach him everything," he said, eagerly. "I want him to be able
to read and write and play, and do everything that we do, and more
besides, for I shall have him for my friend as well as a servant when I
grow up."

"A funny kind of chap for a friend," said Dudley, a little crossly;
"he's twice as old as you are, to begin with, and he's an awfully
stupid, thick-headed fellow."

"Don't you like Rob?"

Roy's tone was an astonished one.

"Oh, I like him well enough, but I'm getting rather sick of hearing you
crack him up so."

Roy changed the subject. He wondered sometimes why Dudley seemed to lose
his temper so over Rob; it never entered his head that Dudley might
regard