is very best friend was with him still, and
that he might speak to Him at any time. He spoke now in his heart; and a
great comfort it was. He said--

"O God, I am all alone here, where nobody knows me; and everything is
very strange and uncomfortable. Please, make people kind to me till I am
used to them; and keep up a brave heart in me, if they are not. Help me
not to mind little things; but to do my lessons well, that I may get to
like being a Crofton boy, as I thought I should. I love them all at home
very much,--better than I ever did before. Make them love me, and think
of me every day,--particularly Agnes,--that they may be as glad as I
shall be when I go home at Christmas."

This was the most of what he had to say; and he dropped asleep with the
feeling that God was listening to him.

After a long while, as it seemed to him, though it was only an hour,
there was a light and some bustle in the room. It was Phil and two
others coming to bed.

"O Phil!" cried Hugh, starting bolt upright and winking with sleep,--"I
meant to keep awake, to ask you to be sure and call me in the morning,
time enough,--quite time enough, please."

The others laughed; and Phil asked whether he had not seen the bell, as
he came; and what it should be for but to ring everybody up in the
morning.

"But I might not hear it," pleaded Hugh.

"Not hear it? You'll soon see that."

"Well, but you will see that I really do wake, wont you?"

"The bell will take care of that, I tell you," was all he could get from
Phil.

CHAPTER V.

CROFTON PLAY.

Hugh found, in the morning, that there was no danger of his not hearing
the bell. Its clang clang startled him out of a sound sleep; and he was
on his feet on the floor almost before his eyes were open. The boys who
were more used to the bell did not make quite so much haste. They yawned
a few times, and turned out more slowly; so that Hugh had the great tin
wash basin to himself longer than the rest. There was a basin to every
three boys; and, early as Hugh began, his companions were impatient long
before he had done. At first, they waited, in curiosity to see what he
was going to do after washing his face; when he went further, they began
to quiz; but when they found that he actually thought of washing his
feet, they hooted and groaned at him for a dirty brat.

"Dirty!" cried Hugh, facing them, amazed, "Dirty for washing my feet!
Mother says it is a dirty trick not to wash all ove