so little heart? Affection needs to be cultivated; his uncle thought
that in sending him to school and giving him a good education, he was
doing his duty by the boy. His aunt considered that if in the holidays
she let him rove about as he pleased, saw to the repairs of his clothes,
sent him back fitted out comfortably, with a little pocket money and a
little _advice_, she had done _her_ duty by the child. But poor Joe! No
kind mother ever stole to his bedside to whisper warnings and gentle
reproof if the conduct of the day had been wrong; no knee ever bent to
ask for grace and blessing on that orphan boy; no sympathy was ever
expressed in one of his joys or griefs; no voice encouraged him in
self-denial; no heart rejoiced in his little victories over temper and
pride. Now, instead of blaming and disliking, will you not pity and love
the unlovable and neglected lad?

He had not been long under Mr. Barton's care, and after all, what could
a schoolmaster do in twelve months, to remedy the evils which had been
growing up for twelve years? He did his best, but the result was very
little, and perhaps the most useful lesson Joe ever had was that which
Fred gave him about the Dahlias.




CHAPTER TENTH.

EDITH'S VISIT TO JOE.


Fred and Edith were sitting in the Canary room one Saturday afternoon,
shortly after the event recorded in the last chapter; Edith listening