shares his cup and crust with the leper at the gate,--the leper who
straightway stands before him glorified, a vision of Our Lord, and
tells him that true love of our neighbor consists in,

"Not what we give, but what we share;
For the gift without the giver is bare."

And then the mother's hands rested lovingly a moment upon Tom's head,
as again she repeated more softly: "No, certainly."

* * * * *

As Widow Barry had surmised, the keynote of Tom's nature was that he
was easily led, and therein rested the possibilities of great good or
evil. The little confidential chats with his mother were a strong
safeguard to him, and laid the foundation of the true principles by
which he should be guided; but, as he mingled more with other boys, he
was not always steadfast in acting up to his knowledge of what was
right, and was apt to be more influenced by his companions than his
best friends cared to see him. At present he was inclined to make a
chum of Ed Brown, who, though only a year older, was so precociously
shrewd, and what the world calls "smart," that, according to good Widow
Barry's opinion, "he could buy and sell Masther Tom any day."

The old woman had, indeed, many opportunities for observation; for is
not sometimes so simple a transaction as the buying of an apple a real
test of character? If a boy or man is tricky or mean or unjust in his
business dealings, is it likely that we shall find him upright and
honorable in other things? Though Mrs. Norris was not as well posted
as the apple-vender, one or two occurrences had caused her to