and, somehow, this candy tasted particularly nice, bought out of
grateful Ben's solitary dime. The little girls shared their goodies
with their favorite mates, but said nothing about the new arrangement,
fearing it would be spoilt if generally known. They told their mother,
however, and she gave them leave to lend their books and encourage Ben
to love learning all they could. She also proposed that they should
drop patch-work and help her make some blue shirts for Ben. Mrs. Barton
had given her the materials, and she thought it would be an excellent
lesson in needle-work as well as a useful gift to Ben--who, boy-like,
never troubled himself as to what he should wear when his one suit of
clothes gave out.

Wednesday afternoon was the sewing time, so the two little B's worked
busily at a pair of shirt sleeves, sitting on their bench in the
door-way, while the rusty needles creaked in and out, and the childish
voices sung school-songs, with frequent stoppages for lively chatter.

For a week, Ben worked away bravely, and never shirked nor complained,
although Pat put many a hard or disagreeable job upon him, and chores
grew more and more distasteful. His only comfort was the knowledge that
Mrs. Moss and the Squire were satisfied with him, his only pleasure the
lessons he learned while driving the cows, and recited in the evening
when the three children met under the lilacs to "play school."

He had no thought of studying when he began, and hardly knew that he
was doing it as he pored over the different books he took from the
library. But the little girls tried him with all they possessed, and he
was mortified to find how ignorant he was. He never owned it in words,
but gladly accepted all the bits of knowledge they offered from their
small store; getting Betty to hear him spell "just for fun;" agreeing