book. The uncommon friendship existing between us had often been
remarked by the villagers. This intimacy was somewhat singular, as
our natures were very dissimilar, it may be this very dissimilarity
attracted us the more strongly to each other. From infancy the
disposition of Charley Gray was marked by peculiarities which will
appear in the course of my story. When at school he made but few friends
among his companions; and the few friendships he did form were marred by
his exclusive and jealous nature. He possessed very strong feelings, and
for a chosen friend his affection was deep and abiding. My own nature
was exactly the opposite. I was frank and joyous, and inclined to make
friends with all. For all that Charley and I were so intimate, even as
boys, his peculiar temperament was often a source of unhappiness to
both. Charley was the child of wealthy parents, while I, being poor, was
often obliged to attend school dressed in clothing which looked almost
shabby beside my well-dressed companions, but with all this I was ever
Charley Gray's chosen companion, in fact he seemed to care little for
any other companionship, and his parents, who had known both my father
and mother long and intimately, were much pleased with his preference
for my society, and took much pains to encourage the friendship existing
between us. Charley was as much delighted as my sister when I returned
home; he had two or three times ventured to visit me at Mr. Judson's,
but his visits always made the Farmer angry, and he chanced one day to
come into the field when we were unusually busy, and, as a matter of
course the Farmer was cross in proportion, and he finally ordered
Charley to "clear out," "its bad enough," said he "to get along with one
boy, but two is out of the question, and the sooner you make tracks for
home the better." Charley was thoroughly frightened, and he followed the
Farmer's advice at once by "making tracks" out of the field, and he
never attempted to repeat his visit. I returned home in the month of
June. Dr. Gray intended sending Charley to a distant school, the coming