For the boys there were innumerable gifts dear to boys' hearts,
including a compass and a watch for each. For Thomas there was a fine
pair of field-glasses, a compass and a very fine watch indeed, and he
was as pleased and happy as the others.

"The glasses'll be a wonderful help t' me in huntin'," he declared.
"When I climbs hills for a look around I can see deer that I'd sure to
be missin' with no glasses. I'm not doubtin' the compass'll come in
handy now and again in thick weather."

Then there was a big box of goodies. There were such candies as they
had never dreamed of--oranges and big red-cheeked apples. Even Thomas
had never before in his life tasted an orange or an apple, and they
all declared that they had never imagined that anything could be so
good. It was quite astonishing to learn that in the great world from
which Doctor Joe had come there were people who ate oranges and apples
every day of their lives if they wished them.

"'Tis strange the way the Lord fixes things," observed Thomas. "Here
now we never saw the like of oranges and apples before in all our
lives, but we has plenty of trout, and there are folks out there that
has no trout but they all has oranges and apples. We has so many trout
we forgets how fine they is, and what a blessin' 'tis we has un. And
I'm thinkin' 'tis the same with them folks about the oranges and
apples."

"Yes," agreed Doctor Joe, "it's only when things are taken away from
us that we really appreciate them. Jamie, no doubt, appreciates his
eyes much more than he would have done had the mist never clouded