Their hero was barely able to stand, however. Drenched as he had been
in the icy river, the sharp March wind had chilled him to the marrow,
and one of the village doctors speedily lifted him into his carriage
which he had brought for that purpose, and drove rapidly away, while
the other physician took charge of Mrs. Martin and the baby.

Joe was a strong, healthy fellow, and under the doctor's treatment of
hot brandy and vigorous rubbing with coarse towels, he soon warmed.
Then he wanted to saw enough wood for the doctor to pay for his
treatment, and thereupon the doctor threatened to poison him if he
should ever venture to mention pay to him again.

Naturally enough the village people talked of nothing but Joe
Lambert's heroic deed, and the feeling was general that they had never
done their duty toward the poor orphan boy. There was an eager wish to
help him now, and many offers were made to him; but these all took the
form of charity, and Joe would not accept charity at all. Four years
earlier, as I have already said, he had refused to go to the poorhouse
or to be "bound out," declaring that he could take care of himself;
and when some thoughtless person had said in his hearing that he would
have to live on charity, Joe's reply had been:

"I'll never eat a mouthful in this town that I haven't worked for if
I starve." And he had kept his word. Now that he was fifteen years old
he was not willing to begin receiving charity even in the form of a
reward for his good deed.

One day when some of the most prominent men of the village were
talking to him on the subject Joe said: