comparison with those where he comes from, is true. The police do arrest
people for begging."

"Well, we have tramps at Pineville," Mother Bunker observed. "But the
constable doesn't often arrest any. Not if they behave themselves. But a
city is different. And this boy did not know how to ask for help, of
course. Don't you think you can be of help to him, Jo?"

"I'll see," said Aunt Jo. "Wait until he has had a chance to eat what
Parker has fixed for him."

Just then Annie, the parlormaid, tapped on the door.

"Please'm," she said to Aunt Jo, "that colored boy is goin' down in the
cellar to fix the furnace."

"To fix the furnace?" cried Aunt Jo.

"Yes'm. He says he has taken care of a furnace before. He's been up
North here for 'most two years. But he lost his job last month and
couldn't find another."

"The poor boy," murmured Mother Bunker.

"Yes'm," said Annie. "And when he heard that the house was cold because
me nor Parker didn't know what to do about the furnace, and the fire was
most out, he said he'd fix it. So he's down there now with Parker and
Alexis."

"Did Alexis come home?" cried Russ, who was very fond, as were all the