"You see," he said to John, "I am leaving a great deal behind; my mother
and Betsy, and you, and a good master and mistress, and then the horses,
and my old Merrylegs. At the new place there will not be a soul that I
shall know. If it were not that I shall get a higher place, and be able
to help my mother better, I don't think I should have made up my mind to
it; it is a real pinch, John."

"Ay, James, lad, so it is; but I should not think much of you if you
could leave your home for the first time and not feel it. Cheer up,
you'll make friends there; and if you get on well, as I am sure you
will, it will be a fine thing for your mother, and she will be proud
enough that you have got into such a good place as that."

So John cheered him up, but every one was sorry to lose James; as for
Merrylegs, he pined after him for several days, and went quite off his
appetite. So John took him out several mornings with a leading rein,
when he exercised me, and, trotting and galloping by my side, got up the
little fellow's spirits again, and he was soon all right.

Joe's father would often come in and give a little help, as he
understood the work; and Joe took a great deal of pains to learn, and
John was quite encouraged about him.




18 Going for the Doctor


One night, a few days after James had left, I had eaten my hay and was