drawn, and generally with very good reason. After all, perhaps,
the chief horror of tenement life to a family like the Jocelyns
consisted in the fact that just outside their door were hordes of
prowling little savages ignorant in the main of civilization, but
prematurely enlightened as to its vices. To prevent the inevitable
contamination which would result from indiscriminate association,
and to interest Fred and Minnie in their daily lessons, was
the constant effort of both Mildred and Mrs. Jocelyn. And yet, as
at the farmhouse, Mildred's conscience began to reproach her for
keeping too much aloof from the people who dwelt with her in the
old mansion. It was not necessary to make companions of them in
order to do them some good, and in aiding them to bear their burdens
she might in part forget her own. Mrs. Wheaton's hearty kindness
permeated the house like an atmosphere, and from her Mildred learned
the character and circumstances of each family quite correctly. "I
can get hon with 'em hall hexcept a hold daft German on the top
floor, oos a bit crazy hover the 'evens, but don't stand much chance
of hever gettin' hup hinto 'em. You've hoften seen 'im a-lookin'
at the stars an' things on the roof. 'E 'alf starves 'is family to
buy books an' maps an' a telescope. 'E 'ates me cos I tried to talk
religion to 'im vonce ven 'e vas sick, an' cos I told 'im 'e 'ad
no bizness to take his death a'cold on the roof o' vinter nights;
an 'ven 'e vonce gets a grudge hagainst yer 'e never lets hup."

Mildred had already become more interested in this old man than in
any other of her neighbors except Mrs. Wheaton, but had found him
utterly unapproachable. Not infrequently she spent part of the
hot evenings on the platform built over the old hip-roof, and had
invariably seen him there on cloudless nights studying the skies
with a telescope that appeared to be by no means a toy instrument;