faithfulness, as well as the fact that he had so much difficulty in
comprehending her meaning, made the mother still more unkind.

One duty that was assigned him as a daily task was sweeping the crumbs from
beneath the dining-table, and when he had learned how, so thoroughly did he
do this work that he never stopped brushing until he had found every
particle of dust or lint in sight that had settled under other articles of
furniture.

Another duty was carrying food to the dog, and he soon found that the
well-filled plate of scraps contained far better food in many instances
than he was allowed to share at the table. Whenever this happened, as it
often did, and there was plenty of other food for the dog, Edwin ate a
portion, but never without feeling confident that he was not robbing his
friend. As the dog usually looked very wise, Edwin took it for granted that
his motive was understood as right and just, and in this way the child was
able to get some of the food that he would otherwise have been denied, and
the dog's allowance was still sufficient. Rather than rob the dog, he would
always have gladly done without.

When Edwin was given the care of his little baby cousin, who was just
beginning to walk, he felt that this work was very hard indeed, but he did
his best to understand just what was expected of him. Having been the
youngest child at the almshouse and having spent so much of his time apart
from the others, Edwin was unable to think of many ways in which he could
amuse the little fellow, and sometimes it seemed that all of his efforts to
please had been in vain.

A few weeks after Edwin's arrival in his mother's home the children--Edwin
and his three cousins, Elmer, Jennie, and the baby--were playing in the