The old man had a great desire that his dar ling should learn to read and write, but he had neither books, nor pens, nor paper. In the summer the old man would sit at his cottage door and draw letters in the sand; he taught Jack their names, and taught him to make them. Jack soon learned all the letters of the alphabet, and he soon learned to combine, or put them together in syllables and words.

About this time Jack's faithful nurse, Nanny, died. While she was sick, Jack took great care of her, he tried to make her take food, and held her head upon his little bosom. All would not make her well-she died-and Jack was very much grieved. The poor goat was buried in the garden; thither Jack would go, and call upon his mammy, and ask her why she had left

him.

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One day as he was calling Nanny, and crying, a lady came along in a carriage; she overheard Jack. As soon as Jack heard some one call, open the gate," he ran as fast as he could. The lady asked him whom he was calling, and why he cried so. Jack answered, it was for his poor mammy, that was buried in the garden.

"How did your mammy get her living?" asked the lady. "She used to eat grass hereabouts," said Jack. The lady did not know what he meant, but the old man came out of his hut, and told her the whole story of Jack. She looked at the boy, who had dried up his tears and was playing at the coach door; she admired his activity, and his gay good-humoured face. "Will you go with me, little boy?" said she, "I will take care of you if you behave well "

"No," said Jack, "I must stay with daddy; he has taken care of me for a long time, and now I must take care of him."

The lady was pleased with this answer; it showed Jack to be a grateful boy. She put her hand into her pocket, and took out her purse; she found half a crown in it, which she gave to Jack, and bid him buy some shoes and stockings; then she went away.

Jack knew how to use money; he had been sent to the shops to buy bread, and such things as his daddy wanted, but he did not know much about shoes and stockings. He had seen them upon others, but he had never worn any in his life. The next day the old man made him go to the town and lay out his money.

Jack had not been gone long, before his daddy saw him come back without his shoes and stockings." What have you done with your money, Jack," said the old man.

"Dad

dy," answered Jack, "I went to the shop, and just put on shoes and stockings, but I did not like them, so I laid out the money in a warm waistcoat for you; winter is coming, and you will be cold."

One day Jack was sent on an errand. When he came home his face was frightfully swelled. "What have you been doing now," said the old man. Only fighting with Dick the butcher, because he called you a beggar man."

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"That

"If a

was very wrong Jack," said the old man. bad boy calls ill names, take no notice of it. Forget and forgive is what you must do to them who insult and provoke you."

In this manner little Jack lived till he was twelve years old; then his poor daddy grew sick, and was obliged to lie all day in bed. Jack did all he could think of for the old man; he made him broth, fed him with his own hands, and watched all night by the bed-side, supporting his head, and helping him when he wanted But all this did not cure the old man, he grew worse, and felt that he must soon die.

to move.

He one day called Jack to the bed-side, and told him he was going to die. Jack burst into a flood of tears. His daddy bid him be quiet. "Listen to me, Jack," said he, pressing the poor child's hand, "I am very old I have lived many years, I have been very poor-sometimes I have not had food enough to eat, but I have had good health, and God has given me many comforts. I must die now, and God will take care of you."

Jack wept still more. "Do not cry, my child," said the old man, "he will take me to a better place. As soon as I am dead, go to the next house; tell the people they must come and bury me. You must try to find a place; some person will give you work. If you are industrious and honest, God will bless you, and you will find friends. Farewell, my child. 1 grow fainter and fainter. Never forget your old daddy." The old man spoke no more, his limbs grew cold and in a very few minutes he was dead.

Little Jack wept very much; he kissed his old daddy, and tried to awaken him as if he were asleep; but he never stirred or opened his

eyes again. In a little time Jack dressed himself and went to the neighbour's house as he had been ordered.

The poor little boy had no home nor any money; he did not know what to do with himself. A good-natured man who lived near pitied Jack; he told him to come to his house, and live there till he could get some work. Jack went to this house, and did such work for the man as he would give him to do.

At the beginning of winter this good man took a fever and died. His wife was obliged to send away Jack; she gave him some clothes and a shilling. Jack was sorry to go; he loved the woman, for she had been very kind to him. He walked a long way the first day, and could find nobody to take him in. Nobody likes to employ a strange boy.

While

At night he had no place to sleep in. he was looking about he saw a great light; he did not know what it could be, but he thought he would go towards it. When he came nearer he saw a large building, much larger than a smith's shop, and saw fires, larger than a smith's fire, and heard loud blows, and the rattling of iron.

Jack was a little frightened, but he looked in, and saw several men and boys blowing fires, and hammering large pieces of red hot iron. He then went in and walked as closely as he could to one of the large fires, or furnaces. One of the workmen saw him, and asked "what business he had there ?"

Jack answered modestly that he was a poor boy looking for work, that he had got no food

all day, and that his clothes had been wet through by the rain. The man hearing this allowed him to stay by the fire, and gave him some supper. After this he lay down in a corner, and slept quietly till morning.

The master of the forge, which is the name of the large workshop where iron is worked, came early in the morning to overlook the workmen; seeing Jack, he called him a lazy vagabond, and asked him why he did not work for his living. Jack answered that he would gladly go to work if he could find any to do.

"Well, my boy," said the master, "you shall have work, nobody need be idle here;" so he ordered Jack to be set to work, and promised to pay him if he did the work well. Jack tried very much, and did his work so well that he soon got good wages.

He told the other boys the history of his lifehow he was nursed by a goat, and that his daddy was an old soldier. These boys, when they were a little merry, used to tease Jack by calling his father a beggar man, and himself a beggar boy: they would likewise imitate the baaing of a goat. This was very silly, and it made Jack very angry.

One day some gentlemen and ladies came to see the forge; while they were looking at the furnace, a sudden cry was heard in the other part of the building; the master inquiring into the cause was told that it was only little Jack, fighting with Tom the collier. At this the master cried out in a passion,-" There is no peace where that little rascal is-send him here, he shall go off this moment."