Year: 1866

this? As long as l treat you well, what
difference can il make to you how ! treat
anybody else1 Take care Of Number
One,' was Uncle Richards saying; and let
Two, Three, and Four look out for them
selves"


aYes" said Sam, "but will that be keep
ing my promise7"


"Certainly, replied Dick: ayou promis.
ed Fred thnt he should be q free boy, and
that you would protect him In his freedom
and 20 he shall be free. But you did not
promise him that he should have vote
among the boys. Nor did you promise him
that he should not work for me or that
should not fix the terms Of his work, and


punish him properly when he failed to dc


what wished. Just sec how plain the mat


ter is. He shall wait upon me As free
boy,-for free boys. you know, may be


waiters,-and he shall do just what ! say,
and take just what choose to give him.
don see what objection you can have to
that"


Sam here turned to his young friend
"Well, what do you say to that ?"


I have been thinking about Il as you've
been talking" said Fred; "and I can't fol
my life zee how this is going to make me
any better off than wus before. I'm
afraid shall be worse off; for as soon a.
you leave me, and ium alono with Dick, he
will treat me worse than he ever did. You
know what temper he has. You promis.
ed ma that should I've free from him, and
that you would protect me In my freedom.
Was this what you meant when you made
that promise, and asked me to help you ?
When Dick tried all he could to hurt you,
and did all could to prevent him and to
help you, ought you not, In settling with
him, to think as much Of me rs Of him {?
You can now fix things about Dick and me
just as you like. You can make Dick
promise to treat me rs well rs any Of the
boys, never to abuse me any moro and
ought you not to do this as much as to make
him promise to treat you well When you
told me that I should be free, did you mean
TINT should only be called free; or did you
mean that should be like the other boys,
and have all tha, goes with freedorn?'


Here we must leave Sam, for the present,
considering what he will do. II seems as
tonishing that he could have had a mo.
mcnt's hesitation in making lis decision.
But the truth is, l,o was not himself even
now wholly emancipa'cd from the control
which Dick had 80 long exercised over him
and he had been so used to seeing Fred In
subjection, that, Notwithstanding his solemn
promise and his obligations to the friendly
boy for his help, he had difficulty in think
ing Of him as being really free boy, aud
SO acting for himself among the other boys.
And, must we acknowledge il, though he
did not mean to be selfish and bad boy, he
had been so long in tho habit Of Stocking
out for Number One" that even good faith
and gratitude could not make him feel
equally the obligation of looking out for
Number Two.


But do not take it for granted, before read
ing the sequel of tho story, that Sam is 80
ing to do so strange thing as, without any
induccment except prejudice and the habit
Of acquiescencc, to permit despo'ic Dick to
his former control; aud SO mean a
thing as to desert his young friend aud ally,
to leave him without protection or the pow
or of selfprotection, and to suffer him to be-
come the victim of the sefshness, domina-
ton, and revenge Of his former tyrnnt.
Sam is no, perfect; but till facts compel
you, don't have SO bad an opinion Of him
as this.