“Why do you rise so early this cold morning, Master Charles?”

“Because I am going out to work with you, Giles, if you will permit me,” answered Charles.

“Oh, Master Charles, such work as I do is not fit for a young gentleman like you,” said Giles.

“You must not call me a young gentleman now, for I am only a poor boy, and poorer than other poor boys, for they can earn their own living, while I should have been starved to death had not you given me half of the bread you work so hard for.  But I will not be a burthen to you any longer, but learn to work and get my own living as you do.”

Charles now meant to keep his word, and they both went out into the fields, and worked together at picking stones off the young crops of wheat and clover, and before breakfast.  Giles had picked up two bushels of stones and Charles one, and the farmer gave them a penny per bushel for gathering them up.

Then they made haste back to the cottage, and Giles gave his mother the money he had earned, and Charles did the same, and when the dame poured out the milk for the family Charles saw that she filled a porringer for him also, and they had all a good breakfast that morning, and Charles felt quite happy because he had not eaten the bread of idleness.  So he went out to work with Giles again, and earned twopence before dinner.

When Dame Bloomfield took up the dumplings Charles saw there was one for him, and he felt happy that poor Giles had not to deprive himself of half his food that he might eat.

Charles went out to work every day with Giles, and in the evening he learned to read and write.  He became quite good and gentle, and enjoyed more happiness than he had experienced in his life before, And why was Charles happy?  I will tell you, my dear children.  Because he was no longer a proud, froward boy as he had been, but was kind and sweet-tempered to every one, and did his duty both to God and himself.

The winter passed swiftly away, and the spring came, and the birds began to sing, and the trees looked green and gay, and the pretty flowers bloomed in the gardens and covered the meadows all over, and scented the air with their fragrance, and Charles thought it very pleasant to work in the fields, and hear the birds sing as they tended their young, or built their nests among the green boughs or in the hedges.

One day Giles said to Charles:  “Master Charles, we cannot work together in the fields any more; I have got a new employment”

“But why cannot I work with you?” asked Charles.

“Because, sir, you will not like to work where I am going,” answered Giles.  Charles asked where that was.  “In the garden of the great house, Master Charles, where you used to live,” said Giles.

Charles looked very sorrowful, and remained silent for some minutes; at last he said:  “Well, Giles, I will go with you; my clothes are grown shabby now, and nobody will know me, and if they did I hope I am too wise to be ashamed of doing my duty, so let us go directly.”