Jerome had heard these sayings of Squire Merritt’s about the trees.  They had been repeated, because people thought such ideas queer and showing lack of common-sense.  He had heard them unthinkingly, but now, standing on Squire Merritt’s door-step, looking at his old tree pensioners, whom he would not desert in their infirmity, he remembered, and the great man’s love for his trees gave him reason, with a sudden leap of faith, to believe in his kindness towards him.  “I’m better than an old tree,” reasoned Jerome, and raised the knocker again boldly and let it fall with a great brazen clang.  Then he jumped and almost fell backward when the door was flung open suddenly, and there stood Squire Merritt himself.

“What the devil—­” began Squire Merritt; then he stopped and chuckled behind his great beard when he saw Jerome’s alarmed eyes.  “Hullo,” said he, “who have we got here?” Eben Merritt had a soft place in his heart for all small young creatures of his kind, and always returned their timid obeisances, when he met them, with a friendly smile twinkling like light through his bushy beard.  Still, like many a man of such general kindly bearings, he could not easily compass details, and oftener than not could not have told which child he greeted.

Eben Merritt, outside his own family, was utterly impartial in magnanimity, and dealt with broad principles rather than individuals.  Now he looked hard at Jerome, and could not for the life of him tell what particular boy he was, yet recognized him fully in the broader sense of young helplessness and timid need.  “Speak up,” said he; “don’t be scared.  I know all the children, and I don’t know one of ’em.  Speak up like a man.”

Then Jerome, stung to the resolution to show this great Squire, Eben Merritt, that he was not to be classed among the children, but was a man indeed, and equivalent to those duties of one which had suddenly been thrust upon him, looked his questioner boldly in the face and answered.  “I’m Jerome Edwards,” said he; “and Abel Edwards was my father.”

Eben Merritt’s face changed in a minute.  He looked gravely at the boy, and nodded with understanding.  “Yes, I know now,” said he; “I remember.  You look like your father.”  Then he added, kindly, but with a scowl of perplexity as to what the boy was standing there for, and what he wanted:  “Well, my boy, what is it?  Did your mother send you on some errand to Mrs. Merritt?”

Jerome scraped his foot, his manners at his command by this time, and his old hat was in his hand.  “No, sir,” said he; “I came to see you, sir, if you please, sir, and mother didn’t send me.  I came myself.”

“You came to see me?”

“Yes, sir,” Jerome scraped again, but his black eyes on the Squire’s face were quite fearless and steady.

Squire Eben Merritt stared at him wonderingly; then he cast an uneasy glance at his fishing-pole, for he had come to the door with his tackle in his hands, and he gave a wistful thought to the brooks running through the young shadows of the spring woods, and the greening fields, and the still trout-pools he had meant to invade with no delay, and from which this childish visitor, bound probably upon some foolish errand, would keep him.  Then he found his own manners, which were those of his good old family, courteous alike to young and old, and rich and poor.