get along; but there was such a self-complacent feeling in the
village that Mr. Thornton was liberally paid, that he well knew
there was no chance of that.

Upon this subject he had more than one earnest conversation with his
mother.

"I should be sorry to have you leave home," she said; "but I
acknowledge the force of your reasons."

"I shouldn't be happy at college, mother," responded Grant, "if I
thought you were pinched at home."

"If you were our only child, Grant, it would be different."

"That is true; but there are Frank and Mary who would suffer. If I
go to work I shall soon be able to help you take care of them."

"You are a good and unselfish boy, Grant," said his mother.

"I don't know about that, mother; I am consulting my own happiness
as well as yours."

"Yet you would like to go to college?"

"If we had plenty of money, not otherwise. I don't want to enjoy
advantages at the expense of you all."

"Your Uncle Godfrey will be very angry," said Mrs. Thornton,
thoughtfully.