BIRDS' NESTS. 173 



Joe stammered out a few words, which were 

 intended to mean that he would take good 

 care for the future, and went off, nothing loth, 

 with his young companion. 



As soon as the boys were gone, Mr. Miller 

 thus resumed the conversation : 



" Now, Mrs. Square, you know I am not 

 much given to tale-bearing, or to listening to 

 stories of other people's wicked doings; but 

 where there is good reason to believe that a 

 neighbour is likely to be injured by associating 

 with a person of bad character, it is a positive 

 duty to put him on his guard. Your boy, 

 I fear, is learning no good from young John- 

 son, who, to the best of my belief, is an idle, 

 good-for-nothing fellow ; and I don't think you 

 can be too strict in forbidding Joe to have 

 anything to do with him/* 



" I am afraid, Sir, that what you say is too 

 true, and I am very much obliged to you for 

 giving Joe the advice you did ; for though he 

 is a good boy in the main, and would not, 



