“That’s true, little girl, no one cares for the old miser, as they call me; and the boys, when I go into the village, throw stones at me, and jeer and shout at my heels. I hate boys!”
“I’m sure Ned would not do that,” said Mary; “he is always kind and gentle, and would beat off bad boys if he saw them treating you in that way.”
“No, he wouldn’t, he would join them, and behave like the rest. They are all alike, boys! Mischievous little imps!”
Mary felt very indignant at hearing Ned thus designated, but she repressed her rising anger, pitying the forlorn old man, and smiling, said, “You will find you are mistaken in regard to Ned, Mr Shank; he is outside, and I must not keep him waiting longer. But I was nearly forgetting that I have a book to give you, which Aunt Sally thought you would like to read. It is in large print, so that you need not try your eyes.”
Mary, as she spoke, produced a thin book from her basket, and presented it to the old man. He glanced at it with indifference.
“I do not care about this sort of thing,” he said. “I wonder people spend money in having such productions printed. A loss of time to print them, and a loss of time to read them!”
“Aunt Sally will be much disappointed if you do not keep the book,” said Mary, quietly; “you might like to read it when you are all alone and have nothing else to do.”
“Well, well, as she has sent me the pudding, I’ll keep the book; she means kindly, I dare say, and I do not wish to make you carry it back. What! must you go, little girl? You’ll come and see me again some day, and bring another nice pudding, won’t you?” said the old man, looking at Mary with a more amiable expression in his eyes than they generally wore.
“Yes, I must go, I cannot, indeed, keep Ned waiting longer. Good-bye, Mr Shank; you’ll read the book, and I’ll tell Aunt Sally what you say,” said Mary, taking up her basket and tripping out of the room.
“Don’t let that boy Ned you spoke of throw stones in at my window. You see how others have broken the panes, and it would cost too much money to have them repaired.”