Gideon Noonin never confessed his crime, and after this Willy was very careful to keep away from him. But there was another boy, nearer his own age, who had quite as bad an influence over him--Fred Chase. He afterwards became a worthless young man, and made his mother so wretched that Siller Noonin said, "Poor Mrs. Chase, she has everything heart can wish, except a bottle to put her tears in." Fred was a well-mannered, pretty little fellow, and no one thought ill of him, because he was so sly with his mischief. He did harm to Willy by making him think he had a very hard time. His work was to bring in a bushel basket of chips every morning, and fill the "fore-room" wood-box. Of course the "back-log" and "back-stick," and "fore-stick" were all too heavy for his little arms, and Caleb attended to those. Freddy had nothing whatever to do, and pretended to pity Willy. "They 'pose upon you," said he. "I never'd stand it." Until Freddy told him he was imposed upon, Willy had never suspected it; but, after that, he saw he had nearly all the work to do, and that Seth and Stephen did not help as much as they might. The more he reflected upon the subject, the more unhappy he grew, and the more he lingered over his wood and chips. "Did you ever hear of the little boy and the two pails of water?" said his mother. "O, what about him, mamma? Do tell me." "Why, the boy was told to draw two pails of water from the well; but instead of drawing them he sat down and dreaded it, till he pined away, and pined away, and finally died." Willy ran out with his basket, and never asked again to hear the story of the boy and the two pails. But the wood-pile seemed to be lying on top of his heart, crushing him, till he was relieved by a bright idea. Why not stand some sticks upright in the bottom of the box, and then lay the rest of the wood on top of them? It would look just the same as usual; but _what_ a help! The box was in the entry, and the "fore-room" door shut; he could cheat as well as not. "Now I'll have lots of time to play!" "What, you here yet, Willy?" said his mother, opening the door. She thought he had been an unusually long while filling the box; and so he had. It was new business, doing it in this way, and it took time. "I supposed you had gone, darling, for I didn't hear you whistle." Willy whistled faintly, as he laid on the last stick. How lucky his mother hadn't opened the door sooner! "That's a nice big box full, my son. You please your mother this morning. Come here and kiss me." Willy went, and then Mrs. Parlin, who was a fine singer, and knew a great many ballads, sang, smiling,-- "Ho! why dost thou shiver and shake, Gaffer Gray? And why doth thy nose look so blue?" She often sang that when he came into the house cold, and then he would sing in reply, with a voice almost as sweet as her own,--