"My man," said Farmer Bassett, tucking up his long whip under his arm and helping Thomas to his feet, "now what's the matter with you?" "I'm in trouble," said Thomas briefly. "So I should think," said the old farmer with a wise nod. "I don't care about myself," said Thomas not regarding certain flapping portions of his once neat suit, nor mindful of the other signs of his predicament, "but it's young master and those other boys who were left to my care." At mention of them, he became helpless once more, and began to bemoan his fate. "Hah!" said the old farmer. He had boys of his own, not so very long ago either, although he looked so old, and though they were all but one out in the world and promising to be successful men, his heart went back to the time when they were little chaps and running about the farm. The one who was not out in the world was safe at rest from all temptation and suffering. There was a tiny grave on the hill-top back of the old homestead, and here the farmer often stole in an odd moment, and Betsey his wife went of an afternoon when the work was done up, for a quiet time with her darling--the little Richard, so early folded away from her care, and Sundays they always went together to get peace and resignation for the coming week. "What's the trouble with the boys?" asked the farmer, quickly. Thomas looked into his face and the first gleam of hope he had known, now radiated his own countenance. Here was a man who evidently meant to help, and that right speedily. "Oh sir," he cried, "they're over at Sachem Hill, and locked out of their house." "Over at Sachem Hill and locked out of their house," repeated the farmer. "How did that happen?" "'Twas me," cried Thomas miserably, and then he laid bare his confession. Farmer Bassett said never a word, only as Thomas finished, "Come," he commanded, and motioning him to the green wagon, he climbed in, and seated himself again on his bags. "I'm goin' to stop a minute an' tell Betsey to put us up a few things, an' while she's doin' it, I'll hitch into the sleigh. I took the wagon to mill, as 'twas poor draggin' along one piece o' bare ground--an' then, says I, we'll be off for them youngsters of yours." Thomas gave a long breath of relief--and the wagon rolled on in silence till it came to a stop before a large red house. OUR ALPHABET OF GREAT MEN. N.--NEWTON, SIR ISAAC. "EVERY body in nature attracts every other body with a force directly as its mass and inversely as the square of its distance." This has been called "The magnificent theory of universal gravitation which was the crowning glory of Newton's life." I doubt not many of you have struggled manfully with this law as laid down in your school-books, and, having conquered it, and fixed the principle in your minds to stay, you may like to know something about the philosopher himself. In 1642, a puny, sickly baby was supposed to be moaning away its young life in Lincolnshire, England.