Ned, however, felt that he was making such good progress under Mr.Porson that he was well content to remain where he was.
His struggle with his temper had gone on steadily, and he hoped he had won a final victory over it.

Mr.Porson had been unwearied in his kindnesses, and often took Ned for an hour in the evening in order to push him forward, and although he avoided talking about his home life the boy felt that he could, in case of need, pour out his heart to him; but, indeed, things had gone better at home.

Mrs.Sankey was just as indisposed as ever to take any share whatever in the trouble of housekeeping, but as Abijah was perfectly capable of keeping the house in order without her instructions things went on smoothly and straightly in this respect.
In other matters home life was more pleasant than it had been.

Mrs.
Sankey was less given to querulous complaining, more inclined to see things in a cheerful light, and Ned especially noticed with satisfaction that the references to his father which had so tried him had become much less frequent of late.
One day in September, when his father had been dead just a year, one of the town boys, a lad of about Ned's age, said to him as they were walking home from school together: "Well, Ned, I suppose I ought to congratulate you, although I don't know whether you will see it in that light." "What do you mean ?" Ned said.

"I don't know that anything has happened on which I should be particularly congratulated, except on having made the top score against the town last week." "Oh! I don't mean that," the boy said..