He was ignorant, unwashed, insufficiently fed; but he had as good a heart as ever any boy had.

His liberties were totally unrestricted.

He was the only really independent person--boy or man--in the community, and by consequence he was tranquilly and continuously happy, and was envied by all the rest of us.

We liked him; we enjoyed his society.

And as his society was forbidden us by our parents, the prohibition trebled and quadrupled its value, and therefore we sought and got more of his society than of any other boy's.