In "The Devil and Tom Walker," Tom saw a man in the swamp. What did this man like most about Tom?

The man in the swamp probably likes Tom for having a fearless, tough attitude.

This happens near the beginning of the story. Tom is taking "an ill-chosen shortcut" through a dark and creepy patch of woods, so readers definitely know that something sinister is about to happen. As Tom meets the devil there--without fully realizing just yet who he is--he talks with him openly and in a relaxed manner.

As they talk, Tom realizes who the...

The man in the swamp probably likes Tom for having a fearless, tough attitude.

This happens near the beginning of the story. Tom is taking "an ill-chosen shortcut" through a dark and creepy patch of woods, so readers definitely know that something sinister is about to happen. As Tom meets the devil there--without fully realizing just yet who he is--he talks with him openly and in a relaxed manner.

As they talk, Tom realizes who the man is, and they make a deal. The narrator tells us that the devil has "conceived an especial kindness for him," meaning he has taken a special liking to Tom. Why?

The narrator never explains why, exactly, but we can make a good guess (an inference) based on this sentence from the text:

One would think that to meet with such a singular personage in this wild, lonely place would have shaken any man's nerves; but Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife that he did not even fear the devil.

So, what we know is that most people would be really freaked out if they suddenly met the devil. But Tom is so "hard-minded," so hard to scare, that he just chats with the devil as if he were an equal or a friend. His attitude seems to impress the devil enough for him to offer the deal--that is, the devil will tell Tom how to get incredible wealth, and in exchange, Tom will give the devil his soul.