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MRS. LESLIE'S BOOKS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN.
* * * * *
THE LITTLE FRANKIE SERIES.
BOOKS WRITTEN OR EDITED
By A. R. BAKER,
AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.
* * * * *
QUESTION BOOKS on the Topics of Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
VOL. I. FOR CHILDREN. VOL. II. FOR YOUTH.
VOL. III. FOR ADULTS.
LECTURES ON THESE TOPICS, _in press_.
MRS. LESLIE'S SABBATH SCHOOL BOOKS.
TIM, THE SCISSORS GRINDER.
SEQUEL TO "TIM, THE SCISSORS GRINDER."
PRAIRIE FLOWER.
THE BOUND BOY.
THE BOUND GIRL.
VIRGINIA.
THE TWO HOMES; OR, EARNING AND SPENDING.
THE ORGAN-GRINDER, _in press_.
QUESTION BOOKS. The Catechism tested by the Bible.
VOL. I. FOR CHILDREN. VOL. II. FOR ADULTS.
THE DERMOTT FAMILY; or, Stories Illustrating the Catechism.
VOL. I. DOCTRINES RESPECTING GOD AND MANKIND.
" II. DOCTRINES OF GRACE.
" III. COMMANDMENTS OF THE FIRST TABLE.
" IV. COMMANDMENTS OF THE SECOND TABLE.
" V. CONDITIONS OF ETERNAL LIFE.
MRS. LESLIE'S HOME LIFE.
VOL. I. CORA AND THE DOCTOR.
" II. COURTESIES OF WEDDED LIFE.
" III. THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL.
MRS. LESLIE'S JUVENILE SERIES.
VOL. I. THE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN.
" II. PLAY AND STUDY.
" III. HOWARD AND HIS TEACHER.
" IV. TRYING TO BE USEFUL.
" V. JACK, THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER.
" VI. THE YOUNG HOUSEKEEPER.
" VII. LITTLE AGNES.
THE ROBIN REDBREAST SERIES.
THE ROBINS' NEST.
LITTLE ROBINS IN THE NEST.
LITTLE ROBINS LEARNING TO FLY.
LITTLE ROBINS IN TROUBLE.
LITTLE ROBINS' FRIENDS.
LITTLE ROBINS' LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.
* * * * *
THE LITTLE FRANKIE SERIES.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS MOTHER.
LITTLE FRANKIE AT HIS PLAYS.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS COUSIN.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS FATHER.
LITTLE FRANKIE ON A JOURNEY.
LITTLE FRANKIE AT SCHOOL.
[Illustration: TEACHING PONTO TO READ.]
LITTLE FRANKIE AT HIS PLAYS.
BY MRS. MADELINE LESLIE,
AUTHOR OF "THE HOME LIFE SERIES;" "MRS. LESLIE'S
JUVENILE SERIES," ETC.
BOSTON:
CROSBY AND NICHOLS.
117 WASHINGTON STREET.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by
A. R. BAKER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
ELECTROTYPED AT THE
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.
LITTLE FRANKIE AT HIS PLAYS.
CHAPTER I.
FRANKIE AND HIS WHEELBARROW.
I HAVE already told you that Frankie lived in a pretty cottage,
separated from the road by a green lawn, which lay in front of it. On
the other side of the street, the land was much lower, a little shining
brook running through it, and sometimes, after a rain, there was quite
a pond of water. In winter this was a pleasant place for Willie to
skate. His mamma liked it, because she could watch him from the windows;
Willie liked it, because when his hands were cold he could run home to
warm himself; and Frankie liked it, because it made him laugh and clap
his hands to see his brother bow and turn this way and that, run a few
steps, and then make such pretty figures on the ice. He had no doubt at
all but Willie did all this just to amuse him. If you could have seen
him as he stood in his chair at the front window, how he jumped up and
down, and threw his head back, and then held it far forward on his
breast, laughing so merrily, bursting out afresh every time Willie made
a bow or stretched out his arms, you could not have helped laughing
yourself, out of sympathy.
Sally seemed to enjoy it as much as he did.
"I declare," she said one day, as her mistress entered the room and
found her sitting by the fire with her work, while Frankie stood at the
window, "I haven't laughed so much in a month. It does one's heart good
just to see how the little fellow enjoys his brother's sport."
Back of the house where he lived there was a barn. His papa did not keep
a horse in it, but one day, after some months, a gentleman came to pass
a few days at the cottage, and his horse was put up in the barn. One
pleasant evening, when papa, and mamma, and their friends were walking
in the garden, the gentleman said he would lead his horse down to the
pond, and give him some water to drink, and he invited Willie to ride
upon the horse's back. Willie's papa helped him on, and he held fast by
the horse's mane. When he came back, Frankie wanted to ride too. Mamma
was afraid he would fall; but the gentleman said the horse was gentle,
and papa said he would hold him very tightly.
So Frankie mounted the horse, and took his first lesson in riding. Papa
was going to walk about the grounds, but the little boy said, "Pony
want water gen, papa; pony must have more water."
Frankie had never been to the pond before. First they had to cross the
road, then go through the rail fence into the field. The gentleman let
down two bars, and the horse carefully stepped over the other. Then papa
held his baby very tight, because they were going down a steep place
into the water. The gentleman thought pony would not drink again; but he
did, and Frankie leaned over, and saw him suck up great mouthfuls of
water. Then they turned back, and went out of the field, papa holding
the horse, while the gentleman put up the bars again.
Mamma was very glad to get her boy safely home. She had been anxious all
the time, for fear he would fall and hurt himself, though papa laughed,
and told her there was no danger. She had kept Ponto near her, for fear
he would bark and frighten the strange horse. But the moment Frankie was
taken off, he flew up to him, and licked his face and hands, and tried
to spring on his neck, he was so glad to see him.
I don't know what Frankie would have done without Ponto. Willie and
Margie were at school; and there were a great many hours when he would
have had to play alone. But Ponto was always ready for a frolic. He was
never tired or out of humor, though sometimes he was rather too rough;
and then he loved his young master so much, that he wanted to kiss him
oftener than Frankie liked.
Early in the summer, papa had bought a wheelbarrow for his boy to roll
in the yard. It was painted red, and on the sides were pretty pictures
painted in gilt. It had long, smooth handles, and a large wheel, so that
it ran along the walks very nicely indeed.
I wish you could have been there to see what pleasant plays Frankie had
with his dog and his wheelbarrow; but as you were not, I will try to
tell you about it.
Mamma had made a pretty sun bonnet, with a deep frill to shade his
face, and as soon as the sun had dried up the dew, she tied it on his
head, and let him run all about the grounds with only Ponto to take care
of him.
Ponto knew very well that the little fellow was left in his charge; and
when mamma said, "Ponto, look here, sir; take care of your little
master," he would hold up his head, and wag his tail, and bow, wow,
wow, as much as to say, "Yes, indeed, ma'am."
Then Frankie would run along wheeling his barrow, and Ponto close beside
him, until they came to the woodpile. Here the little boy stopped, and
began to fill his barrow with sticks; and Ponto picked them up in his
teeth almost as fast as Frankie did with his hands. Sometimes he was
wild and full of fun, so that when Frankie wanted to take the stick
from his mouth and put it in the barrow, Ponto would spring up into the
air, and run away; but when he heard his master say, "Come here, sir,"
he would be sober in a moment. O, Ponto was a very knowing dog indeed!
When the barrow was full, Frankie rolled it to the back door, and put it
in a basket set there for him by Jane. When she saw him coming, she
called out through the window, "Sure and he's not a baby at all, but a
man entirely, to be bringing me all my wood. Sure and I'll make him a
nice cake for his supper."
Then Frankie felt very large, and walked off with his head up and his
lips parted in a pleasant smile.
By and by Frankie would be tired of wheeling wood; then he used to take
Jane's small kitchen shovel, and fill his barrow with sand; and what do
you think he did with it. I am sure you cannot guess. Why, he poured it
all over Ponto. The first time he did this, the dog did not like it at
all; but when he heard Frankie laughing so merrily, and saw how much he
was pleased, he felt, I suppose, willing to submit. So he lay down again
in the walk, and this time Frankie laughed so that he did not half fill
the barrow before he poured it over the dog again.
Much as he tried to like it, I suppose Ponto was not very much pleased,
for he soon got up and shook himself thoroughly, and then barked a
little, as if to say, "No more, if you please."