THE LITTLE DOGS.
Frank had two pretty little dogs,
With hair as soft as silk,
A few brown spots upon their back,
The rest as white as milk.
And many a happy hour they had,
In dull or shining weather;
For, in the house, or in the fields,
They always were together.
It was rare fun to see them race
Through fields of bright-red clover,
And jump across the running brooks,
Flush and his brother Rover.
MRS. CHILD.
ALFRED, with all his brothers and sisters, had been taught to tell the
exact truth. They had learned many texts of Scripture which speak of the
sin and punishment of lying. These are a few of them:—
“The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.” Psa. lxiii, 11.
“The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is
but for a moment.” Prov. xii, 19.
“All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone.” Rev. xxi, 8.
Alfred’s brother Frank had two very beautiful young dogs. They had been
given him by a friend, and were of a scarce and valuable breed. One of
the dogs he had named Flush, and the other Rover. They had brown, silken
ears, and brown spots on their backs and legs. They had just been taken
from their mother when Frank brought them home in his arms. They mourned
a little; and Alfred and Flora felt sorry for them. They thought that
they cried for their mother; and I suppose they did. Frank fed them with
some warm milk. Then he let Alfred and Flora stroke them. After they had
been fed they lay down very quietly, and went to sleep. It was time for
Frank to go to school: so he said to Alfred and Flora,
“You must not touch my little dogs while I am at school.”
Little Flora said,
“No, brother, I will not.”
But Alfred said,
“May I not put them in my apron, very softly? I will not hurt them; for
I love them.”
His brother said,
“When I am at home I will let you play with the little dogs; but you
must promise me not to touch my dogs while I am at school. They are very
tender; and if you were not to lift them in just the right way, you
would hurt, and perhaps kill them.”
Alfred then said,
“Frank, I will not touch the pretty little things when you are away; but
you will let me pat them when you are at home, won’t you?”
“Yes; you may play with them, and pat them, when I am here; and then you
may feed them sometimes, too; but you will certainly remember your
promise when I am away.”
Some days after this, when Frank was at school, Alfred’s mamma heard him
say,
“O, pretty little fellows! nice little fellows! I love you very much,
little Flush and little Rover!”
Alfred’s mamma stepped into the hall to see what her little boy was
doing. He was standing by the steps of the kitchen door; and the dogs
were trying to climb into the house. But when they had put their paws
upon the step they would fall backward; for they were too small to climb
up. Alfred would stretch out his hand to help the little dogs; and then
he would draw it back again when he remembered his promise to his
brother.
The little colored boy was rubbing his knives in the kitchen, and he
said to Alfred,
“The dogs want to get up the steps. My hands are all brick-dust. Take
hold, and help them up.”
But Alfred said,
“O, I must not touch them, John; for I promised I would not. I wish I
_could_ lift the little things up!”
It made Alfred’s mamma glad to find how well her dear boy kept his word.
She lifted the dogs into the kitchen; and they seemed happy and well
satisfied, for they laid down close together, behind the door, and went
fast asleep.
[Illustration]
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