Beautiful Joe [24]
and scolding about "that pesky parrot." Mr. Morris made him come back
into the house, and had a talk with him. He found out that he was a poor,
ignorant lad, half starved by a drunken father. He and his brother stole
clothes, and sent them to his sister in Boston, who sold them and returned part
of the money.
Mr. Morris asked him if he would not like to get his living in an honest way,
and he said he had tried to, but no one would employ him. Mr. Morris told him to
go home and take leave of his father and get his brother and bring him to
Washington street the next day. He told him plainly that if he did not he would
send a policeman after him.
The boy begged Mr. Morris not to do that, and early the next morning he appeared
with his brother. Mrs. Morris gave them a good breakfast and fitted them out
with clothes, and they were sent off in the train to one of her brothers, who
was a kind farmer in the country, and who had been telegraphed to that these
boys were coming, and wished to be provided with situations where they would
have a chance to make honest men of themselves.
CHAPTER X BILLY'S TRAINING CONTINUED
WHEN Billy was five months old, he had his first walk in the street. Miss Laura
knew that he had been well trained, so she did not hesitate to take him into the
town. She was not the kind of a young lady to go into the street with a dog that
would not behave himself, and she was never willing to attract attention to
herself by calling out orders to any of her pets.
As soon as we got down the front steps, she said, quietly to Billy, "To heel."
It was very hard for little, playful Billy to keep close to her when he saw so
many new and wonderful things about him. He had gotten acquainted with
everything in the house and garden, but this outside world was full of things he
wanted to look at and smell of, and he was fairly crazy to play with some of the
pretty dogs he saw running about. But he did just as he was told.
Soon we came to a shop, and Miss Laura went in to buy some ribbons. She said to
me, "Stay out," but Billy she took in with her. I watched them through the glass
door, and saw her go to a counter and sit down. Billy stood behind her till she
said, "Lie down." Then he curled himself at her feet.
He lay quietly, even when she left him and went to another counter. But he eyed
her very anxiously till she came back and said, "Up," to him. Then he sprang up
and followed her out to the street.
She stood in the shop door, and looked lovingly down on us as we fawned on her.
"Good dogs," she said, softly; "you shall have a present." We went behind her
again, and she took us to a shop where we both lay beside the counter. When we
heard her ask the clerk for solid rubber balls, we could scarcely keep still. We
both knew what "ball" meant.
Taking the parcel in her hand, she came out into the street. She did not do any
more shopping, but turned her face toward the sea. She was going to give us a
nice walk along the beach, although it was a dark, disagreeable, cloudy day when
most young ladies would have stayed in the house. The Morris children never
minded the weather. Even in the pouring rain, the boys would put on rubber boots
and coats and go out to play. Miss Laura walked along, the high wind blowing her
cloak and dress about, and when we got past the houses, she had a little run
with us.
We jumped, and frisked, and barked, till we were tired; and then we walked
quietly along.
A little distance ahead of us were some boys throwing sticks in the water for
two Newfoundland dogs. Suddenly a quarrel sprang up between the dogs. They were
both powerful creatures, and fairly matched as regarded size. It was terrible to
hear their fierce growling, and to see the way in which they tore at each
other's throats. I looked at Miss Laura. If she had said a word, I would have
run in and helped the dog that was getting the worst of it. But she told me to
keep back, and ran on herself.
The boys were throwing water
into the house, and had a talk with him. He found out that he was a poor,
ignorant lad, half starved by a drunken father. He and his brother stole
clothes, and sent them to his sister in Boston, who sold them and returned part
of the money.
Mr. Morris asked him if he would not like to get his living in an honest way,
and he said he had tried to, but no one would employ him. Mr. Morris told him to
go home and take leave of his father and get his brother and bring him to
Washington street the next day. He told him plainly that if he did not he would
send a policeman after him.
The boy begged Mr. Morris not to do that, and early the next morning he appeared
with his brother. Mrs. Morris gave them a good breakfast and fitted them out
with clothes, and they were sent off in the train to one of her brothers, who
was a kind farmer in the country, and who had been telegraphed to that these
boys were coming, and wished to be provided with situations where they would
have a chance to make honest men of themselves.
CHAPTER X BILLY'S TRAINING CONTINUED
WHEN Billy was five months old, he had his first walk in the street. Miss Laura
knew that he had been well trained, so she did not hesitate to take him into the
town. She was not the kind of a young lady to go into the street with a dog that
would not behave himself, and she was never willing to attract attention to
herself by calling out orders to any of her pets.
As soon as we got down the front steps, she said, quietly to Billy, "To heel."
It was very hard for little, playful Billy to keep close to her when he saw so
many new and wonderful things about him. He had gotten acquainted with
everything in the house and garden, but this outside world was full of things he
wanted to look at and smell of, and he was fairly crazy to play with some of the
pretty dogs he saw running about. But he did just as he was told.
Soon we came to a shop, and Miss Laura went in to buy some ribbons. She said to
me, "Stay out," but Billy she took in with her. I watched them through the glass
door, and saw her go to a counter and sit down. Billy stood behind her till she
said, "Lie down." Then he curled himself at her feet.
He lay quietly, even when she left him and went to another counter. But he eyed
her very anxiously till she came back and said, "Up," to him. Then he sprang up
and followed her out to the street.
She stood in the shop door, and looked lovingly down on us as we fawned on her.
"Good dogs," she said, softly; "you shall have a present." We went behind her
again, and she took us to a shop where we both lay beside the counter. When we
heard her ask the clerk for solid rubber balls, we could scarcely keep still. We
both knew what "ball" meant.
Taking the parcel in her hand, she came out into the street. She did not do any
more shopping, but turned her face toward the sea. She was going to give us a
nice walk along the beach, although it was a dark, disagreeable, cloudy day when
most young ladies would have stayed in the house. The Morris children never
minded the weather. Even in the pouring rain, the boys would put on rubber boots
and coats and go out to play. Miss Laura walked along, the high wind blowing her
cloak and dress about, and when we got past the houses, she had a little run
with us.
We jumped, and frisked, and barked, till we were tired; and then we walked
quietly along.
A little distance ahead of us were some boys throwing sticks in the water for
two Newfoundland dogs. Suddenly a quarrel sprang up between the dogs. They were
both powerful creatures, and fairly matched as regarded size. It was terrible to
hear their fierce growling, and to see the way in which they tore at each
other's throats. I looked at Miss Laura. If she had said a word, I would have
run in and helped the dog that was getting the worst of it. But she told me to
keep back, and ran on herself.
The boys were throwing water