Beautiful Joe [26]
below. He always listened till he heard it drop,
then he ran down and brought it back and pushed it through again. He did this
till he was tired, and then he brought the ball and laid it at Miss Laura's
feet.
We both had been taught a number of tricks. We could sneeze and cough, and be
dead dogs, and say our prayers, and stand on our heads, and mount a ladder and
say the alphabet, this was the hardest of all, and it took Miss Laura a long
time to teach us. We never began till a book was laid before us. Then we stared
at it, and Miss Laura said, "Begin, Joe and Billy say A."
For A, we gave a little squeal. B was louder C was louder still. We barked for
some letters, and growled for others. We always turned a summersault for S. When
we got to Z, we gave the book a push and had a frolic around the room.
When any one came in, and Miss Laura had us show off any of our tricks, the
remark always was, "What clever dogs. They are not like other dogs."
That was a mistake. Billy and I were not any brighter than many a miserable cur
that skulked about the streets of Fairport. It was kindness and patience that
did it all. When I was with Jenkins he thought I was a very stupid dog. He would
have laughed at the idea of any one teaching me anything. But I was only sullen
and obstinate, because I was kicked about so much. If he had been kind to me, I
would have done anything for him.
I loved to wait on Miss Laura and Mrs. Morris and they taught both Billy and me
to make ourselves useful about the house. Mrs. Morris didn't like going up and
down the three long staircases, and sometimes we just raced up and down, waiting
on her.
How often I have heard her go into the hall and say, "Please send me down a
clean duster, Laura. Joe, you get it." I would run gayly up the steps, and then
would come Billy's turn. "Billy, I have forgotten my keys. Go get them."
After a time we began to know the names of different articles, and where they
were kept, and could get them ourselves. On sweeping days we worked very hard,
and enjoyed the fun. If Mrs. Morris was too far away to call to Mary for what
she wanted, she wrote the name on a piece of paper, and told us to take it to
her.
Billy always took the letters from the postman, and carried the morning paper up
to Mr. Morris's study, and I always put away the clean clothes. After they were
mended, Mrs. Morris folded each article and gave it to me, mentioning the name
of the owner, so that I could lay it on his bed, There was no need for her to
tell me the names. I knew by the smell. All human beings have a strong smell to
a dog, even though they mayn't notice it themselves. Mrs. Morris never knew how
she bothered me by giving away Miss Laura's clothes to poor people. Once, I
followed her track all through the town, and at last found it was only a pair of
her boots on a ragged child in the gutter.
I must say a word about Billy's tail before I close this chapter. It is the
custom to cut the ends of fox terrier's tails, but leave their ears untouched.
Billy came to Miss Laura so young that his tail had not been cut off, and she
would not have it done.
One day Mr. Robinson came in to see him and he said, "You have made a fine-
looking dog of him, but his appearance is ruined by the length of his tail."
"Mr. Robinson," said Mrs. Morris, patting little Billy, who lay on her lap,
"don't you think that this little dog has a beautifully proportioned body?"
"Yes, I do," said the gentleman. "His points are all correct, save that one."
"But," she said, "if our Creator made that beautiful little body, don't you
think he is wise enough to know what length of tail would be in proportion to
it?"
Mr. Robinson would not answer her. He only laughed and said that he thought she
and Miss Laura were both "cranks."
CHAPTER XI GOLDFISH AND CANARIES
THE Morris boys were all different. Jack was bright and clever, Ned was a wag,
Willie was a book-worm, and Carl was a born trader.
He was always exchanging
then he ran down and brought it back and pushed it through again. He did this
till he was tired, and then he brought the ball and laid it at Miss Laura's
feet.
We both had been taught a number of tricks. We could sneeze and cough, and be
dead dogs, and say our prayers, and stand on our heads, and mount a ladder and
say the alphabet, this was the hardest of all, and it took Miss Laura a long
time to teach us. We never began till a book was laid before us. Then we stared
at it, and Miss Laura said, "Begin, Joe and Billy say A."
For A, we gave a little squeal. B was louder C was louder still. We barked for
some letters, and growled for others. We always turned a summersault for S. When
we got to Z, we gave the book a push and had a frolic around the room.
When any one came in, and Miss Laura had us show off any of our tricks, the
remark always was, "What clever dogs. They are not like other dogs."
That was a mistake. Billy and I were not any brighter than many a miserable cur
that skulked about the streets of Fairport. It was kindness and patience that
did it all. When I was with Jenkins he thought I was a very stupid dog. He would
have laughed at the idea of any one teaching me anything. But I was only sullen
and obstinate, because I was kicked about so much. If he had been kind to me, I
would have done anything for him.
I loved to wait on Miss Laura and Mrs. Morris and they taught both Billy and me
to make ourselves useful about the house. Mrs. Morris didn't like going up and
down the three long staircases, and sometimes we just raced up and down, waiting
on her.
How often I have heard her go into the hall and say, "Please send me down a
clean duster, Laura. Joe, you get it." I would run gayly up the steps, and then
would come Billy's turn. "Billy, I have forgotten my keys. Go get them."
After a time we began to know the names of different articles, and where they
were kept, and could get them ourselves. On sweeping days we worked very hard,
and enjoyed the fun. If Mrs. Morris was too far away to call to Mary for what
she wanted, she wrote the name on a piece of paper, and told us to take it to
her.
Billy always took the letters from the postman, and carried the morning paper up
to Mr. Morris's study, and I always put away the clean clothes. After they were
mended, Mrs. Morris folded each article and gave it to me, mentioning the name
of the owner, so that I could lay it on his bed, There was no need for her to
tell me the names. I knew by the smell. All human beings have a strong smell to
a dog, even though they mayn't notice it themselves. Mrs. Morris never knew how
she bothered me by giving away Miss Laura's clothes to poor people. Once, I
followed her track all through the town, and at last found it was only a pair of
her boots on a ragged child in the gutter.
I must say a word about Billy's tail before I close this chapter. It is the
custom to cut the ends of fox terrier's tails, but leave their ears untouched.
Billy came to Miss Laura so young that his tail had not been cut off, and she
would not have it done.
One day Mr. Robinson came in to see him and he said, "You have made a fine-
looking dog of him, but his appearance is ruined by the length of his tail."
"Mr. Robinson," said Mrs. Morris, patting little Billy, who lay on her lap,
"don't you think that this little dog has a beautifully proportioned body?"
"Yes, I do," said the gentleman. "His points are all correct, save that one."
"But," she said, "if our Creator made that beautiful little body, don't you
think he is wise enough to know what length of tail would be in proportion to
it?"
Mr. Robinson would not answer her. He only laughed and said that he thought she
and Miss Laura were both "cranks."
CHAPTER XI GOLDFISH AND CANARIES
THE Morris boys were all different. Jack was bright and clever, Ned was a wag,
Willie was a book-worm, and Carl was a born trader.
He was always exchanging