LEAVING HOME.
One pleasant October evening, Arthur Hamilton was at play in front of
the small, brown cottage in which he lived. He and his brother James,
were having a great frolic with a large spotted dog, who was performing
a great variety of antics, such as only well-educated dogs understand.
But Rover had been carefully initiated into the mysteries of making a
bow while standing on his hind legs, tossing pieces of bread off his
nose, putting up his fore-paws with a most imploring look, and piteous
whine, which the boys called "begging for money," and when a chip had
been given him, he uttered a most energetic bow-wow-wow, which they
regarded as equivalent to "thank you, sir," and walked off.
While they were thus amusing themselves, their mother was sitting on the
rude piazza which ran along the front of the cottage, now looking at the
merry children, and then thoughtfully gazing at the long shadows which
were stretching across the road.
