James's father came out of the house, and he said, "If I were to
let you keep this dog, are you sure that you would be always kind to
him, and use him well?" And James said, "Yes, father, indeed I would,"
Then his father said, "We must try to find out his proper master, if he
has one, and send him to his own home; but if he has not a proper
master, nor a home, he shall be your dog, my boy, and we will have a
kennel made for him; and as he has been such a roving dog, Rover shall
be his name."

So James's father asked a great many people about the dog, to try to
find out his master and his home. But no one knew anything about him,
and no one could tell where he came from. And some kind people said they
were glad that he had found a good home, and he was a wise dog not to go
away from it.

So James kept him for his own, and there was a kennel made for him, and
it was set up in a corner of the yard. And he was called by the name of
Rover, as he had been such a roving dog all the time that he had no
home.

ANNIE GROVE'S SHOE.

One warm summer day, when little Annie Grove was coming home from
school, some of her school-fellows said, "Let us go into the fields and
get some flowers to take home." So they got over the stile into the
field by the side of the road. Annie could not get over the stile at
first, for it was a high one; but her brother John and Jane Gray told
her to put her foot upon the step, and then they lifted her over into
the field. Her brother was older than the rest, so he was tall and
strong. It is right that the older boys and girls should be kind to the
little ones, but they should not help them to do wrong; and John knew
that they were both doing wrong when he helped to lift Annie over into
the field.

[Illustration]

They all ran about the fields a long time, for it was a fine sun-shiny
day. When they grew hot and tired, they sat down under some trees beside
a narrow brook. After a while, Jane Gray said, "How nice it would be to
wade over the brook this warm day!" And one said, "I will do it," and
some one else said, "I will do it," and so they all jumped up and got
ready to wade over the brook. Little Annie Grove jumped up too, and took
off her shoes and her little white socks, and she held up her frock
round her, and put the shoes and socks into her frock to keep them safe.
Then she put her little bare feet into the water to wade across the
brook. She would not have done it if any grown-