nted in gilt. It had long, smooth handles, and a large wheel, so that
it ran along the walks very nicely indeed.

I wish you could have been there to see what pleasant plays Frankie had
with his dog and his wheelbarrow; but as you were not, I will try to
tell you about it.

Mamma had made a pretty sun bonnet, with a deep frill to shade his
face, and as soon as the sun had dried up the dew, she tied it on his
head, and let him run all about the grounds with only Ponto to take care
of him.

Ponto knew very well that the little fellow was left in his charge; and
when mamma said, "Ponto, look here, sir; take care of your little
master," he would hold up his head, and wag his tail, and bow, wow,
wow, as much as to say, "Yes, indeed, ma'am."

Then Frankie would run along wheeling his barrow, and Ponto close beside
him, until they came to the woodpile. Here the little boy stopped, and
began to fill his barrow with sticks; and Ponto picked them up in his
teeth almost as fast as Frankie did with his hands. Sometimes he was
wild and full of fun, so that when Frankie wanted to take the stick
from his mouth and put it in the barrow, Ponto would spring up into the
air, and run away; but when he heard his master say, "Come here, sir,"
he would be sober in a moment. O, Ponto was a very knowing dog indeed!

When the barrow was full, Frankie rolled it to the back door, and put it
in a basket set there for him by Jane. When she saw him coming, she
called out through the window, "Sure and he's not a baby at all, but a
man entirely, to be bringing me all my wood. Sure and I'll make him a
nice cake for his supper."

Then Frankie felt very large, and walked off with his head up and his
lips parted in a pleasant smile.

By and by Frankie would be tired of wheeling wood; then he used to take
Jane's small kitchen shovel, and fill his barrow with sand; and what do
you think he did with it. I am sure you cannot guess. Why, he poured it
all over Ponto. The first time he did this, the dog did not like it at
all; but when he heard Frankie laughing so merrily, and saw how much he
was pleased, he felt, I suppose, willing to submit. So he lay down again
in the walk, and this time Frankie laughed so that he did not half fill
the barrow before he poured it over the dog again.

Much as he tried to like it, I suppose Ponto was not very much pleased,
for he soon got up and shook himself thoroughly, and then barked a
little, as if to say, "No more,