his nice breakfast, Rover
would scamper off to school with Arthur. He was in too fine spirits to
walk by his side, so he would bound off before him, plunging into the
snow drifts up to his neck; then bound back again, with a short quick
bark, shaking himself from the feathery snow; and away again for another
merry race. If he was separated for an hour from Arthur, he would leap
up at his return, and almost overwhelm him with his rough embraces. But
this seldom happened out of school hours, for let Arthur go where he
would, to the barn, the brook, of an errand, or on a visit to his friend
Theodore, there Rover was sure to follow. Arthur would sometimes take
him into his room at night and let him lie there, but Mrs. Martin did
not approve of this, but as she was always up by day-light, she would
open the door and Rover would go scampering up the stairs ready for a
great frolic on Arthur's bed.

As the school continued, Arthur became attached to his teacher and was
quite a favorite with his schoolmates. "_Little_ Arthur Hamilton"
he was always called by them, not because there were not many other boys
smaller than he, but from his gentleness and timid softness, he seemed
one to be protected by them; and the roughest boy never thought of
pushing and striking _him_.

Arthur made a visit of two days at home in the spring vacation. His
mother's heart was cheered by the visible improvement in her boy; and
she told him he had done much to make her happy, by rising above his
weakness and gaining the victory over his besetting sin. "Nothing," she
told him, "could ever grieve his mother's heart like seeing her children
do wrong; nothing ever make her so happy as their doing right."

Henry was still at the Academy, hoping to enter College the ensuing
Commencement; Lucy with her aunt; and James at Captain L's. Arthur did
not see them, but he had a pleasant visit with the rest. He went to all
his favorite places of resort; the orchard, the "old pasture," and the
little brook in the meadow. He led Charlie in one hand, and Emma in the
other out on the green grass in the lot, and picked for them the pretty
wild-flowers which were springing up everywhere among it, while Rover
ran along by their side, or bounded off in a merry frolic. They were all
glad to see Rover once more, and never was a dog so petted and caressed,
as he was on this visit to his old friends.

When Arthur returned home, he found that the spring had brought a
varie