ped
down from his mother's lap, and clasped his arms around Ponto's neck.
"O, you good dog," he said, "I love you, I do."

Ponto knew very well what this meant, and he rapped with his tail as
hard as he could on the rug. Then Frankie made the dog lie down, and he
laid his head upon him.

Ponto was delighted to have his little master use him for a pillow; so
he lay very still indeed. I suppose he thought Frankie wished to go to
sleep.

Then Mrs. Gray told Nelly how the good dog had pulled Frankie out of the
water, and how much they all loved him. But Nelly only said, "I hate
dogs, I do, they're so ugly and cross;" and then she put her finger in
her mouth again.

"Mamma," said Frankie, "I want to hear 'bout Moses 'gen. Pease, mamma,
tell me toly 'bout Moses."

"Well," said mamma, "I'll get my sewing and tell you the rest of the
story." So Frankie lay with his head on Ponto, and listened to mamma.
Nelly sat in her little chair, and sucked her finger and tended her
doll. "I told you," said the lady, "that Moses began to wish he had not
touched the orange; but it was of no use to wish that now, for there it
was all squeezed and sucked, and what should he do with it?

"When the cook had set the table, she rang the bell, and presently his
father and mother came down to breakfast.

"'Where's Moses?' asked his mamma; 'I expected to find him at the
table.'

"'He came down early,' said the cook; 'but I have not seen him for a
good while.'

"'Won't you see if he is out doors?' said the lady.

"Moses knew it was of no use for him to wait any longer; so he came out
laughing.

"'Why, what were you doing, my dear?' asked the lady.

"'I was hiding,' said the boy."

"O, that was a naughty lie!" exclaimed Frankie.

"Yes, dear, when children do one naughty thing, they almost always do
another. Moses had stolen his mother's orange, and now he told a lie to
hide it. His mother did not think he would act so wickedly. She asked,
'Do you remember, Moses, this is your birthday.'

"'Yes, mamma.'

"'You have a very pleasant day for your party,' said his father; and
then Moses began to talk about what he should play when his company
came. 'Shall you have the supper first?' he asked.

"'No, my dear. I shall wait until you have played a while.'

"After breakfast the lady swept and dusted the parlors, to have them
ready for the party. Then she sat down to her sewing, while she heard
Moses read and spell. After this he went out