“Frank, I will not touch the pretty little things when you are away; but you will let me pat them when you are at home, won’t you?”
“Yes; you may play with them, and pat them, when I am here; and then you may feed them sometimes, too; but you will certainly remember your promise when I am away.”
Some days after this, when Frank was at school, Alfred’s mamma heard him say,
“O, pretty little fellows! nice little fellows! I love you very much, little Flush and little Rover!”
Alfred’s mamma stepped into the hall to see what her little boy was doing. He was standing by the steps of the kitchen door; and the dogs were trying to climb into the house. But when they had put their paws upon the step they would fall backward; for they were too small to climb up. Alfred would stretch out his hand to help the little dogs; and then he would draw it back again when he remembered his promise to his brother.
The little colored boy was rubbing his knives in the kitchen, and he said to Alfred,
“The dogs want to get up the steps. My hands are all brick-dust. Take hold, and help them up.”
But Alfred said,
“O, I must not touch them, John; for I promised I would not. I wish I could lift the little things up!”
It made Alfred’s mamma glad to find how well her dear boy kept his word. She lifted the dogs into the kitchen; and they seemed happy and well satisfied, for they laid down close together, behind the door, and went fast asleep.