Every few hours for the rest of the day, she gave him some more milk, and I heard the boys say that for many nights she got up once or twice and heated milk over a lamp for him.  One night the milk got cold before he took it, and he swelled up and became so ill that Miss Laura had to rouse her mother and get some hot water to plunge him in.  That made him well again, and no one seemed to think it was a great deal of trouble to take for a creature that was nothing but a dog.

He fully repaid them for all his care, for he turned out to be one of the prettiest and most lovable dogs that I ever saw.  They called him Billy, and the two events of his early life were the opening of his eyes and the swallowing of his muslin rag.  The rag did not seem to hurt him; but Miss Laura said that, as he had got so strong and so greedy, he must learn to eat like other dogs.

He was very amusing when he was a puppy.  He was full of tricks, and he crept about in a mischievous way when one did not know he was near.  He was a very small puppy and used to climb inside Miss Laura’s Jersey sleeve up to her shoulder when he was six weeks old.  One day, when the whole family was in the parlor, Mr. Morris suddenly flung aside his newspaper, and began jumping up and down.  Mrs. Morris was very much alarmed, and cried out, “My dear William, what is the matter?”

“There’s a rat up my leg,” he said, shaking it violently.  Just then little Billy fell out on the floor and lay on his back looking up at Mr. Morris with a surprised face.  He had felt cold and thought it would be warm inside Mr. Morris’ trouser’s leg.

However, Billy never did any real mischief, thanks to Miss Laura’s training.  She began to punish him just as soon as he began to tear and worry things.  The first thing he attacked was Mr. Morris’ felt hat.  The wind blew it down the hall one day, and Billy came along and began to try it with his teeth.  I dare say it felt good to them, for a puppy is very like a baby and loves something to bite.

Miss Laura found him, and he rolled his eyes at her quite innocently, not knowing that he was doing wrong.  She took the hat away, and pointing from it to him, said, “Bad Billy!” Then she gave him two or three slaps with a bootlace.  She never struck a little dog with her hand or a stick.

She said clubs were for big dogs and switches for little dogs, if one had to use them.  The best way was to scold them, for a good dog feels a severe scolding as much as a whipping.

Billy was very much ashamed of himself.  Nothing would induce him even to look at a hat again.  But he thought it was no harm to worry other things.  He attacked one thing after another, the rugs on the floor, curtains, anything flying or fluttering, and Miss Laura patiently scolded him for each one, till at last it dawned upon him that he must not worry anything but a bone.  Then he got to be a very good dog.

There was one thing that Miss Laura was very particular about, and that was to have him fed regularly.  We both got three meals a day.  We were never allowed to go into the dining room, and while the family was at the table, we lay in the hall outside and watched what was going on.