By this time Master Sunshine was busy with Tim, propping him on his hind legs, and rewarding him each time he held himself erect for a second with a kind word or a pat on the head; and when at last Tim balanced himself for a whole half-minute, his teacher flew to the kitchen for a lump of sugar, which the dog crunched with great enjoyment between his sharp white teeth.

It was quite dark before they noticed how the time was going.  The clock was just striking six when Almira Jane put her head in at the dining-room door.

“Mrs. Dane is calling for Tommy,” she announced; “and before he goes I must give you each a bit of lunch.”  And whipping open the oven door with a corner of her apron, she drew out a couple of puffy apple turnovers, all fragrant with cinnamon and gummy with sugar, and sizzling with hot apple-juice.  Tommy glanced slyly at her as he bit into his dainty.

“Your Almira Jane has nice ways, even if her eyes are sharp,” he said to Master Sunshine as he bade him good-by.

CHAPTER IV.

A Sunday with father.

What a welcome day Sunday was to Master Sunshine!

To be sure he did not always enjoy going to church, for sometimes the sermon seemed long and tiresome; but there was always the singing to look forward to, and the breaking up of the congregation after the benediction had been said.  It was always so pleasant then, for the ladies in their pretty gowns and the men in their black Sunday coats exchanged kindly greetings with one another; and Master Sunshine, in his best blue blouse, with golden anchors embroidered on the shoulders, would follow sedately with his family, and shake hands with the minister, and nod to his boy and girl acquaintances in a very grown-up manner.

Though there were many things about the service that he could not understand, yet it always pleased him to think that so many people had come together to do honor to God.  It seemed so like the Old Testament times, when the people went up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

Sunday-school took up another hour of the day, and the lessons there were always easy to understand.  Miss Bell, his young teacher, had always pictures to show them of the places they read about; and there were texts and hymns to recite, and the class missionary box to put pennies in.

But what Master Sunshine looked forward to most of all was the Sunday afternoon walk with his father.  Usually they would ramble off to the woods or to some quiet by-road, and talk over all the doings of the week.  And if Master Sunshine had done anything that was mean or selfish, he was sure to tell about it then.

“Any boy can be good on Sunday, when his father is with him,” explained Master Sunshine; “it’s on the week-days, when there isn’t a man round, that he is most apt to get into trouble.  And I tell you the worst about me, father, so you won’t think I’m a better boy than I really am.”