superintendence of my mother.

On this particular morning I was working with energy at a rule-of-three
sum, being engaged in a sort of exciting race with the clock, of which
the result was still doubtful. When, however, the little click, which
meant, as I well knew, five minutes to twelve, sounded, I had attained
my quotient in plain figures; a few moments more, and the process of
_fours into, twelves into, twenties into_, had been accomplished;
and just as the clock struck twelve I was able to hand up my slate
triumphantly with my task completed.

"A drawn game, mamma!" I exclaimed, "between me and the clock;" and
then with eager eyes I followed hers, as she rapidly ran over the
figures which had cost me so much trouble, and from time to time
relieved my mind by a quiet commentary: "Quite right so far;--No
mistakes yet;--You have worked it out well."

Frisk, the intelligent, the affectionate, the well-beloved companion of
my sports, and the recipient of many of my confidences, woke up from his
nap, stretched himself, came and placed his fore-paws upon my knees,
and, looking up in my face, spoke as plainly as if endowed with the
capacity of expressing himself in human language, to this effect:--"I'm
very glad you have finished your lessons; and glad, too, that I was able
to sleep on a mat in the window, where the warm sunshine has made me
extremely comfortable. But now your lessons are done, I hope you'll lose
no time, but come out to play at once. I'm ready when you are."

And Frisk's tail wagged faster and faster when my mother's inspection of
my sum was concluded, so that I could not help thinking he must have
understood her when she said,--"There are no mistakes, Willie; you have
been a good, industrious little boy this morning; you may go out to play
with a light heart."

I did not need twice telling, but very soon put away all my books and
maps, and the slate, with its right side carefully turned down, that it
might not get rubbed, wiped the pens, placed my copy-book in the drawer,
and presented myself for that final kiss with which my mother was wont
to terminate our proceedings, and which was on this occasion accompanied
by the remonstrance that I was getting quite too big a boy for such
nonsense.

Then at a bound I disappeared through the window, which opened on the
lawn, and let off my pent-up steam in the circumnavigation of the
garden, with Frisk barking at my heels; clearing the geranium-bed with a
f