﻿LITTLE FRANK AND THE BOAT. 167 



Mr. Merrill now took the oars, and very soon they all disembarked 

 under the shade of the great green trees, and the boat was again 

 fastened securely with its chain, and Frank carried the lilies to the 

 house, where his mother arranged them in vases. 



As Mr. Merrill went into the house, he hung the key of the boat 

 upon a nail in the back entry, and said to Frank, " Now remember, 

 my son, that you must never take down that key, nor let any of your 

 companions do so, for you are not old or strong enough to manage 

 the Ijoat, nor do I wish you to ever go out in it, unless I am with 

 you." 



" Yes, papa," answered Frank ; and his father mounted his horse 

 and went into Boston, for he was a merchant, and though he lived 

 out of town, went to the city every day, and did not return until 

 evening. After he was gone, Frank had his lessons to get and 

 recite to his mother, and then he ate his dinner, after which he was 

 allowed to amuse himself in his ow r n way until night. So he 

 called his dog, whose name was Ponto, and went down to the pond 

 to make him swim. When he arrived there he found a boy about 

 his own age, or a little older, who was fishing from the shore. 

 This boy was the son of a poor and intemperate man, who lived in 

 the village, and went by the name of " Old Jake." When Frank 

 saw this boy he called out to him, in rather too haughty a tone for 

 such a little boy to use, 



" Here, you sir ! what are you doing on my father's ground ? 

 Take yourself off, pretty quick too, or I will set my dog on to you." 



The boy looked up meekly, and answered, " If you will be so 

 kind, sir, as to let me catch some fish for my mother, I shall be very 

 much obliged to you; for she is sick." 



Frank was generally very good-humored, but he had allowed 

 himself to dislike this boy without any cause, and he was not now 

 disposed to do him a favor. So he answered, angrily, 



" My father does not allow vagabonds to go wandering over his 

 place and catching his fish, and so you may just take yourself off 

 as quick as you can go. Do you hear ? " 



A quick flush passed over the boy's face, and he was going to 

 make an angry answer, but restraining himself, he gathered up his 

 fishing-tackle and weit away, without again speaking. 



