8 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



Spectacles himself. Father says, he is a responsi- 

 bility the first real one I've ever had. Do you 

 know what that means ? Well, it is this way. 



" Before Tommy came, if I was careless about 

 anything like getting my feet sopping wet, tearing 

 my frocks and forgetting about meal times, I had 

 wet feet, or scratched arms, or felt hungry, but 

 that was all. Now, if I do these things and 

 Tommy sees me and does them too, I'm responsi- 

 ble for him, do you see? So responsibility is a 

 thing that makes you mind what you do and isn't 

 altogether comfortable. Waddles love, I might as 

 well tell you first as last, you are going to have 

 a responsibility too. A new dog is coming to live 

 here to-morrow, or next day, or whenever the 

 snow stops. You will have to help train him and 

 teach him to be neat and eat his food off his plate 

 and sit on his own mat, and not get up on the sofas, 

 or lie down or dig in mother's flower beds, besides 

 all the other things you've learned." 



" A new dog here ! " yelped Waddles, bristling 

 and springing up as quickly as if some one had 

 cried, " cat " or " rat." " Missy, only a minute 

 ago you said that you didn't take one of those 

 polite little spaniels that Obi offered you because 

 you loved me so; and now to think of it a 

 strange dog coming ! I'll go out in the snow and 



