280 FAREWELL TO FLIPPY. 



name," said Lawrence, " because she wished to prevent you 

 from sliding down the banisters. It was only out of re- 

 gard for your safety that she did it. I knew a boy once 

 who fell and broke his leg by sliding down the banisters." 



"I know," said Flippy; "but I could poise myself ex- 

 actly; besides, it was not a very bad name for her, for she 

 was really rather bony." 



Just at this moment the bell rang, and a steward called 

 out, "All ashore that's going !" So Flippy rose, and, bid- 

 ding Lawrence good-by, he and John went down the com- 

 panion-way to the main deck, and there Flippy fell into 

 the current of people that were pouring in a continued 

 stream over the plank to the pier. The last thing that 

 Flippy said was that he wished Lawrence had allowed him 

 to go with him and John. 



" I might have gone just as well as not," said he, " and I 

 could have written to my father at the first stopping-place 

 to send me some money and a trunk full of clothes." 



Before John had made his way back to where Lawrence 

 was sitting, the steam-boat had begun to move away from 

 the pier, and very soon began to glide very swiftly past 

 the long line of ships, and ferry-boats, and canal-boats, and 

 sloops which lay at the wharves and filled the docks which 

 here formed the margin of the river. 



" I like Flippy pretty well," said John, as soon as he had 

 resumed his seat, " but I don't think he is very grateful to 

 his mother." 



" It is partly because he does not know how much she 

 has done and suffered for him," replied Lawrence. " There 

 seems to be a principle of gratitude in his heart, or else he 

 would not have thought of bringing a present to me, on 

 account, as he says, of my having been kind to him." 



Here Lawrence held up the parcel which Flippy had 

 given him, and which was still lying in his lap. 



