Page 172 - Child's own book

him ; 1 w as very m uch afFtctcd w ith h is liEstory - and since lit
deserves so good a character, if you w ill part w ith him , I w ill
in stan tly take him into m y Service." T h e m aster replied, th a t
h e should part w ith him w ith great satisfaction to such an
e x c elle n t m istress ; that indeed tho hoy deserved all the com ­
m endations w h ich had been g iv en , hut since the other lads iiad
such a habit o f plaguing, and J a c k w as o f sn im patien t a
tem per, lid despaired of ever com posing th eir anim osities. Jack
w as th en called, and inform ed o f the lady's offer, w hich h e
in stan tly accepted w ith the greatest readiness, and received
Im m ediate directions to her hou^c, .la ck w as now Id a new
sphere o f life. II is face w a s w ashed, h is hair cum bed, lie w as
clothed afresh, and appeared a very smart, active lad. His
business was to help in (lie stable, to water the horses, to
clean shoes, to perform errands, and to do all the jobs of the
family; and in tlie Sfachaijjc rtf these services be soon gave
general satisfaction. lie was indefatigable in doing what he
was ordered, never grumbled, or appeared out of temper, and
seemed so (juiet and inoffensive in his manner, that everybody
wondered how he had acquired the character of being fjnarrcl-
some. In a short time he became both the favourite and the
drudge o f the whole family ; for speak but kindly to him, and
call him ft little soldier, and Jack was at every one’s disposal.
This was Jack’s particular foible and vanity; at his leisure
hours would divert himself, by the hour together, in poising
a dung-fork, charging with a broom-stick, and standing sentry
at the Stable door. Another propensity of Jack’s, which now
discovered itself, was an immoderate love of horses. Jack was
never tired with rubbing down and carrying them ; the
coachman had scarcely any business but to sit upon his box;
all the operations of the stable were intrusted to Little Jack,
nor was it ever known that he ncglccted a single particular*