Page 460 - Child's own book

but os she was putting it into her pocket again she dropped it
on the ground, and walked on. It was lucky that Dick was
behind* and saw what she bad done ; he picked up the purse,
and gave it to her again. Another time, when Miss Alice was
sitting with the window open, and amusing herself with a favour­
ite parmt, it suddenly flow away to the brunch of a high tree,
where ali the servants were afraid to venture after it. As soon
as Dick heard of this, ho pulled off his coat, and climbed up the
tree as nimbly as a sfpiirrel; and after a great deal of trouble,
for Poll hopped about from branch to branch, he caught her
and brought her down safe to his mistress, Miss Alice thanked
him, and liked him ever after for this. The ill-humoured cook
was now a little kinder; but, besides this^ Dick had another
hardship to get ovor. His bed, which was of floek^ stood in a
garret where there were so many hoies in the floor and the
Walls, that every night he wns waked in his sleep by the rats
and mice, which often ran over his face, and made such a noise
that he Sometimes thought the walls were tumbling down about
him. One day, a gentleman who caroc to see Air Fitzwarren,
required his shoos to be cleaned ; Dick took great pains to make
thum shine, and the gentleman gave him a penny. This he
thought he would buy a cat with ■ so the neit day, seeing a little
girl with a cat under bcr arm, he went up to her, and asked if
she would let him have it fora penny* The girl said she would
w ith all her heart, for her mother had more cats than she could
keep. She told him besides, that this one was a very good
inouser. Dick hid his cat in the garret, and always took eare
to carry a part of his dinner to her ; and in a short time he had
no more trouble from the rats and mice, but slept as soundly as
he could wish. Soon after this, his master had a ship ready to
pail; and as he thought it right all his servants should have snmc
chance for good fortune aa well as himself, he called them into
the parlour, and asked them what they would scud out. They