At first Mary drew back in alarm, for the dog, though young, was unusually large; but her fears soon vanished when she saw how affectionate he was, licking her own and Alice's hands, and bounding playfully upon his master's shoulders.
"He is a nice fellow," said she, stroking his shaggy sides.

What do you call him ?" "Tasso," answered Billy; and then seeing Mr.Parker at a distance, and wishing to speak to him, he walked away.
Three weeks from that time the winter school commenced; and Billy took up his abode at the poor-house, greatly to the satisfaction of Sally and Mary, and greatly to the annoyance of Miss Grundy, who, since Patsy's death, was crosser and more fault-finding than ever.
"Smart idea!" said she, "to have that great lummux around to be waited on!" and when she saw how happy his presence seemed to make Mary, she vented her displeasure upon her in various ways, conjuring up all sorts of reasons why she should stay out of school as often as possible, and wondering "what the world was a coming to, when young ones hardly out of the cradle begun to court! It wasn't so in her younger days, goodness knew!" "I wouldn't venture a great many remarks about my younger days, if I were you, _Mrs._ Grundy," said Sal, who had adhered to her resolution of always addressing her old enemy as _Mrs._, though she whispered it to Mary as her opinion that the woman didn't fancy her new title.
Much as Mary had learned to prize Sally's friendship, before winter was over she had cause to value it still more highly.

Wretched and destitute as the poor crazed creature now was, she showed plainly that at some period or other of her life, she had had rare advantages for education, which she now brought into use for Mary's benefit.

When Mary first commenced attending school, Miss Grundy insisted that she should knit every evening, and thus she found no opportunity for studying at home.

One evening when, as usual, a part of the family were assembled around a blazing fire in the kitchen, Sal Furbush suddenly exclaimed, "Mary, why don't you bring your books home at night, just as Mr.Bender does." She had conceived a great respect for Billy, and always called him _Mr._ Mary cast a rueful glance at the coarse sock, which certainly was not growing fast, and replied, "I should like to, but I have to knit all the time." "Fudge on your everlasting knitting," said Sal, snatching the sock from Mary's hands and making the needles fly nimbly.