The Idle Man (Volume 1, Nos. 1-4) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1822. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... that sagacious dogs possess the same quality. It was certainly so with Argus; for what with his fawning, and the fair hands of Mary kindly saving the plant from harm, Edward scarce knew what he was about. He began with tying the bow of the knot first--it slipt, and the vine fell upon Mary's arms. This was not making the matter any better, and in the second attempt the knot was tied in the wrong place. "The dog is troublesome," said Mary, simply. "Get you out of the way, Argus." "'Tis all my awkwardness, Miss Aston. You must not drive Argus away. It makes me better pleased with myself to be liked by a dog; and Argus seems to take to me so much that I hope," he said hesitatingly, "he and I shall soon be friends. I will not blunder so again."--The knot was tied, and so was one which Edward could never undo all his life after. What little things falling in with our dispositions determine the course of our affections. The liking of an old family house-dog, acting with a first impression, did more to fix Edward in favor with Mrs. Aston and her daughter, than any one of the party was aware of. "What has my brother been about? Why, I declare, Miss Aston, you will make a very florist of him. At home, he never thinks of moving one of my plants into the sun for me of a cold day. He scarcely looks at them; and says that he had almost as lief be shut up in a room full of stuffed birds, as in one so stuck round with flower-pots. He will bring home a pocket full of mosses, and some poor little field-flower now and then, to be sure, but if I ask the name of one of them, it is something that he learned, when a lad, of some ploughboy, --for he knows not one word of Smith or Bigelow." "You forget my woodbine, Harriet, Under my study window." "Why, so I did; though if I chose ...