Billy always took the letters from the postman, and carried the
morning paper up to Mr. Morris's study, and I always put away the
clean clothes. After they were mended, Mrs. Morris folded each
article and gave it to me, mentioning the name of the owner, so
that I could lay it on his bed, There was no need for her to tell me
the names. I knew by the smell. All human beings have a strong
smell to a dog, even though they mayn't notice it themselves. Mrs.
Morris never knew how she bothered me by giving away Miss
Laura's clothes to poor people. Once, I followed her track all
through the town, and at last found it was only a pair of her boots
on a ragged child in the gutter.

I must say a word about Billy's tail before I close this chapter. It is
the custom to cut the ends of fox terrier's tails, but leave their ears
untouched. Billy came to Miss Laura so young that his tail had not
been cut off, and she would not have it done.

One day Mr. Robinson came in to see him and he said, "You have
made a fine-looking dog of him, but his appearance is ruined by
the length of his tail."

"Mr. Robinson," said Mrs. Morris, patting little Billy, who lay on
her lap, "don't you think that this little dog has a beautifully
proportioned body?"

"Yes, I do," said the gentleman. "His points are all correct, save
that one."

"But," she said, "if our Creator made that beautiful little body,
don't you think he is wise enough to know what length of tail