One night the milk got cold before he took it, and he swelled up and became so ill that Miss Laura had to rouse her mother and get some hot water to plunge him in.

That made him well again, and no one seemed to think it was a great deal of trouble to take for a creature that was nothing but a dog.
He fully repaid them for all his care, for he turned out to be one of the prettiest and most lovable dogs that I ever saw.

They called him Billy, and the two events of his early life were the opening of his eyes and the swallowing of his muslin rag.

The rag did not seem to hurt him, but Miss Laura said that, as he had got so strong and greedy, he must learn to eat like other dogs.
He was very amusing when he was a puppy.

He was full of tricks, and he crept about in a mischievous way when one did not know he was near.
He was a very small puppy and used to climb inside Miss Laura's Jersey sleeve up to her shoulder when he was six weeks old.